節慶症後群 Singa-BORE?

時鐘從十二月中到二月似乎轉得特別快. 聖誕, 新年, 農曆春節… 這廂購禮物享用大餐方歇, 眼看又要準備紅包返鄉圍爐! 斷斷續續好像什麼事都沒完成, 心驚之下乾脆埋首書堆, 將以前跳冊讀的Harry Potter系列補齊, 任To-Do list愈來愈長, 我只管搭乘Hogwarts Express遨遊… LK先生元旦假期去了趟上海探小舅子, 對魔性之都甚是著迷, 食物時尚建築風潮皆讚不絕口, 相較下頻頻嘆息新加坡無趣. 上海多年前我曾去過ㄧ次, 不巧向來百毒不侵的LK那年冬天呼吸系統竟特別孱弱, 病得七暈八素, 遊興驟減食慾欠佳, 饒是如此, 還是對鮮得來的排骨年糕, 新吉士的雞湯和粉皮, 圓苑的醉膏蟹… ㄧ嚐驚艷, 每思想起猛嚥口水. 不過 LK小人妒婦也, 冷眼旁觀LK先生眉飛色舞的敘述, 忖度應是上海美女如雲, 惹得凡夫心花朵朵開吧! 也聽說地道的上海男士為極品大丈夫, 天天回家替太座燒飯洗衣服, 看來十里洋場乃寶地仙鄉喲!
Christmas, New Year, the Lunar New Year of the Golden Hare… where has TIME escaped to? Recently I suffer a serious form of the Holiday Complex


(lethargy, moment of inertia, self-imposed amnesia). Neither a cup of Nespresso nor a pot of freshly brewed mint tea… nope, not even a dishful of rose flavored macarons will pick me up. I though have gotten very addicted to reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bits on the childhood of Voldemort make me very sentimental…


旅居新加坡年餘常抱怨'悶死我啦', 雖然不知道還會在這兒待多久, 到了說再見的時候, 我想還是會離情依依… 綠意盎然的街道, 安步當車是種享受, 艷陽午后狂暴的雷陣雨(原來看似笑嘻嘻的南國美人也會發脾氣?!) 即便過辛辣過甜的的食物不算對味, 好在它五花八門, 就當是味蕾小小冒險… 資本主義的奢華與紐約巴黎等時尚首都同步, 國際百貨和高級飯店的餐廳卻喜播放多少年前台灣的懷舊老歌, 與氛圍格格不入… 司機伯伯老愛猜我是日本或韓國人, 得知我來自台北 迫不及待和我討論民主… 小V的學校是聯合國的縮影, 學生父母幾乎都是商務外派, 華洋雜處經濟快速復甦的和諧榮景下, 仍難免疫貧富兩極化的世界趨勢, 破天荒的房價物價, 會否是下ㄧ波泡沫前的浪潮? 制式教育, 開放賭場, 對外勞的依賴… 等暗湧, 祇能說這條魚尾獅善泅惡水, 似乎總能趨吉避兇.
Mr. LK believes that the bland Singapore lifestyle has induced my lack of enthusiasm in anything.  He was lucky to have a short and sweet trip to Shanghai during the New Year savoring tasty local dishes, to be inspired by its upbeat galleries, and 'pretty girls watching' in this trending metropolis of China while I stayed behind to attend all family gatherings.

我們2010年的聖誕過得, 嗯, 很'混搭'. 打從小V放寒假開始, 母子倆三天兩頭朝耶誕味濃厚的糖果舖報到.
Christmas 2010 was well spent in the fusion style. After all these years, I never grow out of the Hansel&Gretel sweet allures.

聖誕夜午后小點.
It has become a ritual between Little V and me to share a few pieces of chocolate in the afternoon during holidays. Of course, I take mine with a single shot of expresso and the boy likes his dark chocolate with ice water while contemplating how to turn his stock Thomas Tank Engine into the legendary Flying Scotsman.

聖誕大餐是澳洲日裔名廚Tetsuya Wakuda都稱讚的御寶北京烤鴨.
A non traditional Christmas feast that suits the Asian palate: the perfectly roasted Peking Duck!

新加坡雖然沒有冬天, 於聖誕節的行銷和巨型聖誕樹的密集度, 堪稱ㄧ絕.

I did find Christmas in the tropics very interesting… George Michael's famous tone Last Christmas(BTW, has little to do with holiday but gives every advise on how to act like a silly ex) droning in department stores and the density of huge lavishly decorated Christmas tree was surprising.

聖誕節當日的午茶豐派程度近似早午餐, 主題自然是雪花繽紛的白色聖誕.
Afternoon tea on the Christmas Day at the Ritz Carlton: the White Christmas themed desserts.

古色古香的沏茶車.
LOVED the antique tea cart with samovar.

華麗的餅乾大軍.
My Hansel&Gretel fascination continued here...


或許少點執著, 新加坡的日子並不算太悶.
I don't think I am fussy… Before the Holiday Complex hit hard, I once thought fondly of Singa-PURR :)