In my dream world, there are two connected areas. The one, a residential area, features in many adventures where I escape from dinosaurs and/or military or police bent on my capture.
This area is extremely hilly in areas, with large green shade trees and pleasant houses behind pleasant fences. Gardens are plentiful here.
North East of this residential area is the industrial zone, of sorts. This includes train yards, fenced areas stacked with machinery and metal, a large lumber mill, and areas of giant mysterious machines. And the surplus store... the joy and wonder of the surplus store, with its electronic instruments, parts, garbage, and hidden bargains.
Go further East and you reach the river. Across the river is a rolling green plain with the giant military/industrial fenced compound that I occasionally get to escape from.
To the West, or perhaps South? Directions in dreams are so arbitrary, the geometry of space nonlinear.
In the other direction there is downtown, an area of large blocks of large square buildings, a profusion of confusion, colors, lights, and signs -- all of which appear to be in a foreign language. Chaos. Chinese perhaps. Reminiscent of Chinatown in San Franscisco.
This downtown area is huge and I'm always worried about getting lost. My first visits were where I was lost, but eventually I learned how to find my way from the downtown back into the residential area, up a particularly steep hill.
I loved this commercial zone, in spite of its threat of geographical confusion. I especially liked the magic stores there. There were several, but most of them were sparse, lame things. One, however, was excellent.
It was next door to a shop that sold... something paper? Streamers? Or perhaps fireworks? I don't know. On the other side was, I think, one of several jewelry and/or art stores from the area. A few blocks down and around the corner was a department store with a giant toy section.
This one magic shop was all black velvet and point lighting. Large tricks abounded, small tricks under the glass case, books on the shelf. The proprieter was well versed in the art and demonstrated things for me.
I bought a bunch of things here over time -- floating match, I'm sure, and cups and balls. Some of the classics. I don't remember all of the items, though.
There were a lot of great stores down there. But those will be stories for another day.
Posted by Edwin at January 6, 2005 11:43 AM