Astoria / 明星咖啡館

耳聞明星咖啡館已久，終於有機會親眼探訪，說來慚愧，它其實就位在重慶南路轉武昌街，我高中三年都只是直線從總統府埋頭走到補習班，從來沒有抬頭看藏在小街巷弄的風景，但從另一方面想，就是這樣我才在高中畢業近二十年之後，還不斷有新的發現！

After having heard about Astoria for long, I finally came for a visit. The truth is,  it was on the way from my high school to the cram school. In other words, I passed by it for three years in my youth without knowing its existence. On the other hand, it was my past ignorance that led to the joy of discovering a new site today! 

我對咖啡館的外觀較有興趣，等待阿美來的同時，我站在咖啡館對面速寫，有位小姐居然說：你畫的比原來好看。這個人一定有上過插畫課！接著又繞過來一位外國人，他也忍不住用中文稱讚我，我站在這裡多多少少也沾染了咖啡館的明星氣質！

I was more interested in the facade of the cafe. While waiting for A-mei, I sketched across from coffee shop. A lady, after staring at me, made the remarks: I think your drawing is more beautiful than the actual cafe. I bet she must have taken a course in illustration! Then another Westerner dropped by. He gave me a compliment in very fluent mandarin. Well, the cafe is named "Star" Cafe in Chinese, and standing here, I more or less have that star feel too. 

因為這裡太富盛名了，才剛就座不久，就遇到了一群現在的學生參加文學營，今天的行程恰巧是咖啡館。明星咖啡館由五位蘇俄人和簡錦錐先生創立的，是咖啡店也是麵包店，主打蘇俄食物和甜點，之後就慢慢發展成為文藝人士的聚集地。

This is such a prestigious tourist spot that soon after I was seated, I ran into a group of my current students, who were here because of a literature camp. Astoria was founded by five Russian emigres and Mr. Archiybold Chien. It is an eatery as well as a bakery featuring Russian cuisine and desserts. Later it turned out to be a very important gathering place for Taiwanese literati.  

吃了蘇俄軟糖和古早味的西點，離開咖啡館後我沿著補習街晃來晃去，眼前是一家又一家的小吃店，話說我年輕的時候真的很討厭這個地方，那般地壓縮著靈魂，不過今天我居然站在赫哲補習班的榜單牆前，整個人充滿驚訝地看著了不起的孩子們，上面寫的不是台大醫科就是台大電機，此時我覺得，當一個沒有孩子的老人也挺好的，不用擔心自己的小孩比不過別人，也不用擔心孩子不快樂，在補習街裡我感到很渺小，卻也慶幸我不再是其中的一部份。

After tasting Russian soft candy and old-style pastry, I strolled along the streets packed with cram schools in the same area. I was quite impressed by the small yet interesting eateries tucked inside lanes and alleys. Truth be told, I detested this part of the city when I was a teenager. The high-rise buildings and crowds really sucked my soul dry. Strange to say, I paused when passing by the cram school I used to attend. Rows of adverts boasting how much their students had accomplished really amazed me. At this moment, I felt blessed to be childless. I don't have to worry if my child is good enough in studies, nor do I have to guess if my child is happy. I am so small here, but the good news is that I am not part of it. 

二十年前的我只急著發誓，高中畢業之後再也不要接近台北車站，不過今天的我卻覺得這個地方是個很特別的景點，有太多待描繪的影像！

Twenty years ago I was too eager to swear not to come close to Taipei Train Station after graduating from high school, but today I think differently. A tourist can't miss this part of the city. If I get to draw it, there will be many unique images!