Traveler of Earth

12.01.2023 Because now I can consciously determine my dreams before sleep, sometimes when I don’t come up with anything specific topic to learn in lucid dreams, I will try to give some creative instructions to my subconsciousness, like: “Let’s run a virus scan and do some regular cleanup!” to help me release thoughts and emotions. After falling asleep yesterday, I found myself in New York, constantly walking between museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and others. Well, this is New York, the museums are everywhere and close to each other. Also, since it’s a dream, it’s convenient to dash around with a mix of places. During this trip, I carried a large, thick history book on my left shoulder, a backpack on my back, with my right hand holding a thermos, and a laptop on my left hand. It was heavy because, in my dreams, the sensations are just like in reality. Yet, I am proud of myself, see, I am eager to learn even in a dream!!! I am still collecting information and taking notes. While wandering between museums, I noticed a large group of teenage girls rehearsing contemporary dance in corridor, 50 of them. To perform, they wore dance leotards and had smeared mud or earthy paints on their bodies. Despite being unable to distinguish their faces clearly, I could easily see their smiles. It started with one girl singing, and then, with the music, other girls joined in harmony, and their bodies started to move. Their dance wasn’t as uniform as the style of K-pop idol groups, because I could see the characteristics in their movements and their unique interpretations of the music. However, these girls’ passion and excitement connected all these differences seamlessly. After finishing the rehearsal, they all relaxed, laughing and applauding each other. Then, as if there was great chemistry among them, without saying any words, they began the next round of rehearsal immediately. “So beautiful,” I stood there admiring their dance for a long time. When I snapped out of it, my consciousness was already drifting to the front of the stage. At that moment, I couldn’t feel my body, only knowing that I was deeply captivated by the scene on the stage. These girls were already on stage, and as the singing and the first dance move began, I felt the whole world had disappeared, melting into their performance. All the audience, like me, released their physical form and became pure consciousness that deeply engaged in the moment with their art. I woke up almost crying. Even though I didn’t know if those girls existed, their art had left a profound imprint on my heart, this experience was incredibly real to me. I believe people dreaming is because, on the one hand, as scientific research shows, it allows our brains to rest, strengthen memories, and process information. However, dreams might also help us to go beyond logic, touch our purest hearts and remember our faith through imaginative exploration. Just like art, it doesn’t directly advance the human species as technology does. Yet, it encourages us to embrace things that science and logic cannot explain but that deeply move us, amid our ordinary lives, leading us to reclaim the ability to feel this world deeply and emotionally. Note: The images were created by Midjourney AI. I selected ones with compositions and vibes closer to what I saw in dreams. The girls I encountered were of various races, aged between 15 and 18 years old. 紐約的少女舞者們 因為現在比較能決定自己的夢境了，有時候睡前沒特別想做什麼，就會下一些比較有創意的指令，讓潛意識自己工作，像是：「今天來開防毒程式，定期清理一下吧！」 睡著之後，我就到了紐約，一直不停得在博物館間奔走，大都會、古根漢等等都造訪。畢竟這是紐約，博物館很多也離得很近，也畢竟這是在夢裡，東拼西湊一下到處跑就很方便。 我的左肩揹著超大一本厚厚的歷史書籍，背後揹著後背包，右手又提著保溫瓶，還手提電腦包。東西很多，背起來很重，因為夢裡體感和現實是一樣的，但可見我是多麼好學，就連來到了美術館都不忘了蒐集資料，到處做筆記。 在博物館之間閒逛時，我注意到了走廊一大群正在排練著當代舞蹈的少女，大約有50人之多，為了表演，她們身上塗抹了泥巴或是大地色顏料，穿著貼身的膚色舞衣。明明面容都不太能辨識清楚，但是我卻能輕易看見她們的笑容。 先是一名少女開口歌唱，然後隨著音樂旋律，陸續有其他少女加入和聲，身體也開始舞動起來。她們的舞蹈，倒不是像是韓國流行偶像那種整齊劃一的風格，因為我可以清楚看見她們每個人舞動肢體時的特色，對於音樂也有不同表達方式，可是她們內心的熱情和興奮，卻將這些不同，全部都連結在一起。 當她們結束排練時，大家全都放鬆地大笑，為彼此鼓掌。接著像是有一種互相知悉已久的默契一樣，不等誰開口，她們又開始進行下一輪的練習。

While traveling in Helsinki, I wore only a few clothes. Though the weather looked like it was going to snow, I wore only a short-sleeved T-shirt and a cotton maxi skirt. I put on Bluetooth headphones, using them as ear warmers. As the saying goes in Taiwan: “children have fire asses,” implying that children, with their higher body temperature, aren’t bothered much by the cold. Indeed, when my inner child emerges, I forget the cold. Fenno experienced an annoying week. He fought with Linia last week and didn’t know how to reconcile yet. His mom urged him to go to the park to play with friends. “Linia said sorry, right? Everyone must miss you! Just go to the park!” Fenno’s mom encouraged. “I don’t want to go; the park is so boring!” Fenno sat on the steps at the doorway, his face reddened by the cold wind. He couldn’t help but cover his face with both hands as if trying to hide from anybody. “You’re lying! If