祝福 8.15 I Came, I saw, I Vancouvered

It all started with La Primavera.  Season 3 Hannibal made a twisted(as usual) reference to Botticelli's masterpiece and since then, I had an ardent desire to revisit the Uffizi Gallery.  My last trip to Florence must have been fifteen years ago!  Blaming midlife crisis for my sudden wanderlust is simply lazy psychiatry.  One must call your pal for a pep talk know thyself and after catching up with my old friend M, Vancouver here I come!

炎夏將盡, 一年一度的偽單身生活也快結束, 趕緊把握機會做些只有單身貴族能做的事(我可沒有偷偷摸摸上銀行換整疊壹元小鈔然後呼朋引伴到俱樂部撒錢喔 :P), 突然想到去年過大生日的老朋友M, 他計劃訪友之旅給自己當生日禮物, 說著說著始終未成行. 

打電話問他怎麼回事, 敘舊後的結論是於2015結束前要不他來舊金山, 要不我去溫哥華, 誰先到先贏.

人與人之間的羈絆頗奇妙, 我們大學時從一位共同的朋友相識, 漸漸都與這位朋友失聯, 研究所時雙雙成爲特立獨行S教授的關門弟子, 事業發展隱約牽引, 是某種相似的靈魂. 

Being thoroughly good hearted and the most romantic in nature, M planned the following for my visit:

Day 1.

Dinner at AnnaLena

picture credit:  AnnaLena

Before I hopped on the plane, I gave M my ambitious expedition list boasting how I shall explore on my own before the dinner.  Truth to be told, as soon as checking into my room, I dived into the king size bed Superman style and woke up with Thor's windswept hairdo an hour later when my dear friend came to pick me up.  AnnaLena, I get it.  Bold, zesty flavor gunning for Jeff Koons-esque or Damien Hirst-esque hip factor… but what's the deal with the dill?  The kale had it, the octopus had it, was it in the fried chicken, too?  When I was half expecting to see a fine delicate bristle of green on the chocolate dessert, it went AWOL.  No matter, my toothpaste made up for it :)

All kiddings aside, the food exuded a lot of passion and that alone, deserved great respects.  

曾經有段時間, M溫柔婉約的母親甚至我母親, 有個共同的美麗誤會:  以為M與我應成眷屬.  只有我們自己心裏明白, 兜兜轉轉錯綜複雜的愛情迷宮, 各自找到出口, 始終緣慳一面.  當年若相遇在對的時間點, 亦為良配, 然人生如棋局, 見招拆招.  他人的生活, 至好觀棋不語真君子; 自己的生命, 且記起手無回大丈夫.

Day 2.

Brunch at the Bel Cafe - this was my quick bite before the revelation.  

The frittata was extra fluffy and the matcha latte could be hotter.  A homeless man came in and asked for a cup of coffee.  Everyone felt bad for him and at the same time, rather uneasy but relieved to see the barista was kind enough to oblige.  Little did I know, I was to view Virgin and Child in a Landscape with the Child Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria by Girolamo da Carpi later in the day and the depiction of St. Joseph in the background closely resembled this homeless man, the walking saint among us. 

Vancouver Art Gallery

As fate would have it, here I entered the time travel to early Renaissance where I met the maestro, Botticelli via the Annunciation along with other timeless living proof of beauty, of artistry, and of determination.  I am very much an atheist or polytheist even(not to be confused with polygamy, please).  I trust my repertoire of logical reasoning more than any emotions and feelings combined.  This very moment at the VAG, I felt very LOVED(shoot me if you will, I used to think that the sensation of love was like a fever when one caught the flu, ephemeral and most people wouldn't die from it...).  At last, I was humbled by the love of art and for art.  

這些年來, 總覺得, 我欠Mㄧ次以他為出發點專注的凝視和ㄧ份全心全意的祝福.   

我結婚時, M不僅出席台北喜宴, M的母親還送我一副設計雅緻淡粉色珍珠鑲紅寶石的胸針作嫁禮.

生小V時回台北娘家做月子, M也再次偕母親探望, 給孩子彌月紅包.

我呢?  他在溫哥華結婚, 我近在舊金山, 卻因為當時小V異位性皮膚炎嚴重, 我心全放孩子身上, 什麼都顧不得.

如今他與愛妻的掌上明珠都快四歲了, 小寶貝出生時我雖送上賀禮卻不曾見面.

人生能有幾位相交超過二十年的朋友?  況且M和我的生日都在八月, 今年給自己的生日禮物就是友情萬歲, 快手訂好機票旅館歡呼:  我來了!!!

Day 2(contd.)

Mosquito(a dessert and champagne bar) in Gastown

Trice Bitten More the Merrier(from left to right:  caramelized banana, rum soaked brioche, frozen coconut snowball )

Thank you M, for walking me in and I didn't even have to ask - this is just what a gentleman would do!  Your penchant for taking care of everyone around you does you justice.  I know I am incandescent of desires, bacio della morte.  Sigh!  

A portion of the Last Two Million Years by Geoffrey Farmer

Prelude to Dinner - menu pre-tasting at the Fat Mao.  

Chef Angus is a good friend and the business partner of M.  Here I also got to spend time with M's family:  Lady M, little Lady M, and sister Lady M.  I met Lady M when Lady M was still Girlfriend M and sister Lady M years ago when the brother and sister duo visited me in NYC.  Little Lady M was adorable and a fun distraction during the tasting.  Being a foodie, I really should make some intelligent comments yet all I could come up with was… why is XO sauce named XO sauce?  No body knew, not even Chef Angus.  Here is Wikipedia for you :) 

Dinner at Maenam, Chef Angus' treasure trove and his wife Kate, the restaurant manager.  

