I was with a large gathering of people, at some low wooden house in the hills. I think I was 8 or 9. the area was very very green, with a clearing around about half the house. the clearing was terraced.

I think there was to be some sort of wedding, and we were set up as participants. we all lined up outside to form some sort of procession into the house, and there was to be some sort of ceremony then celebration. I was near the end of the line; I think it was organized by height and I was one of the youngest in the family.

I was given some sort of flag to wave around, or two strung together perhaps. a lot of people had them since this was sort of an asian (japanese?) thing. I was supposed to know how to wave it around just so as we walked in and the music went. I didn't. I faked it O.K., but it was obvious that I was faking it. so while I didn't get in trouble, there was a sense of disapproval for me and my nuclear family. I looked up at the flags and was appalled to find that one of them was an American flag. it was so out of place, here.

it felt like twilight, but it felt like that throughout the dream. I wonder if I thought of it as twilight because we were in the mountains and so always in shadow.

the dream faded into a time after the ceremony where people had moved back outside. some were talking, some were drinking, and a couple folks had paired off to spar like martial arts on the lowest terrace, which was off to the left as you approached the house. the approach was slightly windy but came towards a corner of the house, with the porch/deck and sliding glass doors on that corner, to your right.

I went up to a higher terrace that was on the right. there was a big clothesline there like between two T-shaped poles in the ground. as I looked along where the terrace extended (more to the right, against some impenetrable vegetation) and I saw Patrick Stewart there, leaning against what looked like a frame for grape vines. I said 'Hi Patrick!' and was very happy. he frowned and then I remembered, we weren't ourselves here. so I looked around to see that no-one was in earshot and said "hi Patrick" again in a smaller voice. I thought to myself, he looks old. he said, wonderingly, 'you called me by my name!' and I realized he was teetering, from drink. I withdrew.

going almost back away from the house, which would have been a hard right as you approached the house, on the highest terrace was a sort of low-ceilinged A-frame structure. it was lit and I went in. Fawn was there, and she was getting things from boxes. I think she was going to teach a class, but in my dream what she taught was some sort of martial art that involved spinning wires or cords or ropes. I was there with her, and there was some sort of dispute between her and Michael (who is entirely made up - he was a little taller than medium height, American with a tendency towards olive skin, black not-quite-shoulder-length hair, and fairly wide eyes); I think they were supposed to be my parents.

at this point there was some sort of flashback that involved my travelling to some place in the mountains that might have been this at a different time but might have been soemwhere else. I got in a car accident or something and should have died, but the person or relative I travelled to healed me up and taught me a lot of the art that Fawn and Michael also taught. I think nobody thought I could learn it becuase of the American in me but Michael persevered? ...that part is fuzzy.

anyhow what was in the boxes Fawn was unpacking were lots of christmas decorations. I had an idea and grabbed this string of about 10 of them and went back outside. off to my left some kids were sparring. well in my dream and in my mind it was normal play and I was going to go play. right in front of me was a doghouse. I stopped in front of the doghouse, and I think someone was going to play with me, but anyhow. I wound the christmas lights around my hand and set the plug to straddle the webbing between my thumb and forefinger, then started whatever is the right spinny move.

the lights lit up. dimly at first, but by the time I was done with the exercise they were glowing brightly. they were all yellow.

the thrum of disapproval that I had been constantly aware of - without quite understanding it - broke up, there was a sense of stronger disapproval in some places and some strong approbiation in others.

Michael had been watching from the porch and he sauntered down with his drink. I was pleased not with a sense of accomplishment but with that pleasure any kid gets with any cool glowing thing (try this. give any kid a glowy necklace. they will always be happy). Michael said things to me about channeling my talents and it was good to see the blood runs strong, blah blah blah. I guess he could always have done this.

I guess time was passing and now all the kids were supposed to so some series of exercises or moves in a demo or as part of the celebration or whatever. I kept my christmas lights and used those while participating.

Michael and I went back to the A-frame place and there I found a really long string of pale purple christmas lights. it was still all wound up. I pulled it out and tried to array it for use while Michael and Fawn had some tense words in the background. I was unable to untangle it from the thin plastic strands that were keeping the coil from getting all tangled with itself. I got some of them cut but not all.

a suspicion came into my mind and I did something to see if I could light these as well as the yellow ones. I could only get them in a dim glow, but that was probably becuase they were still coiled. Michael finally noticed what I as doing and tried to help. it was beyond one person, though, and he snapped, 'could I get some help, here?! can't you see what's happening?'

and then the dog woke me up so the dream is over.