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++ Beautiful Solitude ++

Quelle heure est-il au paradis?
29 novembre

又下雪了

又下雪了,好像没有那么激动了,或者说我的所有心情都被那永远也写不完的该死的paper给折腾光了?
不过昨天晚上从图书馆里出来的时候看到昏黄灯光下白皑皑的积雪还是很兴奋得拍了几张照片。UBC的确处处是景,呆了3年了,经常感叹“好美啊!”。但是每次保证要带照相机去学校随便取景,每次都食言,汗!
看着右边自己夏天的照片穿得那么凉快,就觉得好冷啊!现在我是想裹粽子一样把自己包得严严实实的,难得可以穿厚外,套戴帽子,戴围巾,戴手套,穿2条裤子(我不记得上一次穿2条裤子是什么年代了,小学?)另外还要穿棉靴, 鼓鼓囊囊的感觉好可爱,就像是企鹅一样,哈哈!
还有2天就要结束这学期了,感觉过得太快了,好像做过山车一样,日历哗哗哗的翻过,头发一点点的张长,心里一点点的紧张起来。小苏在考虑毕业以后要去那里旅行,小nikki在考虑在那里开自己的家具店,小rainy过着自己幸福的小日子,好像大家过得都挺充实的,为什么我心里感觉确实啪啪的呢?Carson说一切都会慢慢好起来的,只要take baby step, 但是我已经不是baby了……虽然我很怀念baby时候饭来张口衣来伸手的幸福日子,呵呵
Nico就要离开了,比预计的提早了3个月,心里有点小伤心,这样互相了解,能随便互相嘲笑对方而不伤感情的好朋友震得不多。希望他在日本能过得开心。暗暗希望如果他安顿好了我将来也许可以去日本过过小假期而不用付房租,嘿嘿嘿……
哎呀呀,应该写report反而在这里写老也不更新space,小小份心一下也算是对自己的奖励吧。 对了,最近觉得msn space不好看,又重新起用blogger的想法。 连接是 http://kakami.blogspot.com/ ,也知道这里其实也没几个人看,不过这年头能够自娱自乐也是一种生存的基本能力呢。

27 novembre

I love snow!



Yes I am excited! I love snow, cause it made school closed for power outage. OK, I do feel very bad for people who are suffering in the darkness at such a chilly weather when you walking on the street your legs felt like icicles. But no school for one day means extra time for me to do work in the coffee shop for my essay, and i get to come home smelling like roasted coffee beans.

As I was grown up in the south of south, I just love snow. In my memory, I have only seen it inside the big man made giant fridge that served as the indoor skating ring. Every year, we would have ice-sculpture exhibition that was always the highlight of the holiday season. They would ship the craftsmen from northern China and stored the ice sculptures indoor for days; when I was a kid, I always fancied about putting on the rental thick red jacket that was way too big for me, though I was a chubby kid. A picture with those transparent ice cubes was worth showing off to the classmates.

My first winter in Canada I saw the snow flakes falling, I ran out and played as if it's a dream come true. Snow piled over night outside our little road side balcony, it's so thick that it was high as half of my calf. I couldn't wait a minus to go outside and play with the snow. I ran to the football field at the back of my apartment building. The view was stunning; it's like miles and miles of white ground, so pure the white that I felt it's so "holy". Ha ha, how innocent was I. Yet, I would never forget that view. I went back home with icicle legs and my pants wet from top to bottom.

I wanted to taste the snow today, but Nico reminded me that since snow is frozen rain, and we have acid rain, thus it would be acid snow. That intimidates me. I wish the air is cleaner that I can just pop those icicles and eat them like lollipop.
15 novembre

Wet wet wet

It's so wet, again.
Non-stop rain means the landing of winter. This year we have the chilly weather much sooner.
Does the above sounds like weather forecast? I am bored to death.
 
I haven't get a full taste of the wonderfulness of school yet, it's almost to the end. Two more weeks to go and I will be one step closer to graduation. This is scary. Every time i think about it i just can't help to have goosebumps. I think i am having a little bit of "close-to-graduation syndrome" which includes common effect of  anxiety, frustration and much more.
 
Let's talk about some fun things I've done lately.
 
 
1, I had a wonderful experience with the living ghosts and living-dead, of course, during the Halloween. I did not dress up as the evil red angle as i planed to, but someone made my day by dressing up like a red-neck cow"daddy" riding on a poor little pony. Should I show you the pictures? ^_^
 
2, I felt in love with a Indian restaurant called Rangoli. It's a cheaper version of Vij's, their website is: http://www.vijsrangoli.ca/market/index.html
   This is the only restaurant that made me not feeling so stuffed after the feast. It's a wonderful place, I will recommended everyone who loves to eat to go there. And yes, i am talking about you, my friend.
 
