孤獨求敗 vs. 東方不敗 Oktoberfest a la Camus

前者是藝術家, 後者為政治家. 

是不是人到某個年紀, 健康時非我予, 情愛過境千帆, 只好奮然緊握生命最終的掌控, 如飛蛾撲火追求權力?

My daily long commute from the Silicon Valley to San Francisco often reminds me of Sisyphus rolling up the boulder.  Shamelessly, among the four characters of an absurd life prescribed by Camus, the seducer, the actor, the conqueror, and the artist, I identify with the last.  I eat create therefore I am.

近來常想起'笑傲江湖', 金庸小說這部最經得起時間洗㶑, 年少時醉心種種技藝書寫, 年青時也曾為個個癡情人物惋歎, 如今人到中年, 我似乎漸漸懂任我行和東方不敗.

孤獨求敗追崇劍術巔峰, 從利劍, 軟劍, 玄鐵重劍, 朽木劍, 到無劍勝有劍, 那是輸贏之外衣帶漸寬終不悔的禪意.  東方不敗本是日月神教無名小卒, 歷經破格提拔, 叛變, 禁錮強敵, 自宮, 險境步步, 過關斬將… 從始至終, 他其實很清楚:  楊蓮亭是假, 任我行是詐, 自己是為著權位割捨人性的男子… 東方不敗既然敗了, 便不會活在世上.

A belated birthday dinner with my BFF at the Coqueta.  Dr. C and I indulged in Spanish tapas one after another, shared a paella and finished the feast with two buttery sugary desserts.

以前讀金庸, 欣賞任盈盈和程靈素, 兩人性格皆不食人間煙火, 對世情看得通澈.  後來覺得金庸於任盈盈的刻畫實在太少, 美麗的任大小姐仍然是令狐沖的影子. 外表不怎麼美麗的程靈素, 弱質纖纖聰明絕頂, 存在感強過胡斐, 讀'飛狐外傳', 再遲鈍也知道胡斐心上人是袁紫衣… 這就是愛情, 妳的敏慧溫柔善體人意, 永不及她風趣嫵媚無理取鬧.

Then the LK trio escaped to Yountville.

最喜歡還是黃蓉, '射鵰'中的她有些沒心肝, '神鵰'中的她卻是真正的智勇雙全.

For the Italian spaghetti and tagliatelle and of course, leave the gun and take the cannoli :)

Around the world for a taste of France at the Bistro Jeanty.  The Boeuf Bourguignon was to die for.

金學研究暫且打住, 來點實境政治匯報:

我與前老闆'穿Prada的惡魔男人'不共事已七年整, 我們分屬不同品牌, 重點發表會偶有交流.  最近口耳相傳, 只要我負責的設計佳評如潮, 他必分杯羹, 迫不及待宣稱當年如何如何教導LK.  這等'恩出於己, 智出於己'的狗熊思維, 我會化憤怒為力量超越你, 絕對, 一定, 必然!!!

My blogger friend Echo invited us to her ranch across the Golden Gate Bridge, Little V and I spent a serene afternoon playing with chickens, sheep, and Echo's handsome squire Benny, the sweetest Border Collie!

不是每個人與前任上司的關係都如此競爭, 上週末昔日盟友H老闆傳訊, 告知我他前任下屬JT近日壓力巨大, 食不知味, 睡不成眠, 看我能否以客戶的角度, 對JT鼓勵開解… 頓時柔情驀湧: 怎麼我就沒有那麼善良的前老闆呢?  還是LK做人失敗, 神憎鬼厭?

後來想想, 穿Prada的惡魔男人與我, H老闆和JT, 兩班人馬的共同點只有性別和異性不相吸的特質(咱前老闆乃同志萬歲, 而JT為豪邁女漢子), 加上H老闆胸襟格局遠勝穿Prada的惡魔男人, 我驃悍獨立, 抗壓性較JT成熟許多, 同人不同命的感嘆基礎並不成立.  我如果連對父親母親都不撒嬌, 就註定, 對人生實事求是, 所有的壓力皆來自骨子底的不服輸, 除非自己開竅, 我的忙可沒人幫得了. 

ps.  此篇中文部份描述腦中大事, 英文部份則是柴米油鹽小確幸.

pps. '笑傲江湖'我最仰慕的角色是莫大先生, 斯人獨憔悴, 一柄窄劍將衡山十三式使得如夢似幻, 是隱於市的浪漫.

First the discussion was on Michelin Guide Shanghai 2017, then my gastronomical friend, Mr. H shared his grand passion about a provincial style pancake and texted me photos of the street food vendor making it.  Necessity is the mother of invention so I rolled up my sleeves and got out my rolling pin plus cast iron pan.  Scallion pancake, twisted bun… by the time I realized what I was doing, I even made the bread pudding!  Another dream of diet shattered...

ps.  However, the croissant on the bottom right was actually pre-made frozen from Williams-Sonoma :)