Wednesday, July 29, 2009

再見西雅圖

曾幾何時,西雅圖取代了拉斯維加斯,成了我和 J 這幾年旅行最常去的城市。大概是我們的文化氣質有所提昇的關係吧... 呵呵。兩個星期前為了參加一場婚禮,我們又再見到西雅圖。

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撇去鈴木一郎不談,西雅圖最令人熟知的,大概是當地的雨和咖啡。不過說來奇怪,在我們抵達的前一天晚上,雨悄悄的停了。不顧氣象預報員的反對,陽光豪邁的撒落在這個天無三日晴的城市。在她眼裡,我們一行人應該是晴天娃娃之類的吉祥物吧。



湖畔的農夫市場... ㄟ...的招牌



嗯... 辣椒活力客!?



足球場與棒球場,還幾乎可以看到遠處還積雪的Mount Rainier.


西雅圖不愧是義式咖啡之都,不單單是星巴克發源於此,這裡連路邊隨便的咖啡店也是水準相當高。 道理可能和在台南不容易吃到難吃的小吃一樣 - 競爭太激烈了,爛東西很難生存。





不過雨下多了,連拉花也是盡弄些喜歡陰暗潮溼的植物


這間Espresso Vivace是間相當有風格的義式咖啡店,我們早上總是努力要把它排進行程。在一杯香淳的咖啡中醒來,真的是件美妙的事。 J 為了女兒的健康,戒了咖啡的習慣,不過在這個充滿咖啡誘惑的地方,也不免破功。呵呵...

參加完了生平第一次的猶太教婚禮,在星期天下午準備離開的時候,天空開始飄起雨來,真不愧是天無三日晴。灰灰的天、冷冷的風,但是在起飛前,我回想起了另一個陽光普照的、西雅圖的下午。

Thursday, July 23, 2009

庸人自白

這天早上,一首曲子靜悄悄的滑進了我的腦袋,曲調優美但悲傷,帶著一點進行曲的味道。弦樂的部份奏著彷彿行刑隊的小鼓節奏,緩緩的前進,朝向一個華麗又哀傷、且必然的終點。

怎麼也想不起來這是哪一首曲子,但是這華麗哀傷的感覺像極了柴可夫斯基的調調。是五號交響曲嗎!?嗯.. 不是。是六號悲愴嗎... 也不是。花了將近兩個小時聽完八個樂章後 - 除了更佩服柴力比達克老人家的禪定功夫外 - 一無所獲。又再多聽完了貝多芬三號的第二樂章後,無言的放棄了尋找這首失落的慢版進行曲。弦律也漸漸的被四周的吵雜抹去 - 一直到當天晚上的不期而遇。

這天晚上突然想看部電影。J 是驚悚電影的瘋狂愛好者,所以挑了籠子先生演的 Knowing。話說凱吉哥哥哄小孩子睡著後,一個人坐在工作室裡,怔怔的看著死去的老婆意外往生前要送他的生日禮物,禮物還原封不動的在包裝紙裡頭。畫面上他的手輕輕轉開收音機,傳出了一聲我的大叫「就是它!!我就是在找這首歌!!」

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(貝多芬第七號交響曲,第二樂章。小克萊伯(Carlos Kleiber)指揮維也納愛樂)

可是興奮的情緒很快的就被一連串實現中的災難預言取代,飛機墜毀、列車出軌、熱浪來襲。畫面裡一次次的加重末日來臨的景象,一直到天火降臨的前一刻,電影又再一次奏起這首曲子。是阿,該是凱吉哥哥和家人團聚的時候了。

突然間我一陣毛骨悚然。我一直不是個機會論者,我相信事出必有因、無風不起浪,那這首曲子的擅自闖入,難道是天意中的末日預言嗎?想到將要來襲的日全蝕,難道將要是人類文明的終點嗎!?我那還沒見到面的女兒... 還有沒破關的電動呢!?

幸好天狗吃了一頓太陽餅後還是走了。昨天晚上,我拾起未完成的電動又玩了一陣。勦殺怪物、維護世界和平的同時,想起了古人說的「天下本無事,庸人自擾之」,故名本篇庸人自白。

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Can't wait to meet you, baby Natalie

Hey Natalie,
it's your dad. I'm not used to being called that name just yet. I figure at some point, I will. After long 20 weeks, we finally saw you again on Tuesday, you've grown so much. Mommy was so emotional seeing your face. I was delighted to see that you already found your thumbs to suck...And we were finally 100% sure that you're not a boy, so we don't have to name you after a total stranger that we picked up in the cast of the movie, "The International"...




You are about ready to meet the most important man in your life. However, I am not sure that I'm ready to be that guy. I will try my best, though.

I know you are very active, unlike your mom and dad. Good, then you'll be likely to love sports. With your vote, you and I can finally get the TV back and watch some good ball games that your mom knows nothing about and shows no interests of. Oh well, if you wanna watch Hanna Montana, I understand. But being a Taiwanese American, you need to at least understand baseball. Seriously.

We had your room almost ready. Your baby monitor almost here. Your crib almost borrowed. Seems like everything is in mess but almost in place.

But it's nice to know that your swing set is assembled and hooked up, cause that's everything dad did so far...