3, I had gnocchi. I tried lime tart. I drank 2 bottles of red wine with my friend and thought i was not drunk at all. I was totally wrong.
    I love food. period.
 
4, I watched Borat with Carson. He likes it, I hate it. I am sorry my dear. I just can't believe someone will try this hard to push every body's funny bone. And I think he tried too hard that it ends up disturbing my stomach. But I have to admit it's quite funny to look @ two hairy men wrestling into a 69 position on a soft and bouncy hotel king-size bed.
 
5, I wanted to open a tea house serving tea and cake pairings, just like cheese and wine pairings. That means I need to learn more a about tea, and how to make cakes. Every time I brought home all the ingredients for making the cake, my mom goes nuts because she thinks that I just bring the entire Safeway's baking section home.
 
23 octobre

Tina Seelig - What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20

Tina Seelig is the Executive Director for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, and one of the most truly brilliant and creative people I have ever met. In addition to a PHD from Stanford Medical School in Neurology, she's written many books, educational cards for kids, and is a serial entrepreneur. I recently listened to this talk she gave at Stanford, and then played it again just to take notes. She has great advice for those legions of young women and men starting out their careers, including (my notes in italics):

1) Every problem is an opportunity for a creative solution. Attitude is everything and you control your attitude. The bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity. No one will pay you to solve a non-problem. Tina has some great examples of a money-making challenge she gave to a bunch of her students. They're fun to listen to because they so clearly demonstrate how easily we can go beyond our self-limiting constraints.

2) The harder you work, the luckier you get. You need to put yourself in a position to make yourself lucky.

3) Find the intersection between your interests, your skills, and the market. "Follow your passions" is a cop-out piece of advice. Passions are necessary, but not sufficient. For years I beat myself up for not understanding what my passions were enough to follow them. Remember "Do what you love, the money will come"? It doesn't often work that way. You need to find something you enjoy that other people want so you can get paid!

4) Try lots of things and keep what works. About risk taking and being willing to fail. If you aren't failing sometimes, you aren't taking enough risks. When I first learned how to water ski at age 14, I bragged to one of the instructors that I had made it around the lake without falling down. He replied, "if you aren't falling down, you're not trying hard enough."

5) You don't have to wait to be anointed. Write your own business card. Don't wait for someone to tell you that you are ready for the next level. You do the job and then you get the job. Entrepreneurs don't wait for others to empower them. They empower themselves. My favorite business cards are the ones for my own businesses, the ones I created for myself.

6) Don't burn bridges. There are only 50 people in the world, the rest are wall paper. You are going to bump into these people over and over and over again. This is painfully true.

7) You can do it all, just not all at the same time. Know your priorities. Change them regularly.

8) It's the little things that matter most. Look people in the eye. Sit up straight. Write a thank you note within 24 hours of having a job interview. Another one is "respond to all emails within 24 hours, preferably within a few hours." That one's the hardest for me.

9) When you are a team, the key is making everybody else successful. The more you make other people around you successful, the more it comes back to you, many many many fold. You can tell when you are working with a great team, because everyone helps each other be successful. The non-team players are the ones who take, but don't give.

10) Never miss an opportunity to be fabulous. This is not a dress rehearsal. If you are not going to do your best work now, when are you going to? Excellent advice. Why be just good if you can be great?


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There's an audio track for Tina's lecture. It's quite inspiring, i do think people in our age, just start our lives should listen it. You might now agree with her in all, but it's worth investing some time to it.  Enjoy~!     


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18 octobre

Until Debt Do Us Apart

刚刚看了一集Life Network的show,讲的是一对年轻夫妻还不到30岁就已经背了一屁股债,大概有$30万左右。他们过的日子是夜夜笙歌,每个月的花消都用于吃喝玩乐上。女主人Lisa有可以当小学教师的学历,如果她工作的话一个月可以挣$4000加币,但是因为有父母的毗护,她就天天在家呆着,出了做一点点家务以外什么也不干。男主人同样的懒惰,他们的债都是由父母帮忙,每个月的救济七七八八也借给他们大概五六万加币。
让我难以置信的是,无聊节目里的理财顾问想让他们改变生活习惯,认识到自己负债累累的理由,他们就是用一种很小孩的口气说,“我爸妈会帮我的!”“我哥哥说他有很多钱,实在不行可以帮我买房子,我会搬去和他们一起住。” 这样的话在北美这个早早就鼓励孩子独立的社会实在是令人吃惊。一直以为赖着家里的长不大的小孩在我们东方的传统社会里会稍微多一点,放到西式的社会里一看,并不是少数。也许电视上演的会有点夸张(因为那女人不屑一顾的态度看着实在令人生气,觉得他爸妈好惨),但是挺写实的。
之前和一个朋友讨论过关于一个人到什么时候才能够有资格说自己已经是独立了。我认为一个人一定要至少经济上独立了以后才可以说我可以不听父母的意见做我自己想做,喜欢做的,其他人管不到。如果做不到这点的话,说不好听点,大人说啥你都得听着,可别忘记了你花的是谁的钱。呵呵,这话听上去有点盲从和过于利益化,但事实上又几个父母不是为儿女好的呢?一个人倘若无法养活自己,又有什么资格挑剔别人?更不用说是和另外一半组成家庭了,天哪简直是祸害人间。
 
