Traveling in Taipei 15 / 台北城市生活旅行 15

在台北緬懷另一個城市

隨著年歲增長，我看到的台北不再是101大樓或故宮博物院，那是外來旅客眼中的台北。近來吸引我目光的，絕大多數是不起眼的小店或景色，我並非為了和其他人不一樣而叛逆，我只是想為自己尋找住在台北市的理由，及觀察別人的日常生活。

某日經過住家附近的理髮店，從前理所當然地就晃過去了，那天卻覺得當時的景有種自成一格的風味，店名為上海的理容行，裡面坐著兩名客人，都是上了年紀的歐吉桑，連師傅也是同年齡層同性別。不是我愛自誇，但是我想這樣的台北一景應該也會吸引蔡明亮先生。像我這種年輕人，拜訪的是東區充斥著外來文化的髮廊，但這樣的店面和裡頭的人物組成反映過去一代的台北，有種日落黃昏的美。

我苦思了許多天，店主真的來自上海，還是上海這兩個字曾經象徵繁華的城市文化，可以因此招攬到較多客人？如果真如此，那麼師傅應該順應時勢潮流，把店名更新為紐約東京或巴黎，當然這只是我個人無厘頭的想法。也許就像很多居住在台北城的人們，大家散佈在這個城市的各個角落，默默地緬懷過去居住或旅行過的城市，一間異國超市、一家東南亞餐廳等等，都可以成為和回憶的唯一連結，看起來固然微小，其重要性可能如漂浮在大海上的救生圈，是支撐著他們活下去的動力。

我已經不想台北以外的城市了，我的心很小，只能專注在目前的居住地。此時此刻，我靠著台北裡的台北回憶生活。

Missing another city in Taipei

As I grow older, for me, Taipei is not Taipei 101 or National Palace Museum. They represent Taipei in tourists' eye. Lately, I have been attracted by really unremarkable stores and scenes. Not that I try to be different from other people. I just want to discover new things about this city and observe others' daily lives.

One day I passed by a barbershop near the apartment. In the past, I would just sail by without paying extra attention. But that day I paused because there was something special about the scene. The shop features Shanghai style of beauty. Two middle-aged men sat inside, and the barber is of the same sex and age. I do not mean to boast, but I have a feeling that Mr. Ming-liang Tsai (Taiwanese director) would find it quite appealing. Young people like me visit the most fashionable salons in downtown Taipei while a barbershop like this stands for a once-sublime era whose glow has faded. It is the Taipei city of the old generation.

I wondered for days afterwards. Is the barber really from Shanghai or the city was once the symbol of highly developed urban culture? It could thus attract more customers? If so, then he should change the name to New York, Tokyo or Paris because these cities would sound more interesting to most people nowadays. Don't take my suggestion too seriously. That's purely my personal imagination. However, like many people that scatter everywhere in Taipei, they live here physically, but their hearts dwell in cities they once lived or traveled to. A foreign supermarket, an exotic restaurant can be the only link they have to their past memories. Tiny or delicate as the link can be, it might have the importance like a buoy on a vast sea.

I no longer think about the city outside Taipei. My heart is getting really small and I can only focus on where I live. At this moment, I live by the memories of Taipei inTaipei...

Traveling in Taipei 14 / 台北城市生活旅行 14

和夏天的滋味吻別

進入秋季的早晨，我在涼涼的晨風中醒來。在梳洗用餐之間，和睡神一番掙扎之後，匆匆忙忙地出門趕著看女孩們的早自習。算好七點半左右公車會抵達校門口，此時再用我的飛毛腿和勇往直前的精神，進教室門口之前稍微深呼吸，故作一副從容狀，這是我心裡打的如意算盤。

一切都如計畫進行，直到下公車的那一刻，我看到早餐店前的歐巴桑，今天又出來賣竹筍，不過她今天卻是單獨一人，還是那樣喜樂地、認命地翻著竹筍，我想要畫下這一景。我的雙腿被理智拖著往前行，心想自己快要遲到了，走了沒幾步，我任性地回頭，把一切拋到腦後，拿出相機拍攝數個角度的鏡頭，我要紀錄夏天的味道。

夏天要來臨時，廚房裡可以聞到母親烹煮竹筍湯的香氣，那樣清新卻又濃郁的味道，無形卻大聲地宣示著：「這是我的季節！」接下來進入盛夏，桌上的飯菜是竹筍的饗宴，竹筍湯、竹筍沙拉。沒有竹筍的夏季心和胃空空蕩蕩，縱然有炎熱的天氣和炙陽，味蕾病厭厭地抱怨著那不是台灣味的夏季。

夏季要結束了，我記著竹筍的味道，誠心誠意地等著下個夏季的到來。

獻給喜歡吃竹筍的楚德和美食家Callipygia。

Kissing goodbye to the taste of summer

Autumn morning, I wake up in the cooling breeze. I drag my sleepy body out of bed, starting the routines of a working day. Having everything done hectically, I rush out trying to get to work by 7:30. I plan to arrive at school around that time. With my muscular legs and strong will, there should be no problem to get to the classroom within 5 minutes. Before I go in and meet the girls, I'll take a deep breath and look as elegant as ever. Well, that's what I have in mind.