We began with Betal Leaf Wrap with Grilled Lobster and ended with Black Pepper Crab… need I say more?  Our feast at Maenam was elegant with an open countenance.  The finesse and the quiet confidence amalgamate a haven between haute cuisine and nostalgic comfort.

Night Cap at The Keefer Bar

The chic building nestled on the border of Chinatown.  The evening was balmy and our waitress was very pretty.  She tied her raven hair in a low ponytail that completed her alluring neckline and the demure dress accentuated her hourglass figure.  Whenever that girl walked towards our table, I totally felt like William Holden in Picnic when Kim Novak danced to him.  Aside from people watching, we chatted away on old times and new goals.  Ah, life is good!

我對同性摯友向來忠誠, 如果真遇上事Dr. C和我可以半夜把對方叫醒, 傾訴所有的委屈.  M畢竟是異性, 他的妻子或LK先生再大方得體, 該避的嫌疑還是要避.  人可以瀟灑, 不可以放肆… 你過得好不好?  當年的夢想成就多少?  有時看到什麼想起你, 三思後還是迂腐的默默收藏探問的情緒.  身為異性朋友, 我沒有憂歡與共的特權:  該關心你的是你的妻子, 能和我分享的是我的丈夫, 我只能祝福, 願命運善待你我, 我們都滿意自己生命走向.

果然不虛此行! 溫哥華衍變多元, 著名的好山好水依舊, 各種文化交萃, 匯流自然開闊的氛圍.  最最辛運是, 前些日子受Hannibal誘惑, 好想回到佛羅倫斯的Uffizi Gallery, 靜靜坐在[春天]前畫幾幅素描(好啦, 模仿犯就是我!)  冥冥中註定, 旅館旁的Vancouver Art Gallery特展Of Heaven&Earth:  500 Years of Italian Painting From Glasgow Museum赫然有一幅Botticellii真蹟Annuciation, 既大膽又纖細的構圖, 精緻經典的筆法… 佇足古畫前良久, 心悸動得胸口隱隱作疼, 哪天我掛冠求去, 重修藝術史應該會是我生命中另一個春天吧?  直到M傳簡訊:  幾點接你? 我方大夢初醒, 原來不知不覺或走或站, 我已於這場華麗的藝術饗宴穿梭三小時, 膝蓋都軟了.

Day 3.

After yesterday's food marathon, there could only be one sensible thing to do… hiking!  Knowing how wimpy I have always been, M chose wisely the very manageable Hemlock trail.  

The day was warmer than ever but once we entered the woods, the simmering heat dissipated into a misty serenity where earthly worries fluttered away like butterflies.

Museum of Anthropology at The University of British Columbia

The architecture, though of glass and concrete, was inviting.  The monumental totem poles, canoes, and other colossal ceremonial vessels created a fascinating landscape in the airy exhibition hall.  While art history has an exhilarating effect on my soul, anthropology tends to cast a gloom on my conscience.   

Lunch at the River Market(Re-Up BBQ, Great Wall Tea, Wild Rice Market Bistro)

For years I heard fragments about this project and finally experienced it in real time.  To define the vision:  how would real estate bring people together in meaningful ways through a sustainable format?  RM provided an easy to follow road map - feeding both body and soul!  My stay was too short for the later but after sampling the former, I enjoyed the hearty flavors very much.  While standing on the deck overlooking the Fraser River with M, deja vu, it's like grad school all over again(spare me from another dissertation :P)  Very inspired and impressed by his endeavor!

M溫文風趣體貼, 多年不見似乎沒什麼改變, 只不過這些男人真討厭… M如是, LK先生如是, 依然寬肩窄腰, 一個比一個瘦(!) 當然不是每個女人都像我貪吃有理肥胖無罪, M的藝術家太太就窈窕美麗, 口味清淡克制.  我們在當地著名的Maenam用餐, 主廚Angus是M夫妻的好朋友, 結尾之作特別奉送黑胡椒螃蟹, M太太微笑說這她可不行, 揶揄丈夫吃起螃蟹像野蠻人, 我則是野蠻人二號報到, 當仁不讓刀鉗手指齊飛, 狠狠對分那隻豐碩大螃蟹, 末了, 驚覺這是泰國餐廳, 不是[龍井軒], 可沒有旗袍美女端浸潤檸檬片的茶水給我洗手, 只好更野蠻的舔吮十指的黑胡椒醬汁, 再狼狽的去洗手間沖乾淨. 

Morning coffee at the Matchstick.

M細心周到, 短短三天兩夜小旅行, 午餐晚餐, 晨起第一杯咖啡, 下午茶, 逛博物館, 森林小徑健走… 行程安排妥當, 趣味盎然.  路癡我張望地圖, 他笑說丢了吧我就是你的地圖, 看他興致高昂一天安排超過三餐, 我忍不住擔心大概要胖二十磅回家, 他反問有差嗎你不是已經比我重… 老朋友默契無價 :)

An old friend is the best Time Capsule.  We preserve a precious part of each other in our own lives, never lost and always to be found when the time comes :)

M與妻子及妹妹於溫哥華深耕多年, 著力開發地標性的景點和數間主題餐廳, 營利外亦重人文關懷.  的的確確是S教授的得意門生!(我真是辜負了S教授的期待)  不想再為自己的人生找藉口, 是時候反省檢視, 該如何實踐下一個十年. 

無需妄自斐薄, 散仙如我也總是在最意料不到的時候得到靈感和動力:  Botticcelli的名畫不是才剛許我ㄧ個未來嗎?  :)

The favorite place map/list by my friend M and his fellow Vancouverites!