另外一点很有意思的是,我觉得一个家里女主人的性格决定了家庭的进步方向。人都是会相互影响的,所以要和有积极态度,健康乐观的人生活在一起。
 
 
16 octobre

每个女人都应该注意的

女生们要好好保护自己的身体,男生们要好好爱护女朋友的身体 ^_^  图片网页上看不是非常清楚,请点右键击收藏以后就可以看大图了。


 

 

Office Map

something to remember

I was watching Oprah the other day and the guest was a perfect blond barbie-doll-looking  young lady in her early 30's. She is so pretty that i first thought she must be some famous model. In fact, she's just a housewife, with a rich husband who happened to be despaired one day from their private yacht. She said that they lived in the most luxurious life for about three years. She was once subconsciously worried about if she's living in a dream, but i guess nobody would admit since it's just too good (to be true). So the story goes like this: her husband said he's planning to give her a big big surprise for their 3-year anniversary, he flied all her family members and friends to Greece and held a big party; the next morning when she woke up, he's gone. The result is devastated, she end up being 6 million  in debt because she co-signed all the property they once owned. But the financial burden cannot be compared with her emotional suffering, that she was betrayed by her best friend/hubby. She believed that he just took off b/c whatever reason, and more over, he's a narcissist.
 
The psychologist Oprah invited said a lot about her case, but one thing i remembered the most is that "you should never depend on other people for your own happiness; it only make you miserable".
 
---An unfinished entry. Fits well for the time i went through.
13 septembre

ti, ta, ti, ta

Life changes, time moves forward
 just like the clock
ti, ta, ti, ta
I cannot stop 
as I am only a little sand
It's a new start, although
new is not better
I do not know what to say 
maybe i am crazy, maybe we were just crazy
maybe I can just sing a song and let the feelings free fall
like the notes
ti, ta, ti, ta
Why, why my baby
i do not remember when
but somehow i am lost in your world
 
Now all I remember is the sound of tide
the rain drops on the window
the tears in the eyes
ti, ta, ti, ta
my love
why, why my tears are gone
like the time we shared is gone
ti, ta, ti, ta
i am sorry
because i love you after all
14 août

Summer sunshine

 Summer time is usually so hot that we just have no appetite for greasy meat. But luckily when God planed this world, we have various choices of fresh vegetable and fruits that will provide us the best of the summer season. My friend Nico is working pretty hard on his little garden to grow some delicious homegrown organic vegetables, and he's quite successful this year, compared to his previous attempts. And lucky me, i am benefiting, free of charge, from his little vege heaven. Here are some pictures for this year's harvest. I made a mixed "Lili's House Salad" using these beet, tomatoes, cucumber and carrot. When we saw the carrot coming out from the earth, we both thought it must be pretty big already for the top orange part was already exposed out of the earth. Nico used both hands and was ready for a big baby coming out from the dirt, but unfortunately what you see isn't always what you expected.   But it still got a cute look for its little size.

Office Map Office Map

The salad tasted great, thanks to Nico!


Blueberry and Cantaloup Smoothies

 Ingredents: one bowl of blueberries, half a medium size cantaloup, one big spoon of honey, a tray of icecubes

 Process: Cut the cantaloup into small pieces, put all the ingredents into blender and simply push "liquidfy" button. If you like a bit of milky taste, just as my mom does, you can switch the honey with sweetened condensed milk. The amout of sweetness depends on your personal style. 

 Office Map

One thing i found out in this try is that soon after the smoothie was poured into the glass, it gelled as if  gelatine was added. I guess the natural fruit gel from the berries and the melon had their own little miracle worked into this kind of texture. It's a nice little suprise. You can see how firm the smoothie had become in the second picture, almost like a "moose".

