sunshine and raindrops / 太陽和雨水

我很喜歡太陽天，是那種只要有陽光，心情可以晴朗到沒有陰影的喜歡，在西班牙過了三個星期幾乎沒有下雨的日子，回到天空陰陰的台北，是有些不適應。

I am a fanatic fan of sunny days. I have to specify, I love sunny days so much that whenever there is sunshine, I believe everything is possible. After spending three almost cloudless and rainless weeks in Spain, I wasn’t quite upbeat to get back to dark Taipei.

上個周末在馬德里的普拉多美術館外面寫生，天氣本來亮麗到不行，但是畫著畫著，突然就下起我們在西班牙第一場雨，大家急忙躲到排隊買門票的傘棚底下，因為急降的氣溫，眼前的情侶紛紛熱烈地擁抱起來，我們也感染到雨天的浪漫，嘴邊不禁掛起微笑，我還把札記本伸出傘外收集幾滴馬德里的雨水，水在亮藍色的線條上暈開來，我當時想，這是再好不過的紀念品。

Last weekend we were drawing sketches outside El Prado in Madrid. The weather couldn’t be finer. However, before we were aware, we were confronted with the first shower in Spain. Most people were eager to hide under the umbrellas originally used for those lining up for purchasing tickets. The temperature dropped abruptly, which only brought lovers so much closer, right in front of our eyes. We were infected with love in the air and couldn’t help smiling. I placed my sketch in the rain, trying to collect a few raindrops. The water blurred my water-blue lines. It occurred to me that this was the best souvenir.

回到家之後，媽媽三番兩次提醒我，要回到現實來，我已經不在西班牙了。為了大聲說，雨水也帶不走我的好心情，我在颱風過後的傍晚撐著傘，在樓下有著昏黃路燈的廣場，一個人散步，走著走著，突然就沉浸在滴滴答答的雨聲裡，也有一種幸福的感覺。

After coming home, Mom was so into reminding me of planting my feet on the ground—I am NO LONGER in Spain. To declare out loud that rain can’t make me blue, I took a one-man stroll in the company of an umbrella on the dimly-lit square after the typhoon sailed away. Step by step, I was lost in the pattering rhythms of rain. And, I felt good!

我是離開西班牙了，但要是我的內心住了個南歐人呢？

I did leave Spain, but what if a South European dwells in me?