you don’t like it, why do you sit in the doorway every day?” his mom teased. “Mom, leave me alone! I just don’t want to go to!” Fenno sneezed involuntarily, his forehead still furrowed. He couldn’t figure out if the sudden wind made him uncomfortable or if not going to the park did. Waking up from a nap, I packed my things and leisurely walked out of Think Corner at the University of Helsinki, strolling aimlessly around the campus in the afternoon. Perhaps my mood was influenced by the Think Corner building, now everything around me had a warm orange, woody tone. The campus bustled with people, and magically, all the events that had ever occurred here seemed to overlap at this moment. Group activities, sports games, audiences, and players filled the area with lively energy. Some people sat under the shade, chatting and playing instruments, perfect with hot coffee. At a not-very-far distance, a guy with a backpack on his left shoulder yelled his friend’s name toward me. As if whispering secrets, two young ladies in maroon scarves passed by my left side quickly. Of course, I couldn’t understand the language they were speaking. Even if I accidentally bumped into them, I just passed through them gently, not bothering anyone. The university seemed lively yet maintained a smooth order, a peculiar sense of tranquility different from many American or Taiwanese cities I had visited. Perhaps this was the essence of the Finnish people? The orange light streams and the crowd kept flowing around me, washing away some of Helsinki’s coldness. It was 3 PM and almost sunset, but Fenno still sat in the doorway, feeling bored. Almost falling asleep, the cold wind woke him, making him shiver for a while. He thought that if it soon snowed heavily, and everywhere was covered in snow, maybe his mom wouldn’t keep asking him to go to the park. But then Fenno thought, if it snowed, would it take a long time before he could play on the swings in the park? Although he wasn’t afraid of the cold, he knew Linia didn’t like going out when it was very cold. “Even without Linia, I can swing by myself…” Fenno mumbled stubbornly. I kept walking to unfamiliar areas of the campus, and suddenly, a swing set caught my eye. A swing on a university campus!? Without thinking too much, my body automatically sat on it and began to sway like an excited kid. Initially, I couldn’t figure out how to swing, and my feet struggled to push the ground, probably because Finnish people were generally taller, so the swing was higher. I felt like I was about to fall every time I swayed. But after a few attempts, I caught the hang of it. It was as if there were some mysterious force helping me, and my body finally swung effortlessly. When Fenno realized, he had already walked to the entrance of the park. Oliver and Mathias were running around and making loud noise, while Linia reluctantly chased after them. Ada, as always, walked on the balance beam, seemingly unaffected by anyone. Fenno’s face was red, unsure how to explain why he hadn’t been to the park this week. As he hesitated about turning back home, Ada suddenly shouted. “The swing is moving! Linia, Oliver, the swing is moving!” The empty swing suddenly started swinging on its own! It started slow and irregular, then gradually swung faster and higher. The kids were amazed, running and shouting around the swing. Fenno, forgetting his shyness, hurriedly ran towards the swing set to see what was happening. Oliver and Mathias, laughing loudly, pushed the swing a few times, and it began to dance in the air like the wind. I closed my eyes, feeling as if I were dancing lightly like the wind. The music in my headphones Porter Robinson’s Wind Tempos, coincidentally reached the clear and calm piano melody in the middle parts, blending with the serene floating sensation in the air. I was so immersed in the music that I vaguely heard a little girl saying, “Fenno, come play with us!” “Fenno,” Linia walked straight to Fenno, “come play with us!” She reached out her hand without hesitation. Initially reluctant, Fenno didn’t know what to do. However, Linia kept staring at his face for a long time, making Fenno feel embarrassed. Finally, Fenno placed his small skinny hand on Linia’s slightly larger hand, whispering, “Please be gentle this time…” Linia led Fenno to another empty swing, gently helping him sit down. After ensuring Fenno was sitting comfortably, she slowly pushed him out. Every time the swing was about to touch the ground, Linia stood steadily beside Fenno, making sure he wouldn’t fall before adding more force to swing him. After a few back and forths, Fenno, like the empty swing next to him, swung higher and higher, gradually dancing in the air. Fenno, you’re smiling!" I suddenly blurted out as I jumped off the swing. It seemed that the snow in Helsinki wouldn’t come so soon. I casually turned over and picked up the cardigan from my LA home, putting it on.

