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...