白髪魔女傳 The Legend of OBS

A surreal selfie in front of 'Under The Sea' automatic installation at the legendary Wako department store.  Press the button and waves of coiled blue tubes will start undulating.

和光百貨的櫥窗, 六月天穿風衣花喇吧褲的大洋遊俠是我.

Freshly landed home.  A trip to Tokyo and Taipei, the twin cities that both celebrate Lolita-ism(is there such a word?)

To get the term straight and out of the way first, O-Ba-San means old lady in Japanese.  It is different from Ma-Ma-San, a word describing the amateur shrink specializing in businessmen midlife crisis the professional socialite escort prevalent in Ginza during bubble economy, the modern geisha, so to speak.  On my flight across the Pacific, I watched The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  Literally the movie sports an amazing cast of O-Ba-Sans and a hot O-Ji-San, Richard Gere :)  I laughed my heart out and only wished my own mother could learn a thing or two from these bright spirits.  Being an Asian and a renown beauty among her peers, my dear mama still looks young, pretty yet full of petty, bitter complaints, not acknowledging that Father Kronos has bestowed her a rare gift.  I on the contrary, had been an O-Ba-San since I was eight.  Just imagine an old soul entrapped in the ruthless young physique, what fuss!

I become more and more like myself as I get older, the blossom of my inner OBS, 'sexy and victorious'(the quote is from Woman In Gold, one of the movies I saw on my homebound flight.  Must say the plot was rather bland but hey, any movie with Dame Helen Mirren is worthy a view).  

Few more snapshots from the trip:

Lunch at Kyubey.  My seat was at the corner of the counter.

久兵衛銀座本店總是窗明几淨.

First piece served, chu-toro.  And the rest?  Inhaled them all before my iphone got its opportunity :)

整套握壽司吃下來痛快!

讀了上篇, 有心的朋友紛紛慰問: 你, 還好吧?  無它, 是時候休假充電.  旅行歸來連看兩集DVR錄下的Hannibal第三季, 怎麼對白可以寫得如此沈鬱詩意?! 突然對人生又燃起無比熱情.  我間隔兩年未做全身健檢, 基於過往曾動數次大小手術, 行前戰戰競競, 日日默禱希望此番最壞消息是醫生說這女人肥… 檢查結果除貧血外ㄧ切功能良好, 解說報告的家醫主任委婉道:  小姐雖然體重仍在標準範圍, 以臺灣女生來說算過重囉, 請多注意飲食.  我聽後開懷大笑頻說謝謝, 家醫主任大抵認為此人傻大, 說你胖還樂呢.  飛機上觀賞誇張中文喜劇'撒嬌女人最好命', 故事大綱是周迅飾演的女漢子(男人婆)暗戀宅男哥兒們黃曉明多年, 半途殺出嬌滴滴的臺灣女生隋棠, 兩女爭ㄧ男的三角戀情.  愛撒嬌的女人不分種族所在多有, 我犬儒, 幼童撒嬌挺可愛, 熱戀中的少男少女因為實在年輕, public displays of affection尚可接受, 而立之後還要嗲聲嗲氣於公開場合賣弄廉價性魅力(關起門若受者不反對則無妨)... 來人哪, 給我拖出去, 斬!  健檢某項目測乾眼症, 點散瞳劑後下眼瞼放小紙片(收集淚液?)五分鐘, 當然不舒服但絕非生命中不可承受, 我低哼四遍半的o mio babbino caro, mi piace bello, bello…便忍過去了, 和我同時間檢查的另位小姐坐立難安, 她戴著口罩我猜不出正確年齡, 少說有三十出頭吧… 抓著護士嬌呼'痛痛', 我大翻白眼直想'嘔嘔'或'吐吐'. 

Shaved ice is a summer must have at Toraya Ginza!  

於虎屋佐莓果刨冰的街景是蜂湧的_'陸客' Skywalker :)

Early morning at the Tsubakiya Cafe.

清晨的樁屋咖啡讓我想起寫'人間失格'的太宰治.

東京時尚藥妝超現實, 推崇凍齡逆時'美魔女'(新學的流行語, 意指外表仍青春的熟女), 彩妝品牌騙死人不償命的集體催眠, 銀座中央通絡驛不絕滿街推著行李箱血拼的中國富裕遊客… 其實東京最有趣不在購物, 乃旬味和食,清雅茶道,與小店萬種風情.  每次來我必舊地重遊:  樁屋的咖啡, 虎屋的和菓子, 久兵衛的握壽司.  某天上虎屋極巧, 恰恰夾在兩對臺灣情侶中間, 右手邊ABC男加富二代女, 左手邊小資粉領配科技男, 兩對皆煥發約會的醉翁之意不在酒, 我則屏息靜氣品嚐季節限定草莓冰, 莓汁酸, 豆泥甜, 白玉丸子滑嫩… 嗯, 有些況味只有歐巴桑才懂.  到久兵衛用餐局勢逆轉, 歪果仁我照例被安排到角落略通英文的師傅檯前, 旁邊坐著兩位貨真價實白髪蒼蒼的金銀婆婆, LK古董值驟降.  師傅濃眉大眼英氣勃勃, 可稱熟齡版的妻夫木聰, 嘴巴很甜以不錯的英文對我說:  為美人料理壽司是我的榮幸!  我日文欠佳不知同樣的恭維師傅有否向金銀婆婆放送, 但看她倆吃的滋味, 笑的花枝亂顫, 八九不離十.

My favorite coffee mate, the 'kocha' chiffon cake.

困惑, 頹廢, 風流的太宰治沈溺不倫戀自殺成癮, 真真想不開.  平凡我輩偶爾來杯香濃咖啡搭紅茶戚風蛋糕, 路易士阿姆斯壯的歌聲頓時響澈雲霄:  What - A - Wonderful - World!

優雅的老去和成功有ㄧ共同點:  在對的時間做對的事 :)