11.20.2023 Multiverse traveling isn’t always easy, especially when “I” exists strongly. Descartes “Cogito, ergo sum”, I think, therefore I am, is rather arrogant. When “I” is not present, the universe can unfold and flow into us smoothly. Every time the me from the distant terminal shouts, “Think quickly and hard, speak!!! hurry up, ask! Think about the problem and go get an answer!” I only become far distant from those beautiful worlds. I am, once again, abruptly and quickly recalled to back the dark terminal. “Have you calmed down?” The unfamiliar middle-aged man in front of me is happily eating a burrito. Despite its meager fillings, he enjoys it thoroughly, looking at me with curious and caring eyes. Where am I? Am I still “here”? I examine my body, and feel the hands, realizing that I am touching the low shrubs in the courtyard for a while. A bit prickly and rough, the leaves and stems are moist with dew, just like many of the archives I possess describe. But it’s just a low shrub, and yet I’ve been touching it for quite a while. Wait, “I” have been touching it for a while…… no, just a moment ago, “I” didn’t exist. I don’t even remember why I’m here, what I look like, or what I’m wearing. What am I trying to do? Who am I? Those seemed no matters. I was someone who could easily modify avatars and adjust parameters in many worlds during traveling, but now all those functions to me, become unclear. Because I am so engagingly touching the shrubs. Not letting go of any detail, feeling the tiny leaves connecting with my skin, linking to memories and sensory experiences deep hidden within each terminal. Right now, “we” are not here, no incessant chatter, no constant thinking, and processing of information. Right now, we are transforming into the tiniest fundamental particles distributed to every corner of the universe. I look up at the middle-aged man. Although I can’t sense my face and body, I probably have a confused look at this moment. “See, your world and my world were once one.” The man plays with the burrito in front of me, “In the process of fission, a wormhole opened up, and many of us fell from one world to another, from this half to the other.” I stare at the burrito’s tortillas being slowly pulled apart, the middle part becoming sticky threads, it’s a bridge, a time tunnel. Then, in a very short time, the tunnel collapsed, and sauce, fillings, stars, and planets spilled everywhere. The burrito is divided into two completely unrelated worlds. !https://i.imgur.com/zaT76ih.png “Unless you are the god who can create wormholes, it’s impossible to connect two different worlds again, right? It is not possible to send many of us back, right?” The man looks around at the travelers walking by, then hands me the other half of the burrito, encouraging me to eat. “Or a baker.” I take it without hesitation. “Yet a half burrito is just as good as the whole one, right?” I observe the filling; even though some of them have dropped, it feels like the entire amount has nothing diminished. “Even if what I wanted before was that part you held, but this half is the same yummy, right?” I ask, like an innocent child. The man smirks, “I say so to everyone who comes here.” I take a wild bite, and suddenly, once again, I forget how was I sent back to the terminal. I only remember that half burrito tastes just like many of the archives describe. However, my body sheds tears. Right now, we are transforming into the tiniest fundamental particles distributed to every corner of the universe.