行者無疆之亂世舟車篇 As I Stride Out to The World 11.1

每回環亞商旅必自嘲:  從舊金山飛新德里, 一條小命去掉一半; 在新德里開幾天會紅眼班機飛香港, 另一半小命也沒了.  某次眉飛色舞對少年友伴描述歷險記, 友伴不以為然:  女孩子家何必那麼辛苦?  我大笑:  富貴險中求!  

行走江湖多年, 早練得渾身是膽, 在新德里機場上午夜班機前, 必到搭滿帳篷和行軍床的長廊內, 享用物美價廉的印度式足療.  也因為紅眼班機, 捨隱形眼鏡就黑框, 重度近視者皆知, 取下厚厚的鏡片, 眼中登時另個世界, 所以那45分鐘1000盧比的按摩宛若超現實風格, Sofia Coppola導演的龍門客棧.

Last evening of the trip, a treat to stay at the Peninsula Hong Kong.  I am a sucker for old world charms.
  I love visiting the lobby early morning or in the wee hours when no one but the lone traveler lingers on the grand stairs and gazes into the distant past while lost in the colonnade.

到埠香港隨即入深圳, 最安心是公司御用司機Billy來接.  Billy乃車隊老闆, 總是輕聲細語, 一口港式英文頗儒生樣.  Billy的車勝過商務艙, 舖著厚厚地毯, 電子操控的座位可平躺.  Billy喜歡播上世紀的西洋流行曲, OMG那些老式芭樂歌… 多數辭淺但音調悅耳, 聽著聽著入魔似搖肩擺手甩頭: 

You say you're cried a thousand rivers

And now you're swimming for the shore...

還沒到深圳的四季飯店, Billy已面有難色, 迫不及待想趕我這破鑼嗓的偽Jon Bon Jovi下車.

I love tea.  The Peninsula loves tea.  The welcome tea for one and the porcelain tea set for one delighted me to no end.  When the hotel receives you like an old friend, or better yet, like an old flame… I just have to fall in love all over again :)

公司國際分部成立五年餘, 立意肥水不落外人田, 就事論事各分部:

印度因爲資源獨特, 分部人人樂天, 且帥哥輩出, 邊開會眼睛邊吃冰淇淋, 為什麼不? 

上海重鎮中心, 人才濟濟, 個個一眼觀七 .  與悟性高的人共事就兩個字:  痛快!

深圳則遠景勘虞, 大抵先天失調, 特別的崇洋媚外; 但悟性低, 看不清誰才是主事者, 官場現形記至爛的版本.

Most of the time I don't mind being alone, especially when traveling to a foreign place with a certain familiarity like Hong Kong.  Such solitude is as intoxicating as it is empowering.

商旅最後那晚入住暌違多年的香港半島, 並和許久不見的V表妹茶敘.  浮生若夢, 我對這梳士巴利道上的宏偉老建築有份深厚複雜的感情, 像分手經年的戀人, 她的壞你早忘光光, 她的好卻在伊人輕啟朱唇呼喚你名字的剎那全部湧現.  半島慶祝85生辰推出舊郵映像酒心黑巧克力, 名為'螺絲起子', 傳說當年Clark Gable曾指導半島的酒保調製這雞尾酒.  臨走前購入四枚抵抗長途飛行… 再精準的人生, 某些時刻卻也只能ㄧ醉解千愁.

A legendary 85th anniversary creation - the Screwdriver Chocolate became my remedy easing the long haul trans-Pacific flight back home to the Bay Area.  Suddenly I had the epiphany… life is but a blend of clarity and deception.