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.
8 comments:
I like it a lot, and I actually thought that it was yams instead of bamboo shoots. It also reminds me of roasting raw coffee beans at home.
Oh Miragree thank you for the wonderful compliment! but I will bashfully just say that I am the asparagus lover. I love the story, once again the mood of your writing matches so well your drawing. Now I understand in the US during the summer months whenever you enter a chinese restaurant all of the specials are...with asparagus. Many special dishes.
Miragee, I love the drawing and the story. You do this so well. I feel that I shared a piece of another life. Thank you.
Thank you everyone. I think this is a lovely way to say goodbye to my favorite season!
你真的照下來囉~
Really enjoy your illustrated journal. Asparagus; what a treat - around here it is a seasonal food; in the spring.
郁涵：好久不見，你好嗎？我真的拍下來了，不過照片太醜，不好意思公佈啦！
Ascender: Thank you for dropping by. This is one way for me to discover the place where I live. I pretty much like the project myself!
最近過的還不錯阿~~有收到我用yahoo寄給你的卡片嗎?我適應的還ok~!謝謝關心囉～真感動!!
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