2016 祝我生日快樂 Bang Bang_birthday coronation

For once, I would love to procrastinate my birthday.  Aging never quite bothered me hitherto.  I mean, for someone who has always had an old soul, what difference really.  It bothers me NOW.  My mind is vital as ever, on the verge of being volatile but over the summer, even though I aced my annual health checkup, I find, slowly that my body prays for a revolution.  My name day presents this year included a jaw alignment, a forefinger adjustment by my chiropractor and a temporary crown on my right first molar by my dentist.

是不是中蠱?  於東京Delfonics文具行聽得Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow變奏, 心念之, 連寫四篇.  反覆探究, 分析各個版本優缺, 上幅網誌剛剛結此公案… 這首歌, 莫不是怪敝人文筆太遜, 如有冤難訴的幽魂, 糾纏起我這窮秀才.

上星期六提前慶生, 於舊金山新開張不久米其林一星小館, 我們坐在閣樓的長桌, 才點完菜, 樓下吧檯便傳來吉他和弦的前奏… 明天你是否依然愛我, Amy Winehouse'大小姐我壓根沒愛上誰'那版, 聽著頗心虛, 彷彿法庭逼供:  說, 人是不是你殺的? 真想來句俏皮話: 如果愛你是錯, 我罪人無誤 :)  

My theory:  we all are latent sadist or masochist.  With a looming dental procedure, still I ate two slices of cake from the magical birthday party my team planned for me and drank some sweetest Vietnamese iced coffee the morning after.  Uh-huh, what can ya do?

正牌生日在星期一, 中午晃到新派食坊窗口買餐點, 副店長剛記下青木瓜沙拉加碎花生, 熟悉的樂聲攸然響起: 

LaLaLa... Tonight the light of love is in your eyes... LaLaLa... Can I believe the magic of your sighs...

石破驚天的問句未出, 我已揣著零錢掩耳逃竄, 慌亂中推理本性不改, 高呼:  '這版是Carole King清唱!' 人生真有意思是不是?  如果我文采好些兼多點空閒, 擺明現成的偵探故事或魔幻小品.  

I have been experimenting with the duality of time.  In one dimension, I reread Milan Kundera with such thirst, searching for my youthful self between the lines.  In another dimension, I drifted along with Patti Smith, on and off her M Train.  Ooh… if I could only, if I could only down that glass of absinthe or sip my black coffee in Café Ino in the West Village.

寫不出… 閱讀總行!

Kundera是舊愛, 讀著與多年前的自己重逢, 溫柔沈斂.

Patti Smith是新知交, 她也深愛芥川龍之介, 偵探影集, 和黑色的Molskine筆記本.  M Train如同心靈獨白, 夢囈回憶和現實的邊界.  簡約深刻極具美感的文字, 震撼得我想流淚.  有章節描述樸拙灰暗的房間, 古舊桌上擺著ㄧ只盛著苦艾酒的玻璃杯.  讀那段文字的整天, 彷彿璀燦綠光圍繞, 亦步亦趨.

忍不住玩起文字遊戲, bang這英文辭, bang bang chicken四川名菜棒棒雞, 做法是痛毆水煮雞胸肉一頓撕成條狀拌香麻辣醬, 小格局Leviathan權力鬥爭; bang bang也是槍聲, 歷代007開場都要來一下, 迴轉跳步, 九十度角叉腿, 單手射擊, 名符其實的'娘炮'; 老歌Bang Bang無論那個版本說的皆是'怦'然心動的苦戀, Lady Gaga詮釋喜感, 悲壯自慢悶騷; 經濟不景氣生意難做, 新產品存活關鍵於bang for the buck, 俗擱大碗; 設計師巧婦難為無米之炊, 逼急了go out with a bang… 寫到這我已樂翻天.

Mr. LK had a business trip to Cambridge a couple weeks ago.  I begged him to bring a little something back for me - that's all I asked for my birthday this year.  Such romantic fascination… I never applied and don't even know what subject I could study there but c'mon, even just for Lord Byron!

我喜歡穿黑色衣裳配戴玫瑰金飾, 慶生會團隊便頗有心思設計了黑金主題的派對和微建築般的生日加冕皇冠.  勞工節前禮拜五, 團隊的史黛芙和艾咪已告假去, 艷陽普照的午后, 靈光乍現, 乾脆帶留守的貝絲, 莎拉, 和愛蜜莉出門遊玩, 培養團隊精神:) 四人浩浩蕩蕩, 倒像舊金山版的Sex And The City攻克街頭, 逛街結束, 我請大夥於風格小店Wrecking Ball喝咖啡, 排排坐在遠近馳名的鳳梨圖案深藍壁紙前, 仍單身的莎拉愛蜜莉笑談網路時代約會糗事, 說著說著ㄧ對雅痞夫妻圈著三頭巨碩的聖伯納犬進店買咖啡, 狗狗可愛到不行, 逗得女生們心花怒放, 尖叫聲此起彼落.  我最有寵物緣, 名喚'小妹'的那頭鑽到長凳下我雙腿後休憩, 金髪太太與我攀談起來, 問我們四人是否城中單身貴族, 建議養狗狗增加帥哥搭訕桃花, 正當此時三犬中個頭最大的那隻撲向我, 熱情的猛舔我雙頰, 舔完還搖頭晃腦噴得我滿身唾沫, 金髪太太連聲對不起替我搽拭, 戴球帽的先生則忙陪笑說這是我電話號碼, 容許我替你付乾洗費, 太太給老公大白眼:  親愛的, 你和狗狗該回家了.

The Friday before Labor Day weekend, I took half of my team out(the other half already on vacation) for an afternoon of strolling around the beautiful Marina district, inspiration shopping in a couple chic boutiques, and chatting over excellent coffee at the Wrecking Ball where we were mesmerized by three giant Saint Bernard puppies.  My birthday week couldn't get better than this and Life, I love you always and forever :)

如斯美麗的午后, 在貝絲, 莎拉, 和愛蜜莉的談笑聲中, 我想起了逝世ㄧ年的S教授, 她付予我人生哲理和忘年的友情.  其實我非常害怕寂寞, 所以極需要人與人之間知性的互動, 好愛自己更愛生活.