Sao Lao

I was not sure if I should post about my crazy dreams anymore but I like to keep track of it and doesn’t mind having the post being seen by others. Some of my dreams are so strange and yet wonderful and exciting at the same time. I don’t have the time to read a book about dream nor care about finding interpretation but it’s nice to take the time to write down some good dreams.

A couple of weeks ago I had a dream about my grandmother. I have not seen her for a few months now. She came to me on April 10, 2008, right before Lao New Year celebration in Laos. In my dream, she was dressed in full Lao traditional custom with a beautiful silk Lao skirt (sinh) and a rose/aubergine blouse. Her hair was up in a traditional bun and she had a beautiful rosy flower, tucked on her right ear. I saw her as I was standing in a crowded place and she stood on the right side of what appeared to me was some sort of park. She pointed to the sky and I saw number what I thought was 8 being written in the sky in grey/silver color. I said to myself that it doesn’t mean anything because it is not a red color.

I later walked toward her and started to talk to her. I said to my grandmother: Mair Thou, what are you trying to tell me? This is not a red number. It doesn’t make any sense to me. My grandmother raises her index finger on my lips and said “shhh”. She then draws number 0 and then another 0 right in front of my eyes. I thought to myself about what to make of the zero numbers. I thought perhaps she was trying to tell me that I didn’t see the number 8 but rather a 0 and then had to tell me twice.

I then gave my grandmother a hug and a kiss. She asked me why didn’t I go live with her. She told me that she waited for me for so long but I never showed up. At the moment I knew she meant going to live with her meant that I will be going to the after life and not be able to come back. I said to my grandmother: Mai Thou, if you miss me you can come visit me anytime you want in my dream and come talk to me and I will listen to you and be happy to see you. I can’t go with you yet because I want to live out my life for as long as I could. She smiles and strokes hair. I felt so warm and my heart was beating with such sensation that is difficult to describe. I then woke up and tried to hold on to that warmth sensation.

By Sunday, 13th of April I called my relatives in Vientiane and told them about my dream. I told them I don’t know what it meant and whether or not if my grandmother was trying to give me the lottery numbers. An aunt told me a female number is 4 or 6 being an old person. For a dead person, it is 00. So a few of my relatives bought the lottery number of 400 and 600. Then on April 16, the winning lottery number was 800. My relatives were happy but were also a bit upset that they didn’t read my dream right but still they won some money for having the last two numbers.

Of course I don’t buy lottery numbers because my relatives said it is not in my place to do so. I can only receive the numbers and tell other people to play the numbers but it is against the rule for me to play the numbers myself and I won’t win if I do buy the numbers.

So, there you have it. Another weird and strange dream that I don’t quite know how to pay attention to. If I did, then the relatives would have won more money. But I am happy though that I told my relatives about my dream. I have been dreaming of so many numbers in the past few months but to me they were useless since they were mostly three sets of number. What the heck am I going to do with that? I can’t buy lottery over here either even if I want to play. Perhaps my duty is to just pass on the numbers.

I’m just happy to see my grandmother again. I thought she came to see me because of Lao New Year and to check on me. I later found out last Friday that my aunt went to Laos for two week to have a Tad built for my grandmother and relocated to the temple, along with my grandmother’s Tad. Their ashes were kept on the family ground by this aunt and that is a taboo. I am not a Buddhist but my grandmother is a devout Buddhist and if her spirit is at peace, maybe she was communicating to me and trying to help me. But I am not a good listener at times, especially when I am so happy and just want to talk to her. I will learn to keep my mouth shut the next time I see my grandmother again in a dream.

Is it possible for the dead to speak to you in a dream and tell you to buy the winning lottery number? I would answer that it is possible based on my experience. I will tell you about a particular dream that I would never forget for as long as I am still alive.

In Laos, my mother would buy lottery number, Lao lottery as well as Thai lottery. People in Laos play the Thai lottery by using the last three winning digits of the Thai lottery. I think it was underground lottery system but just about everyone I knew were selling and buying Lake Sarm Tho (three numbers lottery).

My mother won a few times, but only in small amount. One night I had a dream that I was playing on Wat Tad Luang’s ground. It was during the annual festival and there was a Faris Wheel right in front of me. The place was empty so being a little kid I started to walk around. Then I saw an old man, who could be someone’s grandfather. He called my name to go to him. He said he wanted to help me, to make my life better and told me to look up at the Farish Wheel. I saw two sets of number, glowing in red color light bulbs. This kind old man said to tell my mother of those numbers and all our lives would be better.

The next morning I woke up and went to my mother’s room to tell her about the dream. Since I was just a little kid I didn’t know how to tell her the two sets of numbers and I wrote them down backward for her. The set of numbers were 250 and 160. Of course being a stupid kid, I wrote down 052 for her but then 160 for her for the second set. Why would anyone write down numbers backward to begin with?

