A Bit of a Shock

I'm often asked why and/or how I became obsessed with Australia. I have no idea why. I DO know how. But I often avoid answering that question because it's embarrassing.

I actually did write a whole blog post about it once. I guess I was feeling brave the day I wrote it. Or I was  in a confessing mood.

Basically, I was haunted by dreams about Julian McMahon. Lots and lots of dreams. I've dreamed about celebrities before, but this went way beyond anything I've ever experienced before. The dreams were both intense and frequent.

Since I believe everything must mean something. I figured the dreams were trying to tell me something.

Hell, I'm not going to go through the whole story. Those interested can look at the old post.

Anyway, in the last few months, I've had dreams about another soap opera actor. Thaao Penghlis. Now it was only two dreams—MUCH less than the amount of McMahon dreams I've had. But they were both.... I don't know. It's hard to explain, but I felt there was perhaps some kind of message in these dreams as well. Why? Who knows. I'm weird. That's probably good enough explanation.

I didn't know what the message was. I actually tried to just ignore it. It made me kind of sad. I thought the powers-that-be might be trying to tell me that Greece would be my next country to be obsessed with. Why? Thaao Penghlis is a Greek actor. Australian soap opera actors lead me to being obsessed with Australia. Greek soap opera actors must be there to make me start loving Greece.

I didn't like that. I love Australia. I want it to ALWAYS be Australia. I never want to stop loving Australia. I have totally bonded with Australia. I can't break up with Australia and go with Greece. Shit.

I vaguely remember one day mumbling sadly to Tim something like I think we're supposed to go to Greece. I think I wanted him to ask why—you know how some of us do that. We say something and then hope someone asks us for more information. I don't think he did. I think he just acted like it would be a cool idea. Hello? Did you not notice I sound depressed about the idea—like I feel pushed to go when I don't even want to?

Anyway, today I found this website of Australian celebrities. I was using it to come up with people to add to my list. Julian McMahon was there....as I suspected. Thaao Penghlis was too. I sat there completely stunned. I figured it had to be a mistake. I know about this actor. I've watched Days of our Lives since I was a child. I've always known he's Greek. Look at his name for Pete's sake.

I went to talk to Lord Wiki. He said, Yep, the guy is an Aussie. I said, No. Lord Wiki lies quite a lot. I don't trust him. I need confirmation elsewhere.

I want to the official Thaao Penghlis website.

It turns out yes, he's Australian. He does have a Greek heritage. I didn't get things completely wrong. But he was born in Sydney.

What is my deal with dreams about Australian soap opera actors? I don't get it.

And if the purpose of Julian McMahon dreams was to GET me interested in Australia, what the hell is the Thaao Penghlis message?

Is it not a message? Am I just haunted by Australian soap opera stars?

Anyway, here is the two dreams about Penghlis. One was in an old post:

Later, I had a dream within a dream type sequence. I sit at the kitchen table with Tim and another man trying to tell them my dream. The other man is incredibly rude to me. He tells me he doesn't want to hear the dream. He hates hearing dreams. I argue with him, and he says he'll give me a few minutes and that's it. I have no plans of shutting up. I start telling the dream to them. Then I notice that across from all of us is Thaao Penghlis from Days of our Lives. He's listening to my dream and actually seems interested and amused by it.

The other I have to retrieve from my dream journal.....

Here it is:

I realize I'm dreaming. I start flying. I'm excited to be having a lucid dream again, but I start thinking maybe I did have them before but just forgot before waking up. I feel bad for leaving Jack. A part of me wants him to catch up with me and a part of me likes being alone. There's a big screen with Thaao Penghlis talking. He mentions Tony so I'm guessing he's Andre. I feel that maybe the show has a message for me, and I should stop and watch it. Instead I keep flying and flying.


Anyway, I feel kind of stupid posting this. I feel people will read it and think what the hell is the big deal? It's meaningless and silly.

But for some reason, it feels like a big deal to me. I don't know why.

A few years ago, I kept trying to tell myself the Julian McMahon dreams were nothing.  No big deal. And look where I am now. I can name most of the Australian Prime Ministers....well, at least 50% of them.