Office Map  Office Map

9 août

History

I am alway afraid of giving public speech. I usually don't freak out, but i surely sweet my hands and have little shiver. I guess I just cannot handle all the stares coming from people that i dont know. Therefore, presentation is one of my biggest fear of all. Luckily I am majoring in something that doesn't require alot of presentations, thus i survived until this day. Unless the commerce fellows.
Althought it's fearful to be the one giving speech, it's always fun to listen and be the hidden judge. (And maybe that's where all those unfriendly staring coming from when i am on the stage) There's one group before us was doing the topic of militarization of China in the 1960-70's. The group members all wore green shirts and red armbans, just like the Red Guards did. And they sang the famous "Dong Fang Hong" (Red East, as literately translated). I was just so amused by their passionate imitation of the Red Guards's act and the way they hold the Little Red Book as a holy book, OMG~~ No wonder that movement spread the entire nation althought it's read cause worth some serious doubts. It's always been fun to see how chinese was perceived in the Westerner's eyes and their understanding of what happened in our history. It's common to see we set up defense very quickly when we are mocked by non-chinese, but the tolerance towards the jokes made by our fellow Chinese are usually high.
Beside the fun of presentation, one thing, which made me think it's worthy to take this class, is that i was told the CCP had its head started by selling Opium to the smokers in China, as early as in the early 1920's. What a surprise! I am not entirely comvinced yet, but Jack's words are pretty believeable...... I guess everyone will have a little secret.... I don't want to get political about it, but it's just fun to see how thing can turn out to be so different once expose to the test of history.
7 août

tell me what you study and i will tell you what you are

I never really think what i study @ university will matter so much in my life, until recently i found myself start to view things around me from an economist point of view. Obviousely i am not a economist yet, i am just a junior in this subject although it's my major. I was preparing my presentation for my chines history class. I treated my part  of work as an econ-historical anlysis; i can talk with my friend about the up and down of interest rate and its influrence on global economy for quite a while; i even made jokes about how our relation with people around us could be analysed put into a cost-benifit equation/investment-returen ratio. I know this could sound boring, but it's acturally fun for me now. I am suprised. I guess after all these year dealing with the subject, somehow the lectures i attended did put stuff into my brain, even a bit into my blood stream? I used to worry that ECON will be boring and dry, now i feel i am part of it. It's a good feeling.
6 août

Still about New York

There's  a few of things I do not like about New York, despite the vibrancy of the city life. The food is one kind of disappointment. Well, obviously i am not a rich girl who can pay over hundres of dollars to get a good fest, but i believe food should always be charged for whatever effert the kitchen puts in. I've heard story like some famous restaurant in Vegas charged hundres of dollars for it's tasting menu and one of the dishes they have is just five different flavors of peanut were put on the top of pine needles. Things like this are just ridiculous to me. No matter how rich I will become(hopefully) i would never pay so much just for peanuts. And that's why i love my Chinatown fellows, they've got peanut in such price and all the flavor you want. Life can be much simpler and more enjoyable with small budgets.

 

Back to my New York. My one and only dine-out was in Korean town @ 37th street and Fifth Ave. There's countless Korean restaurants on both side of street, big or small. I couldn't even found a single enligsh word, and then I understand why all the non-Chinese were so lost in Chinatown. According to my friend, Korean food is supposedly very expensive, which would cost us $60+ for three people's dinning. Anyhow I decide I should give it a try although the price was about three times of what it would in Vancouver. It turned out that 3 times more money did not bring me 3 times more of enjoyment. Actually, I would say the taste was only 1/3 of the Korean food I had in Vancouver. Thus, it's a very bad rate of return. We ordered barbeque short ribs, spicy rice cake, Bimpimba, and an oxtail bone soup. The short ribs were overcooked and very little for 3 people but it cost $20+, rice cake was very watery, and the soup was flat taste. After that meal, I started to give my friends elaborated description of how foods are wonderful in Vancouver and way cheaper. Therefore I added two more people into my list of future visitor to Vancouver for a great fest.

 

One thing I tried in NY and really enjoyed was actually organic eggs. At first I didn’t know the eggs in my friend's fridge were organic, it's just very tasty! I was like:" omg, why is your egg taste so good?! Is it because it's NY's egg?!"  It turned out to be a box of organic eggs, not some metropolitan super eggs. This is the first time I could ever taste the difference between organic and non-organic food. Maybe it will be the only case? But, again, it's so expensive. $5/box, I don't think I will ever pay this much for eggs again although I love the taste of it. Wait until I am rich........ ^_^

 

There's a very crowed icecream shop @ 8th ave. and 42nd street. It's called the "Cold Stone". Everyday i passed by this shop and it's always packed with ppl, of course mostly tourists like me. I decided I should give it a try at my last night in New York. Basicly they put one scoop of icecream on top of a cold stone and added nuts/fruits/any kind of topping ordered and mixed the ice cream with the topping using a scoop. It's like a stir-fried icecream. I have to say it's kind of too sweet for me, but it's quite interesting to see the servers doing their tricks by throwing the scoops, added some hip-pop moves as the music played loud in the store. I bet people went to that store not to have the icecream but to see how they put up a live music show in an ice cream shop.  

