也是鄉愁 Taipei Revisted

There was an article from CNN Travel this week '10 things Taiwan does better than anywhere else'.  Nearly half of the topics were food related.  I could not have agreed more.  The Taiwanese food scene has pizzazz or 'bozazz' :)  After the jet lag torment, I finally bounced back higher and greater making these delicious sweet yam gnocchi in ginger soup - a Taiwanese favorite for combating cold weather.

往年回台北, 東區娘家天母婆家平均分配, 憂慮順得哥情失嫂意, 每每硬撐著'長男媳婦'的溫婉笑容, 心頭孿生的荒野大鏢客早神槍出鞘，望天狂嘯兼空鳴'碰， 碰，碰'三聲！

返國探親但覺自己像合法的非法移民.  歷經一塲非典型家庭革命從此解放, 回台北且當旅行住飯店自由非常, 開始懷疑這些年來我倒底拘泥什麼？ 人生無它, 一要懂捨得, 二要學習設定界線.

My stay in Regent this trip was delightful.  Luxury fashion brands cascading the hotel did not mean much to me but Bonjour Paree! Did I just spot the patisserie Sadaharu Aoki tucked away in a quiet corner of the basement?  I know, I know that breakfast buffet at the hotel was far less cool than scouting out the local fare in narrow allies… but it was just easy breezy to sample all my favorite delicacies on a nice table in the grand dining hall with picture windows to the lush garden.

以旅人眼光看臺北, 風貌多變, 具亞洲都會特有的喧囂, 西風東漸的小尷尬, 時而新富驕矜時而鄉樸濃情.  這次住晶華, 我和我自己的影子漫步中山北路二丁目, 愈夜愈美麗, 華燈朦朧的光隱去塵埃, 家家特色餐廳型男靚女齊聚, 信手拈來幅幅皆是好風景.

Mr. LK reminded me:  You are going to get sick if you keep eating every two hours!  There were so many bistros, cafes, and food stalls I have not tried.  I could just order a cup of tea and sit for a moment, breathing in the yumminess.

外婆的逝世, 軟化母親與我的對峙, 送小V去她那兒住兩天並安排飯局集合姨舅表兄弟姐妹家族聚餐.  碰面時彼此都心平氣和, 或許相處模式已從母子的斜角切換兩位成年人對等往來.  我在母親的身上看到外婆的音容, 如同我其實常驚訝鏡中人和母親的相似, 哪天血液中的瘋狂基因會否甦醒?

The VVG group consists of unique restaurant, boutique hotel, workshop, and bookstore.  It seems that more lifestyle brands have surged in recent years and added more characters to the metropolis.

臨行前於臺北光點消磨午後, 茶點滋味普通, 然氛圍迷人:  刷白牆的老洋房, 寸土寸金臺北難得的蔭綠花園, 襯著幾篷帆布傘, 黃昏時ㄧ串串繁星似的耶誕燈點亮樹梢, 簌簌灑落窗前… 忍不住抽出筆紙素描, 為某種心境註解.

I lounged in the Spot Cafe before my evening flight back.  The quaint building was the former U.S. Embassy amid banyan trees with a film theatre next to it.  The aspiring novelist/philosopher/painter in me pulled out a micron 0.1(nope, it's not a revolver) from my pocket and started sketching… like the girl dancing in the red shoes.

   

這趟買了幾本中文書, 在飛機上就著溫熱的抹茶奶綠, 鼎泰豐的乾拌餛吞, 窗外的雲層, 邊讀蔣勳的'微塵眾'.  紅迷讀紅迷寫的紅學自然過癮.  時差睡不著ㄧ氣呵成讀完蘇童的'黃雀記', 蘇童是我極仰慕的大陸作家, 再難堪卑微的情節他都可以書寫得優雅鏗鏘, 如芥川龍之介.  萬人迷村上春樹我往往無法進入狀況, 本以為是翻譯問題, 找了英譯本來讀仍像隔重山… 日本文學這隅怕只能重溫芥川和三島由紀夫, 不過初讀山崎豐子的'花紋'頗感動, 或者是塊新大陸?

The treat continued in flight with Din Tai Fung beef consomme and pork dumpling.  Farewell my homeland, I look forward to our next rendezvous!

在臺北的幾天寒流來襲, 大街小巷賣著熱呼呼的燒仙草紅豆湯, 滿滿QQ的芋圓番薯圓正中我心, 幾乎照三餐來ㄧ碗.  回到美國癡癡想著那滋味, 趕緊蒐羅食譜, 挽袖做來解饞, 難雖不難, 就是耗時和拿捏手勁.  索性賣力完工ㄧ大盤番薯圓分袋冰凍庫存, 有時拌入熱騰騰薑湯, 有時配冰涼涼的青草茶凍.  甜, 糯, 酥, 是耶非耶, 縷縷鄉愁化為暖腹的飽足. 

Before I get to visit Taipei again, let me roll up my sleeves, kneed some doughs, and these little bits of heaven will keep me company until then :)