Growing up, my love for Shanghai was vicarious, through the impeccable story telling of my favorite Chinese writer, Eileen Chang. My first visit there was the late 90’s. The communist custom officer welcomed all Taiwanese denizens(they would not have put up with ‘citizens’) with a cautious hospitality. The wintery smog whacked me however and I had a vivid image of the waitress who served us chicken congee with her thumb dipped partially inside the bowl in a renowned local eatery. Regardless, the congee was yum-yum. Surreal, eh?
近來上海嚴苛的清零, 供應鏈繼續青黃不接, 廠商們逃的逃, 倒的倒, 魔都財夢一場, 惘然. 權力有什麼好? 百年後, 一撥泥土, 一角荒墳; 為什麼看不開? 搞成民不聊生, 還說不得辯不得... 自主的思考和分析力, 比起病毒, 極權主義下更加容不得.
Then mom bought an apartment in the former French concession for my brother who worked there nearly a decade. It was a period of peace and growth. Whenever I visited my brother, I indulged in the sultry Shanghainese cuisine and daydreamed the old Shanghai of Eileen.
上世紀中淪陷的香港造就了白流蘇與范柳原, 張愛玲的筆雖瑰美卻很尖銳, 烽火中兩個各具心機的人走到了一塊互相扶持, 這當然也是愛情, 人性所有的愛, 皆與存亡有關.
When work started to require business trips to the metropolis on regular basis, it became the pseudo James Bond movie script… my job was nothing but cool but I faked it as if I was, COOL. From the work trips, I got reunited with my childhood friend S who expatriated there. Charmingly nostalgic.
亂世讓我看清, 什麼都假, 身心健康, 珍惜眼前人, 好好吃飯睡覺是真. 若尚有藍天白雲, 鳥鳴花香, 請靜心聆賞, 享得一剎春光是一剎.
The draconian measures of the communist Chinese government toward COVID had Shanghai lockdown since March. This once thriving international financial capital has been dying like a swan, with a repressed dignity and drowning in bitter disillusion.
頂頭上司運籌帷幄, 雄心勃勃, 老提點我該頭角崢嶸多多發言, 孰不知LK壓根志不在登高企業階梯, 五斗米羈絆有限, 工作之餘早練就十八般廚藝. 距上回光顧無麥麩糕餅愛店已是數月前, 現下想吃啥, 融會貫通, 多半能上菜. 難怪金庸筆下女性角色, LK最喜歡黃蓉和程靈素, 兩位都為名師高徒, 兼備縝密心思和千變萬化的手藝.
There was a time that LK clan was contemplating to spend a few years in Shanghai. That won’t be happening. The death of freedom is fear.
喜歡黃蓉多一點, 因爲金庸有寫到老後的黃蓉, 而自小讀金庸的LK, 也老了.
I noticed my boss started to follow my Instagram and by now she must have realized my ambition lies in a totally different direction than climbing the corporate ladder. Fame, fortune, authority I care not but true to my craft and my heart, yes.
老了至樂是有老朋友敘舊, 數年不見的老同事, 大美人亞曼達, 從大溪地渡假歸來約LK用午餐, 剛好亦是美人生日前夕, LK最最憐香惜玉, 怎可推卻?! 十三號星期五陰霾因美人到來一掃而空, 看她淡金長髮挽髻, 雪膚碧眼, 言笑晏晏, 時間大神頗善待. 與性格攸關, 亞曼達真誠直爽, 愛恨分明, 而且與LK同是愛貓人哪 :)That being said, my culinary exploration continues beyond COVID. I stopped visiting my favorite gluten-free bakery the Sweet Diplomacy a while ago. Partly due to the time constraints of returning to office… gosh, that daily commute is KILLING me and partly due to my geekiness that whatever I wanted, I always learned to execute.五月初LK先生長尾巴, 此人外貌協會(雄性物種不良特徵...)在意青春不再, 哀哀呼老. 都說少年夫妻老來伴, 儘管枕邊人眉梢眼角添幾許歲月痕跡, 於我心底, 他仍是那位當年校園初見怪怪幽默感的大男生, 我勸他: 所謂老去, 便是大方針五十年不變, 小細節全方面催毀...
My repertoire is growing quickly(hopefully not my weight…). Occasionally I still ordered from the chocolatiers, La Maison du Chocolat, Ginger Elizabeth and Dandelion(their annual special - the heavenly gateau au chocolat) as a treat. That is, until I master tempering chocolate :)
同事瑪麗太太家種有機Meyer lemon, 產季將告終, 留了數顆在我辦公桌上, 清芬撲鼻, 光芒四射, 如小太陽. 應景做了草莓檸香乳酪蛋糕慶祝母親節. 物極必反, LK媽一輩子有人伺候, 不下廚. 我雖缺乏相夫教子的欲望, 飽口福的自主力竟威不可擋 :)
As usual, I don’t follow a strict recipe but mostly rely on my intuitions. Made a Meyer lemon cream cheesecake for Mother’s Day!!! The gluten free crust I baked from almond meal and vegan butter was a bit crumbly…. Oh well, the journey began when the ring was found.
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