 

je ne t'aime plus

Office Map

je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours

je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours

parfois j'aimerais mourir tellement j'ai voulu croire
parfois j'aimerais mourir pour ne plus rien avoir
parfois j'aimerais mourir pour plus jamais te voir

je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours

parfois j'aimerais mourir tellement y a plus d'espoir
parfois j'aimerais mourir pour plus jamais te revoir
parfois j'aimerais mourir pour ne plus rien savoir

je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours

je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
je ne t'aime plus mon amour
je ne t'aime plus mon amour

20 juillet

苹果 NO.1

从纽约回来已经要2个礼拜了,很快的我又适应了温哥华闲散缓慢的生活步调,刚刚回来的时候那兴奋劲果然如朋友预料的一样消散了不少,不过旅行给我带来的一些想法和感受,一些对生活前景的看法已经开始渐渐影响我的一些想法和行事的方法了。其实这次才算的上我首次独立出行。读万卷书不如行万里路,词话果真贴切。刚刚回来的时候心里其实挺纷乱的,就像没整理好的行李箱一样。终于是可以坐下来写点什么,烂笔头也不枉费我的机票钱,呵呵。
 
飞机还没着陆在纽约上空盘旋等待降落的时候,我就惊讶于纽约的一些有意思的城市规划。飞机上看到的大片的住宅区中间插着无数碧蓝的小方块,仔细看就知道是住宅后面的私人游泳池,一块块的耀眼的蓝刹是好看的紧,不禁的要感叹资本主义国家的国立发达民生富饶啊,似乎游泳池是非常普遍的事情。突然意识到自己在加拿大呆了那么久还是土包子一个,穷啊,看到私人游泳池就激动。 另外一个特别的地方就是方圆几公里内一定有一个蓄水塔,大多是被漆成蔚蓝色,高高的突兀的耸立在居民区的某一个角落,就像是一个4脚的外星生物一样霸占了城市的一角立地为王俯视它的子民。因为一直都居住在水源丰润的城市,所以看到这样怪异的建筑不尤的觉得新奇。其实水塔也是在50,60年代就有的老东西了,当时的供水设备自然不如现在的发达。不知道这些水塔还有没有在被使用呢?
 
下了JFK机场以后一切都很顺利,老美似乎一点都不担心入境的是些什么人,问了我几个问题就放过去了,连行李都没有过扫描机就拿了走人了,顺利的我都有点心虚,虽然我也没打算做什么,但是总觉得911 以后美国人应该是很小心谨慎了吧,不过看来只有大使馆的签证人员最为紧张。
一走出侯机大厅就是扑面的热风,闷闷的有点透不过气来,像5月的上海。天也是阴沉沉的看不到天空,身边有无数鲜黄的出租,漆黑的加长林肯开过,川流不息的就像溪里的鱼一样,突然意识到,我是到了纽约了。
 
上了朋友的车,进了高速,发现连高速都排队,不知为什么车流前进的很缓慢,给了我一些时间打量周围的环境。JFK是位于女皇区的东南方,出机场的高速两边都是相当故旧的居民区,被高高的铁丝网围起来,感觉很冷酷,出了一些树枝努力的穿过铁丝网一切都显没有什么生机。根据朋友的介绍在高速两边都不是什么好区,大多数是穷苦黑人居住的地方。开过布鲁克林区的时候,矮楼被高高的红砖房给替代了,一座座的矗立着的被分割成一个个单元间的像积木盖成的一样。红砖,黑框黑瓦,灰蒙蒙的玻璃,非常的后现代工业风格建筑占据了大面积的土地。心想,这一定得装下不少人,一座房子至少有300户。。。汗~ 也许因为是天气的关系,一路开着都觉得挺深沉的,看着建筑像幻灯片一样飞扫过眼前突然想到了“帝国主义”这个词。
 
出了告诉上了williamsburg bridge,从X型的铁索中间可以依稀看到曼哈顿的高楼区,在烟雾的迷绕中渐渐靠近。 这里就是我要花上一个礼拜来感受的地方。
26 juin

居然

中文退步太多,好友竟然认为我写不出那样的文章,颇有点感叹。
往日心情不在,再回首庆幸当时的稍稍笔耕勤奋能够留下只字片语也不枉费善感的少年时光。
要记忆的事情太多,懒惰的借口也越来越多。需要重收拾。

A bite on the Big Apple

第一站,纽约。
左思右想以后决定舍弃赌城,舍弃加东的诱惑直奔大苹果纽约。对于我这样成人以后第一次单独旅行来说,这个被剧场戏院博物馆的大都市是最有吸引力不过的。老话说道“读万卷书,行万里路。” 书,应该是读的没有万也近千了,而路却没有单独走过多少。个人一直认为能够单独旅行的人必然是独立的有能力掌控自己生活的,虽然我是一个经常被诱惑着踩着西瓜皮前进的小迷糊,但也是还有些必须完成的大心愿的,那独自旅行更是看作成长过程中必不可少的一环。
 
