One of the best dreams I’ve ever had

It began with me pulling out car keys and boarding a red Mazda RX-something.

The scene was the top of a very tall carpark building which I’m pretty sure I’ve dreamed of it before.

I was trying to run away from some friends in that car.

Next thing I realized, this carpark building became very crowded.

Then somehow, I was already on foot, carrying the car with me as if it’s a suitcase. I was trying to get on a weirdly designed elevator, trying to go up. There are no walls on this elevator to prevent you from falling off. It’s like the castle stage in 8bit Mario where elevators keep coming up from the lava and you have to use that to jump over.

When I look down from this elevator, I see lava. But without fear, I grabbed onto the chain (that’s pulling this elevator up) with one hand and proceeded to jump in a zig-zag way upwards.

Then it’s like I just entered the attic of a very tall tower. It’s very dark all around. Something tells me to just make my way up. I walk along a ledge filled with things you would see on a wizard’s desk, scrolls and stuff all over this ledge. It kind of reminded me of my messy desk at home.

There were people sitting around and chatting.

I was trying to find a save point. But then I recalled in my mind that the save points were removed in the last version update. But still I tried to find one anyway.

In this dark tower, there were random small sparkling gems floating. I waved my hand near them and started “absorbing” them into my hand.

I looked around for more and found a huge blue crystal rock the size of my palm. I grabbed it and observed how it slowly shrank in size as I absorbed it.

I look at my hand and see a value of “10,000”+. Then see the blood veins of my hand turning blue. I knew I had “Atma Poisoning”.

I climbed up and came to a floor, walked past a bright smoky portal which I knew would lead me to a battle with a minotaur.

A RL friend who also plays FFXI with me showed up. Saying he’s trying to catch up on the missions and tells me he might need my help later.

We came to a few exhibits, there were no one else around.

These exhibits have holograms and are actually puzzles you have to solve.

After seeing my friend solve one, and it involves pushing a coke bottle down a hole, I move out of the place and came to a small village.

I tried to find a shop that sells an atma container and during the walk, I took out my iPhone and began looking up “Atma Poisoning” for more info.

I walked into a store and told the shopkeeper if she had any atma containers. Some guys there asked what happened and I said I was trying to complete “Wings of Altana” mission.

Then she took out some cheap looking long plastic container, took my right arm, used a pair of small scissors and snipped on the blue veins on my hand.

Blood flowed out, it was dirty red in color, as if a bit of blue paint was mixed in. My arm swelled up and lots of blood gushed out until the swelling reduced.

She then did the same for my left arm. The container was close to filling up and this was when I woke up.

I felt refreshed and happy because I just had a nice long fantasy-related dream.

RL

I really like your framework. I use it at work and at personal projects.

I’ve recommended it to others even though there’s no benefit for me.

But I have a problem and a few others have the same problem too.

But you won’t make the patch for us because you have other more important things to attend to.

You said if we want that feature, we should code it and submit a pull request for it.

So I coded the patch, learned how to work with GitHub, submitted a pull request.

Other people who shared the same problem were happy.

Days go by and yet there’s no response from you.

I wondered if there’s a problem with my solution so I tried to propose an alternative.

But you said the original solution was fine, just be patient because you guys have real lives too.

Weeks later, still no response.

And now, I sit here wondering why did I even bother in the first place.

Just a small rant.

Steve Jobs

Today is the day Steve Jobs passed away.

When I was a kid, hi-tech gadgets in movies amaze me.
The fact that it’s fictional, disappoints me.

Thanks to his vision and Apple, I get to enjoy a “futuristic” life while I’m still alive. The things they do should be the standard to be called innovation.

Light and powerful computers with a pretty user-interface.

A touch phone that reminds me of my schedule, communicate, stay up to date with the news, write notes, listen to music or watch a video. All this while on the move.

These 2 gadgets have become an important part of my life. Helping me to stay organized, learn new things, and earn some income.

A part of me feels that Apple will no longer be as innovative as when Steve Jobs was still around. Another, hopes that I’m wrong.

And I do hope I’m wrong.

Japan 2010 – Day 2

A week before my arrival in Japan, P-san and S-san, a wedded couple from my FFXI’s dynamis LS asked if I wanted to meet them.

Of course I do!

And today, Saturday, we arranged to meet up at Akihabara station.

Our first destination was a maid cafe which I wanted to go. S felt very shy going in while P seemed comfortable with it. We had drinks and conversed. S is a web developer like me too, and P is a fashion designer.

They brought me to shop for clothes around Harajuku. After hours of walking, we had stopped to rest at a coffee restaurant to decide where to go next.

We went to Tokyo Tower, followed by dinner at an okonomiyaki restaurant and then just as we were about to go our seperate ways at the train station, they invited me to stay over at their home!

It was a nice 3 floor mansion(?), advanced toilet, and even a small TV in the bathroom.

I was the first to go to sleep that night, in a nice warm futon for the first time.