Almudena Grandes

 This Spanish novelist has died at 61 (my age). I see that Spanish literary facebook is lamenting her loss. I can't really say anything because, well, my opinion doesn't count for much. Later on I will comment, when the loss is not so fresh.  

Dream of Herbie Hancock

 Herbie and I were going to travel someplace. We were sitting in an auditorium waiting for our names to be called.  

***

Later, a bunch of people were taking taxis up and down the street. At one point we stopped for coffee. At the coffee shop, a woman who didn't speak Spanish (we were in a Spanish speaking country) stepped behind the counter to make her own coffee at the espresso machine. I told her in English not to do this. The employees were trying to get her to stop too, and then she accidentally set herself on fire. I put out the fire with my hands as she stepped back from behind the counter. Then another very small woman tried to comfort her by hugging her and kissing her on both cheeks. 

Another dream

 There was a Buddhist temple we were supposed to visit, but in an incongruous country. I had a vague memory of it and was going through a field. It suddenly loomed large, like a government building. But we weren't treated well. I noticed I only had underwear on, and the other people I was with were likewise in a state of being half-dressed. My daughter came out wearing a different dress than she had on when she entered... 

Dream of Underwater Dining

 I was walking around a city with people who were interviewing me for a job. We had eaten ourselves earlier; I almost ordered a steak that cost $250 but the waitress warned me not to. We noticed a new trend: restaurants in which the patrons were sitting in water up to their waists. We agreed that this was the stupidest trend in dining ever: flooded restaurants.  I wondered how many cell phones had been ruined.

Earlier, one the people had warned me about the other members of the search committee.  Professor X was distracted, Y was dangerous. Z, shallow, etc... 

"invited"

 We are being "invited" to do a diversity training.  I suspect it will be mandatory. This by an administration that cannot retain a diverse faculty.  Everyone just leaves.  But I'm sure this training will fix that.  

Dream of voice

 I was demonstrating some techniques for speaking. A strong, authoritative, baritone voice; then a high pitched head voice. 

Dream of Birds

 I was in the backyard (of house I grew up in). There were these fantastic birds there, with bright colors. One, though, was a little man with a high-pitched voice. Then I realized it was a dream and then practice levitating these strange creatures, or using hand gestures that made them collapse to the ground.