Everything happens as I have planned. At least it is so before I get off the bus. At that moment, I see the old lady selling asparagus in front of the breakfast store again. The slight difference is that she comes alone without her husband today. Yet her hard-working and optimistic attitude never changes. I want to draw this scene. I am pulled away by reason, which can't stop repeating that I am going to be late. After I move foward for a few steps, I turn back. My willful side wins. I throw beind my damned sense of responsibility and take out my camera. I want to record the taste of summer.

When the summer is about to come, the kitchen smells of the fresh yet enchanting asparagus soup. It claims silently yet tangibly, "This is my season!" Then summer starts officially. On the dinner table we are spoiled with feasts of asparagus for the whole season. Asparagus soup, asparagus salad. Summer without asparagus is empty and unreal. There might be soaring temperature and scorching sunshine, yet the tastebuds know that something is not right. It's not the Taiwanese summer.

Summer is to end soon. I will bear in mind the taste of asparagus and wait faithfully for the coming of another summer.

This post is dedicated to Traudl, who loves asparagus and Callipygia, who is an amazing expert on food.

Traveling in Taipei 13 / 台北城市生活旅行 13

夏末秋初

今年秋天來得特別早，中秋節還未到，空氣裡可嗅到濃濃秋意，偶爾再來場綿綿小雨，用抒情的眼光來看，這樣的季節挺美麗的。

可惜可惜，我是如此依賴著夏日的艷陽而活，像那些愛情的信徒。夏天裡我嚷嚷抱怨飆新高的溫度，其實血液裡的活力和流失的汗水成正比，每天過得痛痛快快，好不愜意。

秋天到了，沒有了酷暑的炙熱，照理說，身心應該要輕盈不少。我的心卻有點沉甸甸，畫有些無力，我想，你也知道。

給我一點時間蛻變，並且愛上秋天。

Transition

This year autumn arrived much earlier than usual. Way before Mid-autumn Festival, the air already smells of the fall season. There is drizzling rain from time to time. From a certain point of view, the season is rather beautiful compared with the sultry summer.

It's a pity that I so rely on the dazzling summer sunshine, like those who can't live without love. Though I complain about the impossible temperature every summer, the large amount of sweat is in proportion to my ample energy. Every summer day is a party for my mind.

My pace is supposed to be much lighter in the season without the unbearable heat, but I feel kind of heavy. My drawings are sorta lifeless. I think you know that too.

Give me some time for metamorphosis, for falling in love with autumn...

夏季要結束的週末，看畫展回家的沿路上，捕捉到車廠修理人員對可愛寵物狗的溫柔一笑，那是悠閒的週六傍晚。

One Saturday at the end of summer, I captured an extremely adorable smile of the car mechanic at the pet dog on my way home from an art exhibit.

秋初的某個週末盡頭，大馬路上空蕩蕩的，細雨斜風飄來，我努力揮走感傷的秋意，朝美術行前行，可是辛苦的招牌人員穿著鮮明的黃色雨衣，佇立在路口，他應該也在用力說服自己，不去想為何這樣陰鬱的週日傍晚還得上工。
One Sunday evening in the early autumn, the road was terribly empty. With the slanting rain and cool wind, I made efforts to whisk away the sentimental feel of autumn on my way to the art shop. Meanwhile, the bulletin board holder in yellow impermeable was stationed at the crossroads. He was probably talking himself out of sulking over his bad luck about having to work on such a gloomy Sunday...

Traveling in Taipei 12 / 台北城市生活旅行 12

偷得浮生半日閒

八月底，學生紛紛回到學校，校園裡卻大興土木，塵土飛揚。學校裡多了一批陌生人，默默地改造校園的風貌，不過不管大家如何繞道而行，沒有人看見他們。

正午時分，十二點半的午睡鈴響，吱吱喳喳的女孩像小雞一樣被趕進教室裡睡午覺。教室外他另闢午休的天地，大家對他視而不見，他在大太陽底下睡得香甜。

The beauty of being invisible

At the end of August, all students returned to school. Yet the construction work that had lasted for two months never ended. The whole campus was dusty, with mud dried under the scorching sunlight. A group of strangers settled in the school temporarily, changing the looks of our buildings silently. No matter how much trouble this caused the students, nobody saw them.

At noontime, when the bell for the break time rang, the chattering young girls were rushed into the classrooms for a nap. Outside, he had a vast space all to himself. He was invisible, but the satisfaction of deep and sound sleep was written on his tanned face.

