Finally Mr. Spring-Tree-in-a-Village's book came out in Chinese. I was kind of waiting for the English version, you know Murakami thinks in English when he writes, but I need to get away from my world badly lately, so I got 1Q84 today anyhow.
While Aomame was listening to Janáček's Sinfonietta in an almost sound proof taxi, I was shielding myself from the disturbance of quietness with spa music playing through my over-the-head headphone. I was stuck on page 3 because of the most long lasting and satisfying sensation of scratching an itchy spot over my lower left leg. To be exact, it is where the anterior tibia muscle is, exactly 12 inches from the bottom of my left foot, .... ok you don't want to know but I'll continue in another direction.
This itchy spot started to appear a few years ago, doctor said it was not caused by fungus and its temporary, he prescribed antibiotics ointment, the itch keeps coming back however. One day I had an epiphany, the spot appeared for a reason perhaps psychosomatic. Suddenly I remember in my boy scout days I always hurt this area of my leg during outings. In one particular instant, I was crossing a river stream over large rocks, I slipped and my left leg was stuck between two rocks under water. That exact spot hurt like hell for almost a year. Even though fully recovered, I carry the pain and shamefulness of not being fit enough for activities so common for young boys. I didn't give up though, eventually became a troop leader and instructor.
That itchy spot now was the "painful" spot so light and seems insignificant yet lingering. Today that spot lingers as a sign of distress and at the same time a relief mechanism I can make use of. I use it to reduced brain activity in areas associated with unpleasant sensory experiences and memories, I made it a bodily chronic itch for the benefit of scratching away problems, scratching to the point of drawing blood to relief.
1984 was the year I began the transformation from self-doubt. 3 pages of 1Q84 brought me back to the parallel realms I was so good traveling across.
(google "why scratching feels good" and go deeper)