稍微计划了一下,将于7月2号离开温哥华,7月9号回来。中间刚刚好有个美国国庆,虽然烟花已经看过无数,还是很期待老美能让我再感叹一下纸醉金迷的奢华景象。 不过7月4号也是妈妈的生日,不知道这样远走的我是不是不孝呐? >_<
 
估计90%以上的时间都会花在曼哈顿,要看的太多,只怕眼睛不够用。
 
1 juin

[原创]关于吃的记忆

[原创]关于吃的记忆 文/麦田小禾

    从小就是个喜欢吃的孩子,也许说自己很贪吃一点都没有过分吧。当面前有一堆美食和一堆钞票的时候,我会怎么选择呢?当然是把美食吞下肚,把钞票装进兜,拍拍屁股走人咯! 人之常情嘛,哈哈~ 不过对于食物的喜爱和享受的确给我带来了很多快乐。食物和生活中的其他部分不一样。很多时候,许多事情都是无法触摸,无法看到的,只能用心和脑袋去感受去思考,而它们给我们带来的感觉基本上是思维化的,我常说它们被转化成了一组组的脑电波了。而食物,带来的感官享受是直接而丰富的。蔬菜水果的漂亮外表和缤纷的色彩,肉食的动物的新鲜滋味和血腥的味道,调味品的五味变化组合,这一切所带来的乐趣是那样直接而简单。当我们坐在餐桌前,被食物的香气引诱的唾液腺过度分泌的时候,思想和行动是统一的,无须过多的思考,一切尽在不言中。    

    因为母亲工作繁忙经常无法照顾我吃饭的关系,从小学开始就被带了和她一起出入各种高级酒店,餐厅,参加她的公事活动。在那个年代,相对比于我的同学和朋友们来说,我的幸福是无人可比拟的,至少对于乐衷于享受美食我来说是这么认为的。那个时候算的上是国内改革开放的初期吧,长大了以后才知道,那个时候餐桌上的珍馐佳肴是被称做“公款吃喝”的。好在无论服务小姐端上菜肴的时候,有多么色香味俱全,在妈妈时刻监视的眼神下,我都不可以太没风度的大吃特吃。每次妈妈带我出席,在去饭店的路上或者在电话里她都要对我再三嘱咐餐桌礼仪,待人接客的礼貌等等等等,直到现在,每到饭局我都会很自觉的遵守,而结束之后都像例行公事一样问老妈今天我有没有什么表现不佳或者不合适的地方。每每想到这些,我都觉得我的童年的记忆确实是很有意思。在一堆的大人中间,夹着一个小小的我,用一双幼童的眼,直接无阻隔的观察这个所谓的大人的世界。看着他们的言谈举止,待人接物,常常觉得很好笑。虽说不是很理解,却也渐渐懂得辨别虚伪客套和作为成年人的不得不“入乡随俗”的无奈。在那一个时期里,我可以说品尝了城中所有的大大小小的美食,也蒙蒙胧胧的了解了成人世界的行为方式。

    每个人,对于家庭的记忆,有很大一部分都是关于吃饭的。这是我一直很肯定的,关于中国人的传统定理。无论逢年过节还是大小庆祝,吃的文化占了人们生活的很大比重。中国人能吃,会吃,爱吃的传统无论到了哪里,世界的任何一个角落都被很完整的保留了下来。在我的记忆里,家庭的掌勺人是我的外公而不是每天给我烧饭的妈妈。外公是我们的一家之主,他是个比较严肃的人,很少看到他笑。但是作为一个研究者他在生活中尤其是对于下厨的兴趣却给我留下了极其深刻的印象。外公做菜很讲究原料的选择,是否新鲜,品质是否够格都是他考虑的。外公做菜的时候会很仔细的把每一个配料切件,逐个分类,还要求大小一致整齐。对于需要事先腌渍以入味的原料都会提前准备。看他做准备工作就好象化学家做实验一样,我想这就是他的职业习惯了吧。外公的菜很细致,有的时候甚至有科学的营养搭配。他喜欢把荤素一起炒,火候到位,所以他的菜总是又好看又好吃。家里吃饭的时候,外公会像做报告一样,和外婆讲述今天买菜时候的价钱,品质或者一些见闻,然后就开始讲他今天做菜的要点和菜品完成后的总结,哪些是进步的,哪些是被忽略的他都会说。每次的进餐,只要是他掌勺,都是在这样的“报告”中度过的。外公经常出国参加研讨会什么的,认识了不少国外的专家,他们建立了友谊。其中有一位是个德国人。在他和外公认识的第一年,在各自回国后的那个圣诞节,他给外公大老远的邮寄了一个很大的包裹。当包裹到达家里的时候,我非常的好奇,惊讶于这么大一堆东西是怎么给飘洋过海弄到中国的。包裹里的东西才是真正让我吃惊的。里面是2本完全菜图的英德双语的菜谱,厚厚的真的和砖头一样,非常的重。还有就是一大条传统的德国熏肉,是他的夫人亲手做的。到现在我都不明白他的包裹是怎么通过海关的检验的。(因为一般来说,食物没有经过动植物检疫是不可以入境的)那个包裹就像是一个惊喜盒一样。外公后来照着菜谱里的的说明,做了几次不同的菜式。其中一次是油炸大虾,那金黄灿烂的颜色和浓郁的香气,似乎到现在我还能看到,闻到。当第一锅出来的时候,我就想一个非洲难民一样,即刻“扑”上去。妈妈说那个时候我的眼睛闪耀的都是里是不顾一切的野兽一般的光芒。