Traveling in Taipei 11 / 台北城市生活旅行 11

恆變乃為世間唯一不變之定律

一樣的場景，一樣的角色，但我已不是十歲的小女生。我卻看著那如出一轍的戲碼在我眼前上演著。

What never changes is that everything changes

The same scene, the same roles, but I am no longer that ten-year-old little girl. I watch the same story play in front of my eyes...

Crush / 迷戀

我坐這兒，你坐那兒
我低頭，你抬頭
吃了一個小時多
我們什麼也沒說

I sat here, you sat there
I lowered my head, you lifted yours
We were locked in that silence
Caused by our awkward shyness

La vita che vorrei 2 / 我擁有的幸福

圖：史易文小妹妹作 Image by Y-wen Shih

生日的前一天晚上，月亮奶奶對我說，只要我乖，她就會給我好多驚喜。

The night before my birthday, Grandma Moon said to me that as long as I am good, she will give me tons of surprises.

果然，朋友們帶我去最高級的牛排館，給我暖暖的擁抱。

She did keep her words. Friends took me to the best steak house and gave me really warm hugs.

一群新的和一群舊的小朋友，帶著熱情和大蛋糕為我祝福。

Old and new girls celebrated my birthday with passion and BIG cakes.

連晚餐的服務生都來高歌一曲。

Even the waiter sang the birthday song for me.

還有滿坑滿谷真心的禮物和千言萬語。正當我覺得自己已經夠幸運時，月亮奶奶說：「這裡還有個最後壓軸的驚喜！瞧！」

不知道為什麼我如此幸運，我只能很誠心地說：「謝謝你！」

Not to mention tons of gifts and cards. While I believed that was all, Grandma Moon said, "There is one more surprise. The big one!"

I have no idea why I am so lucky. I can only say with all the sincerity, "Thank you very much!"

La vita che vorrei / 我要的幸福

今天是我的三十歲生日，我畫了一張圖送給自己，也送給所有愛著我的人。

三十歲的領悟：幸福不在遙遠的未知國度，幸福在平凡卻動人的日常生活裡。

Today is my 30th birthday. I painted a picture for myself and also for those who love me and support me.

The lesson of 30: Happiness is not somewhere faraway. It's everywhere in daily life, ordinary yet glamorous.

Traveling in Taipei 10 / 台北城市生活旅行 10

三十和十五的相遇

東方出版社在我的少年時期，是我和那廣大夢想世界的接口。每天四點放學之後，上六點半的補習班之前，還有點時間蹓躂，我便一個人自在地穿過總統府，心裡期待著書店新進口的外文小說，其實我的一整天都是靠著這個精神支柱活下來的。我喜歡在書店裡晃，聞書的味道，摸摸精美的文具，試寫新發行的原子筆，這些不經意的小動作是我高中生活裡放鬆的儀式，一旦完成，我又抬頭挺胸地向補習班邁進。

後來上了大學，我對自己說，我再也不要回到烏煙瘴氣的台北車站，那裡只有被補習班壓縮的記憶，我徹徹底底忘了東方書店的回憶。

之後也曾斷斷續續地經過東方書局，可是我都是匆匆路過，大部份時候經過的心情，天空冒著幾朵烏雲，沒有閒情逸致重溫舊夢。而且追求時尚的台北人在書店方面不斷推陳出新，誠品、Page1等講究讀書氣氛的書店讓我忘記過去在東方書局，就是沒有咖啡香或高雅的裝潢，我依然閱讀地很快樂。

今年夏天我又回到東方出版社，等待友伴的同時，我才有時間好好端詳多年前的老朋友。雖然路過多次，我居然未發現東方書局已被富士藥局取代，二三樓則掛著西堤牛排斗大的招牌，對面的正中書局也收到只剩一層樓，斜對面則被星巴克進駐，這樣的街景對我來說非常陌生。

和朋友分手後，我在路口駐足一陣子，書店已不復蹤影，我卻遠遠地，看到十多歲的自己，那樣充滿希望地昂首闊步，還有我在書店裡讀書作夢的樣子。我和她輕輕地打招呼，和她說，她總夢想著這個小島以外的世界，但是我回來了，因為夢想就要在原來出發的地方實現。我低著頭離開，現在的我沒有辦法不腳踏實地，我們都感受到彼此的存在，也互相祝福。

三十和十五的相遇，有些感傷，但也充滿美麗的新希望。

The encounter between 30 and 15

1945 Bookstore was my window on the world when Iwas a teenager. School was over at 4 pm and before the six-pm cram school class, I had some time to kill. I would stroll leisurely across the presidential hall, anticipating the arrival of new books from abroad. As a matter of fact, that was my spiritual pillar in the stressful high school life. I loved to hang around in the bookstore, smell books, touch the fine stationery or try new pens. Insignificant as they seemed, they were very important rituals that helped me relax. Once done, I would go on my way to endless learning with my head high, fatigue well-hidden.