I have two whole bookcases of Australian books.

Most of my friends are now Australian...or live in Australia.

My child can name all the state capitals of Australia.

Thank you, Julian McMahon.

No seriously....Thank you.

This has been fun.



Read my novel: The Dead are Online 

15 comments:

  1. Melbourne has the biggest concentration of Greek-born people outside of Greece.

    Julian's mother rocked the Nixon White House with a revealing dress.

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  2. I believe dreams do mean something. I too have had dreams that have caused me to explore things in my waking life (no Australian soap opera actors in mine, though :)). Almost as if my dreams were guiding me towards something I'm supposed to do. I joined the VFD after I had many dreams involving burning buildings, and one very vivid one where I carried a person out of a burning building. I felt like that dream was telling me something. Two years later I had a weird deja vu feeling while doing exactly that.

    There's so much we don't understand about the subconscious mind and how it works.

    I think you are meant to learn about Australia. I don't know why.

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  3. Marshall-Stacks: Maybe I'm supposed to visit Melbourne. I don't know.

    Jeff: Yeah. I do believe dreams mean something...at least some of them. I think they definitely can push us in certain directions.

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  4. hmm. Your blog just became Interesting ! ;-D

    heheheh

    dreams dreams dreams. aren't they fun?
    And "whatever works" I say. me and my crush on some person long ago - it has led me to meet all KINDS of new (and terrific) people. I count that a good thing.

    cherio !

    I've dreamt about celebrities before (just a little here and there). One dream I had - I'm certain that it meant that we all DO know each other and WILL get to sit around and trade stories/experiences after this life is over. One big family (right?)
    I have such profound dreams.
    oh it was fun, too.

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  5. Happy Organist,

    My blog just became interesting? Hey, is that an insult or a compliment???


    I LOVE dreams!

    I think celebrity dreams are interesting. Sometimes they seem so random.

    So who was in that one special dream you had?

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  6. Dina - that is a compliment

    as far as that dream goes, I don't want to say who it was. But I was watching (and have seen a few times since) a tv program about her work and life (particularly about growing up with alcoholic parents - that's the part that stuck with me, I suppose) - and so I had this dream that we were talking - just like friends (in the hereafter, as it were. though it looked much like the 'here and now' if you'd been able to see the dream). She owned a farm, and I came by one day to visit with her. No big deal.
    Just goes to show, that's exactly what life'll be like in the next life (relationship-wise). I really believe that.
    [I don't want to disclose who it was, b/c to me the dream was spiritually significant.]

    Now.. that said - my stomach tells me I need to apologize for preaching (or seeming to). [have all kinds of anxiety issues. it's really annoying]

    dreams are awesome. very fun. sometimes can teach you things about yourself. and even if they don't, there is always that *fun* factor to fall back on.

    I used to be quite good at that (is it called lucid dreaming?) where you're aware that you're dreaming and you can control what happens?
    That is entertaining (very fun).

    Yes, of course I like your blog.
    Haven't been following much as you're going through authors you like - but this one got my attention.
    ;)

    Cherio !


    p.s. On a different note, I dreamt about Harrison Ford the other night (no joke).. ;)

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  7. Happy Organist,

    I was just joking about the compliment and insult ; ) I kind of took it as a little bit of both!

    I figure my blog will be boring to most people--unless they're also interested in Australia.

    No need to apologize for preaching. Hey, I did major preaching on someone else's blog today.

    I'm not even sure I'd call your comment preaching.

    I love lucid dreaming. I have a few a month. I've tried to do things to increase the amount of dreams, but nothing really seems to work. They just happen when they happen. It's not something I can make happen or stop from happening.

    I'm not so good at controlling the dreams though. When I'm most lucid, I can better control MY actions...but I'm not good at manipulating the environment. I'm not sure I'd want to though. Then it would feel more like a story than an experience. Or maybe not.

    Did you have a lot of control in your lucid dreams? Did you enjoy it.