My mother bought the first set of lottery numbers, 052 and 250. Guess what? She won baskets of Lao kips for the winning 250 set. She was able to buy a refrigerator, invested some money for her pharmacy, and finance our chicken farms. She later won the second set of lottery number 160.

Our winning streak didn’t just end there. My brother Hanh had a dream later about an old man who came to visit him. The nice old man pointed to the license’s plate of my mother’s motorbike. The set of numbers became red. Hanh told my mother about the dream the next morning. I can’t recall the numbers. But one thing for sure, my mother won her third biggest winning pot for Thai lottery (Lake sarm tho).

My mother said it was my Grandfather that came into my dream. She said he must have been worried about us and wanted to help us. At the time there were talks of him haunting people at his old house in Vang Vieng. That is another story all together and I will post for Nye.

On August 14th I had a dream about my deceased Grandmother again. I think it had something to do with talking about her with my mother a few days before. My mother told me how my two uncles in Laos wanted to have a new Tad for my Grandparents. Apparently the two uncles are not able to sleep well at night since they are experiencing nightmares lately with their parents being angry with them. I can only wonder if this has to do with a bit of guilt since the two uncles sold all their inheritances to pay for their gambling addiction. I am not a judge or jury on this matter.

After talking to my mother I called my Grand-Mama in Pakse and she told me about how they will have Boun Haw Khao Padab Din in a few weeks. I then told her about my uncles wanting to have some sort of ceremony and a new Tad for my Grandparents. I also told her about not having seen my Grandmother in my dream anymore. I said to my Grand-Mama perhaps I should think of my Grandmother in Lao language and also talk to her before going to sleep at night.

I don’t know if it possible to make yourself dream about something you want to dream about. I am too busy to check on reading materials on dream subject. But for three nights as I was getting ready for bed. I spoke in Lao to my Grandmother and told her that I missed her and if it is possible, please come talk to me. On the third night (August 14th) I had a dream about her in the early hours of (August 15th).

In a dream, I am walking around at a market, somewhere in Laos. There is a water fountain with Buddhist Monks standing next to the fountain. I join a group of people that are waiting to wash their hands and feeling happy to be able to feel a cool water on my hands since it is a hot day.

After washing my hands, I walk around the market and heard a phone ring. A lady picks up a phone which is white with long white cord. Someone on the other end is asking for a girl name Pet (duck). The lady makes an announcement, asking for someone named Pet to come to the phone. After a few minutes, there is no reply. Here I am walking around, looking at various goods at the market and then realized that I have a nickname of little ducky. I raised my hand and said I have a name of duck and went to pick up the phone. Well you know already from the title of the post who is on the other end of the phone. It is my deceased Grandmother.

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I have to confess that I am a very strange person because I talk to people during my sleep. My youngest sister thought it was funny when I was at home last year and we were sharing a bed and I told her not to wake me up because I was having a good dream. She said I woke her up because I was giggling. She asked me what was so funny and I told her to be quiet and that I am in the middle of a very nice dream and don’t want to wake up. I can recall that dream with being at a very beautiful place and experiencing a warmth sensation and I heard my sister talking to me. I didn’t wan to wake up and was fighting my best to stay in a dream state and so I told her to be quiet and went back to my dream.

I dream a great deal and at times would take things in real life into my dreams. For example as a high school student, I would be completing my Calculus problem during my sleep and would wake up to write down the answer. During my undergrad years, I would continue writing essays while sleeping. Perhaps my brain doesn’t know that I am resting and continue to work during night time.

I also dream about dead relatives and would carry on conversation with them like with my Grandmother and my sister in particular. I knew that they are dead and used to be afraid of my sister. But now I talk to her and not afraid of her anymore. My Grandmother and my sister didn’t appear in my dream for many months. The last time I had a dream about my Grandmother was last year. In a dream she appeared and told me how much she and her mother missed my mother and me. My Grandmother said she wanted me to go live with her but I told her no since I knew she meant I would be living with her in the after life. Before having this particular dream, I had a prior dream about visiting both my Great-Grandmother and my Grandmother in the after life. Perhaps those two dreams are related somehow.

When I said no to Grandmother she told me she will go take my mother to live with her. I told her that she shouldn’t do that because my siblings need their mother. I told my Grandmother that rather than taking my mother to live with them, I would go in her place instead since I have no family to care about. She agreed and vanished into thin air. This conversation was taking place at where I am sitting right now, in the computer room.

Then the dream change with me sleeping on my bed. I am experiencing death and having warmth sensation and feeling energy being released out of my body. I look out the window and saw three angels with white gowns and wings and all, just like how they are depicted in paintings and movies. I can see a bright glow around them and they are calling me to go outside. The next thing I knew I was dead. I am now floating by the ceiling, looking at my body on the bed.

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