Then I went to college. I decided not to return to the crowded Taipei Train Station Area anymore. I was sick and tired of the inhumane educational style of cram schools. I forgot all about 1945 on purpose.

I passed by the bookstore once in a while, but I was never in the mood to go in and relive the past moments. Besides, more and more new bookstores like Eslite or Page1 were established. I simply didn't remember how happy I was reading in 1945 even though there was neither coffee aroma nor fashionable decor.

This summer I had a big chance to return to the publishing house of 1945. While waiting for Huei, I could finally slow down my pace and take a closer look at my old friend. Though I was there again and again, I never noticed that 1945 Bookstore was long gone. It was replaced by a gigantic pharmacy which seemed to have been burned. At 10:30 am, the door to the pharmacy was still closed. It felt quite lonely. The second and third floors where the previous bookstore lay, now belong to the City chain Steak House. Across from 1945, another old bookstore was replaced by restaurants and convenience stores. On the other side, the tall Starbuck coffeehouse stands there as a dominant symbol of chic urban culture. To me, these scenes are very foreign and distant.

After I said goodbye to Huei, I stayed for a few seconds at the crossroads. I saw my 15-year-old counterpart in the distance. I couldn't miss her unique style of strutting forth. Further, in the now-gone bookstore, I saw her standing somewhere reading books she'd desired to purchase. I greeted her and said to her: "You've always dreamed of the big world outside this island. But I am back because my dream has to be realized where I left." I walked away with my head lowering. I can't but be down-to-earth, but she was aware of my existence. We gave each other the most sincere wishes and we went on with our journeys.

The encounter between 30 and 15 was kind of sentimental, but it was full of brand-new hopes too.

Traveling in Taipei 9 / 台北城市生活旅行 9

後陽台的秘密

夏夜裡，雨下了一整晚，我睡得不熟，在夢裡依稀聽到雨聲滴滴答答。早上五點多醒來時，雨已經停了，不過空氣裡還聞得到悶悶的味道。我突然心血來潮，拿起相機跑到後陽台，我在鏡頭裡看到對戶成排的衣服，處處都是新生小表姪的痕跡，迷你的小衣物、小襪、包裹用的大毛巾，棕黑的公寓牆占了大部份的畫面，只剩一點點空間給灰藍的雨後的天空。這樣的畫面平淡無奇，甚至接近醜陋。

The secret of the back balcony

The summer rain lasted for a whole night. I didn't sleep very sound. In my dream I could hear raindrops patter on the window panes. When I woke up at five in the morning, it had stopped raining. Yet the air was full of that familiar sultry smell.

An interesting image flitted in front of my mind's eye. I took up my camera and went to the back balcony. Through the lens I saw lines of clothes. They revealed the traces of my new-born nephew. His mini clothes, mini socks and large towels were hung everywhere. In the picture I was going to take, the dark brown facade of the apartment filled most of the space. I could see only a very limited part of the greyish blue sky after the rain. This picture was ordinary, even ugly.

我想起前兩個月在義大利旅行時，處處所見的一幅景象─人們毫不吝嗇地把衣褲排排掛在屋外，彩色的公寓外牆成為美麗的襯底，衣物隨風飄揚，不論是什麼樣的顏色組合，都自成一張張充滿藝術感的明信片。年少的我一定會說：「能住在如此繽紛的地方會有多麼幸福！」但是現在的我，仍然感動於這些美景，心底卻同時想念色調總是成黑棕灰的家鄉。

Then I thought of an image I kept encountering when I traveled in Italy two months ago. People hang their clothing outside the apartments whose lovely facade colors become gorgeous backgrounds for the flying clothes. No matter how the color combinations are, every scene is a fabulous postcard that amazes people. If I had been there when I was younger, I would have said, "How lucky I'd be if I could live in such a colorful place!" Now, I am still touched, but in the meanwhile I miss my hometown whose palette is never more than the three colors of black, brown and gray.

法國插畫家朱亞(Andre Juillard)心儀美國畫家哈波(Edward Hopper)的作品，前者說，後者的畫給人們的重要啟示是，即使看來最為平凡無奇的景觀，必有其神秘與詩意的一面，我在兩者的作品中體驗到平凡的美好動人之處。因為他們，我也開始追逐不起眼的畫面，於是逐漸愛上生活在台北城市。

The French illustrator Andre Juillard is a fan of the American painter Edward Hopper. The former said that Hopper gave him a very important lesson. In every unremarkable scene, there must be something mysterious and poetic about it. I experienced the beauty of being ordinary in the works of both artists. Because of them, I started to capture images considered common. Because of that, I gradually fell in love with living in Taipei City.