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  8. the ones I can remember recently (not that I remember much) - but I can rewind and replay the parts I enjoy. "oh I didn't do that right, let's try it again" (or just enjoy the scene again, or what not). pretty fun.

    the other ones I think I had control over what happened overall.

    What I have most often lately are recurrent dreams. I'm not 100% sure they are recurrent and not just "i feel like i've dreamt this before" while I'm having the dream.
    But I do know that some definitely are recurrent.
    Have one dream (and it varies each time, but the theme and maybe even the location are the same). Just dreaming that I'm somewhere else. (I think it's somewhere near Kansas).
    Yeah. I know the roads, restaurants, etc. We've been there before (not in real life). And I often dream that's where we are living.
    I don't know if it means that we'll move sometime soon - but I wouldn't be surprised if it means that I want to move. ;-) (though I love where we're at, at the moment. Really like our neighborhood and everything). But I think part of me is ready to leave Utah.
    other recurrent dreams include standing in the cafeteria lunch-line in high school, missing (or barely catching) the bus, and not knowing where my classes are (H.S.) b/c I've been sloughing too much (i never sloughed when I was a teenager.) Yeah, those are fun. Dream I show up at school and only know where half of my classes are, and don't know When any of them are, and I'm failing half of them.
    And then there's the P.E. locker-room dream (no, not that exciting), where I don't know where my locker is or what the combo is. And that's funny b/c I'm sure my clothes are in said locker (probably rotting for being kept there so long).
    lot of high-school anxiety, i guess.. I don't think it was quite that stressful at the time (maybe it was, and it's just coming out now)
    Back to cafeterias, though. I went to bed hungry one night and dreamt I was in line for school lunch (again) and they had three main dishes to choose from. I had No idea What they were (by looking at them. some exotic indian dishes, perhaps), but they ALL LOOKED Good@!!) I woke up knowing "I am really hungry."

    then there was a dream I had while dating my husband. That was a scar one. Dreamt I was going to hell. that one kinda sucked. (was terrifying actually).

    I could go on and on.
    ;)

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  9. scar=scary

    ok.. and slough, sluff, skip.. (skipping school). I looked that up (spelling). Apparently it's 'slough,' and 'sluff' hasn't really made it into the dictionary yet. Though it will, with time. (language is always changing). We make the rules! ;D
    - resident linguist here

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  10. Maybe I'm supposed to visit Melbourne. I don't know.

    Yes, this is exactly what it means. Okay, disregard the fact that Penghlis comes from Sydney. And disregard the fact that I'm so totally biased. Melbourne is where you need to visit next time you come to Oz. Melbourne! Melbourne! Melbourne!

    Um... too much? But I am biased.

    Furhter to what Marshall-Stacks wrote, Melbourne has the 3rd largest population of Greek-speakers in the world, behind the Greek cities of Athens and Thessaloniki.

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  11. There's now way around it. You gotta move there Dina! You'll blend right in.

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  12. Happy Organist,

    I rarely notice spelling mistakes (unless they're obvious) and if I see a word I don't recognize, I figure it's simply vocabulary I haven't encountered yet.

    I actually thought "Scar dream" was a real term...kind of like a dream that stays with you and continues to torment.

    I have the high school dreams a LOT...not knowing classes, times, failing, etc. But in the past few years, the dreams have changed. They end up positive. In the dream I realize I don't NEED to be in school. I'm done with that. I can drop out if I want to.

    My dream settings are usually places that are unfamiliar to me. I rarely dream about places I've actually lived in or been to. And even when I do dream about a real place, they rarely look like the actual place.

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  13. Stephen: I AM coming to Melbourne next time. I think we'll be spending most of our time in Victoria. See? I didn't even NEED Thaao Penghlis to come in my dream to push me to go to Melbourne.

    Although maybe he was trying to get me to come back to Sydney.

    Ricardo: I wish we would!

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  14. There are a lot of Greeks in Sydney as well, unfortunately not many Greek restaurants-- not sure why??/

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  15. Laura,

    I'm not even sure I like Greek food that much. It's okay...I guess.

    That is weird that there's not a lot of Greek restaurants though.

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