    如果说外公的做菜就像做实验一般严谨和到位,那么外婆的菜就胜在工夫的考究和时间的累积了。我的记忆里的“名菜”基本都是出自外婆的手下。她的红烧鲫鱼,在经过长时间的调料浸泡,小火慢纹后带着无与伦比的滋味,是任何一家酒店都无法达到的水准。我到现在都没有学会她是如何在长时间的盖锅煮之后还能让鱼肉保持弹性和完整的形状,吃起来一点都不老。小时侯经常住在外婆家,和小朋友一起在楼下的空地上嬉戏玩耍,小孩子有无穷的精力,但是肚子却是饿的特别的快。有一次,外婆在我下楼之前开始做她的芋泥,只要槟榔芋和白糖猪油就能做一大锅香气扑鼻的芋泥。在玩耍了一段时间后,我的肚子很规律的呱呱叫了,正当我准备像个小火箭一样冲上楼的时候,外婆从阳台上探出头来了,她叫着我的小名,问我肚子饿不饿了呢?我用足所有的力气很响亮的回答:“饿!!”外婆很开心的笑了。阳光下,在她的笑容里,我看到了我的芋泥。她用一条绳子吊着一个小篮子下来,从3楼的阳台,一碗有着好看的均匀紫色和甜蜜香气的芋泥就这样神奇的出现在我面前。那个夏日的午后,外婆的微笑和芋泥的特殊滋味填满了我的所有记忆。外婆的食物给我的不光光是记忆,还有对我的锻炼。每天放学回家的时候都正好是外婆开始准备晚饭的时候,无论是外公还是她自己下厨,她都要求我做助手。用他们的话就是对我进行锻炼。从洗青菜,到给土豆削皮,给鱼清独肠她都要我学会做。外婆和其他家长不一样,她在我很小的时候就让我开始用菜刀了。她告诉我要怎样握才省力而又能好掌握,不至于切到手。虽然流血事件还是会发生,但是我的切菜技术却是一步步的前进。我想就是从小在厨房度过的时间,外公外婆的潜移默化使得长大以后的我保持了一份对下厨的习惯和享受吧。当我在洗菜的时候,如果有一点没有干净或者事情做的有头没尾的时候,外婆都会很严肃的指出,似乎一点都没有对小孩子的宽容态度。当我切到手的时候,外婆说的不是安慰的话语,反倒是责怪我的不专心和马虎。这些常常让我觉得很难以理解,为什么我家的大人都那么凶,那么严肃,别人家的外婆都是那么慈祥的?甚至我会产生抵触情绪,觉得自己是个被人讨厌的小孩。慢慢的,我才理解了他们对于情感的表达方式,他们的言语是粗糙甚至苛刻的,但是他们对于我成长的关怀却是无微不至的,虽然有的时候真的很难从言语中判断。
    
    今天,我突然想像以前在他们的指导下做手工打的色拉蛋黄酱,做一份有外公外婆味道的色拉。一个下午,一个人静静的站在厨房,手里不停搅动的筷子,看着碗里渐渐膨化成型的蛋黄酱,儿时的回忆一点点在脑海中流过,被记忆包围的温暖让我觉得无比宁静和幸福。最后,自以为完成的酱汁在倒入与食物搅拌后才知道,完全不一样的味道。突然一下子非常失落起来。我想,有些东西是永远无法被替代的,有些东西的价值只到你不拥有的时候才被注意到,有些东西对你的意义远远大过你的想象。在厨房里,我开始想念我的外公外婆,年迈的他们是否还像以前一样下厨呢?没有我在,菜刀是不是越来越沉重,池里的碗是不是永远都洗不完?没有我的日子,他们过的还好吗?想念他们,爱他们,非常。
发表于:2002-7-20 15:37:13  

    网友回复
恩,这个包袱,搁得不错,耽误我落脚。
北京骨头 发表于2002-7-20 17:52:35
    通读小文,文章的线索异常的清晰。从小时侯的脑筋急转弯,到小学时候的高级酒店,然后到外公、外婆的高超的厨艺介绍。最后才从美味佳肴想到外公、外婆。在我从字里行间感受美味的时候,在我禁不住要对屏幕说:”我也要吃“的时候,小禾又把我的思路拽了回来,让我深深的陷入到怀念之情中。刹那间,从唾液腺的分泌,马上转换到泪腺的分泌,这其中,体内不知道要经过多少次化学反应,多少次神经的转换。呵呵
好的教育:)
退而结网 发表于2002-7-20 19:57:11
你的家长给了你很好的教育呢~~民以食为天,懂得吃生活也就懂得一半了~~再加加油吧,好好地练练你的厨艺吧,一个做饭菜做得好的女子是多么有魅力的呀~~想起来口水就出来了~~想起一句话,要想锁住一个男人的心那就先锁住他的胃~~呵呵~~~:)
呵!
樱桃 发表于2002-7-21 9:34:08
我不赞成退而结网的话,会做吃的是为了让自己享受 !
:)~~~~~~`
桑桑 发表于2002-7-23 12:17:53
肚子饿了~
:)
似水无痕 发表于2002-7-25 9:45:23
“有些东西是永远无法被替代的,有些东西的价值只到你不拥有的时候才被注意到,有些东西对你的意义远远大过你的想象........”
我想小禾的:“吃”带给我们的不仅仅是口水吧....
喜欢小禾的文章:))
兔子 发表于2002-7-28 10:33:16
美食用心来做~~
^_^
深水炸弹 发表于2002-8-21 2:52:43
锁住一个男人的心那就先锁住他的胃~~呵呵~~~:) 
agree ...

^^
喝开水的猪 发表于2002-10-26 19:49:22

很棒!
31 mai

VISA

刚刚办了美国签证。美国人还真是可怜的很,自从911以后就过的尤其谨小慎微的,签证处不许带手机,不许带大一点的挎包,更不用说什么手提箱之类的了。傻傻的我把这些告示都忘了,带了手机和大包。。结果还要让老妈跑一趟帮我拿回家。进门的时候有3从关卡,真是认真啊!
 
给签证的大叔非常严肃,一丝不苟的样子,的确对人有种威慑的作用。一直担心他会不会问我去美国干啥,虽然我的确也没打算干啥,但是毕竟是连目的地都没定的就跑去签证难免心里忐忑,结果一个字也没提~~ 倒是问了不少关于在学校读书的事情,还问我毕业以后打算做啥。原本以为会被拷问许久,结果还不到2分钟就搞定了,心中偷偷笑, 嘿嘿……
 
不知道我拿了这签证以后第一站会去哪里呢?
22 mai

夏天了吗?

天气很奇怪,又下雨了。昨天在老舅家烧烤的时候,突然的雨就霹雳哗啦的落下来了,似乎是想告诉我们那撑起来的遮阳伞还有其他的作用。 雨天的烧烤还是很有趣的,辛苦了老舅,一开始戴草帽,结束的时候后背都被雨淋湿了。Alex 带了一个朋友来玩,加上Rainy和我,突然觉得家里一下子年轻起来了,可惜那女孩也不是什么很有趣的人。。。
 
放假3个礼拜了,算是有了一个工作,不过干起来没什么劲头,总觉得被Statistic Canada给骗了,工作不累,但是缺挺无聊的。昨天打了10个电话只有一个女生很好心的和我在电话里填了表,似乎大家听到是Enumerator就不想多聊……I am just doing my job!
 
 

B-Day

Ok, now i am officially 23. On my birthday cake, i had only one candle in shape of "3". The waiter in "Sun Sui Hua" said, "oh my, u are really a big three year old baby!" Haha..... self proclaimed of being three-year old does make me feel much better about my growing age. I still remember last year, just before my birthday, i had this stupid miscalculation of my own age, i thought i was turning 23 instead of 22. I did get scared quite badly for a while that night. And now, i am sitting here, feeling ok  of being  23.

The thing with birthday is that as u getting older, the less u feel to celebrate it. I felt more for my mom in fact, having a troublesome child like me for so long, she must suffered alot, haha.... I dont wanna give some big statement about what i want to do in this coming year, just small things that i want to finish, just like taking baby steps on my way of growing up.

One of the best thing for my birthday this year  is that i have a new bed now, double size. I just love it!

----------------------------------------------------

it took me a while to just finish this entry. and now it's infact May 22nd. This is a little  turtle's life. SLOW.

 
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