Fighting with Palu

天氣一變冷，跟寶貝貓的戰爭也開始了。
When it starts to get colder, the war with Palu starts.

家中最寶貝的貓兒，從小就有呼吸道的問題，入秋以來，常常就得面對氣喘加上打噴嚏的問題，狀況太糟糕的時候，我們就得要想辦法給藥吃。
Palu is the loveliest cat at home. He’s got respiratory problem since young. After entering autumn, asthma and sneezing become common stories. When it’s getting worse, we’ll always have to try to give him some medicine.

吃藥時的磨人性格，有時讓人很難捉摸。向來習慣用小湯匙吃藥的他，有一天突然決定不要用小湯匙吃了，老公只得把混著化毛膏的藥抹在自己手上，讓他舔著吃，偶爾，還得追著跑，求他吃藥。貓，就跟小孩子一樣。
He’s got a very difficult personality when he takes his medicine, and sometimes it’s quite difficult to handle. He used to take his medicine with a small spoon. One day, he decided that he doesn’t want it any more, and Michele has to put the creamy medicine on his finger for Palu to lick. Once in a while, he’ll have to follow Palu all around the house and beg him to take his medicine. Cats are like kids.

前兩天，他覺得老公的手指不好吃了，不論我們怎麼求他，就是不願舔一口。一氣之下，老公抓起他的前腳，就這麼把藥給抹了上去。貓兒無法忍受腳掌上的髒污，會想盡辦法把它清理乾淨。倔強如他，就看著他在屋裡跑來跑去，用力地甩著前腳，怎樣都不肯在我們面前舔一下藥，這樣的舉動也把我們搞火了，晚上睡覺時索性把房門一關，不讓他進來。這也真是找罪受，固執的他一整晚都在門外，三不五時抓一下門，打個噴嚏，讓人不得好眠，不過我們也沒有因此就讓步，房門關緊直到天明。
A couple days ago, Palu decided that Michele’s finger is not good any more, and just didn’t want his medicine no matter how we begged him. With anger, Michele grabbed his front paw and buttered the cream on his paw. Normally, cats can not stand dirty paws and will do anything to clean themselves. Stubborn as Palu is, he was running around the house, swinging and shaking so hard to get rid of the cream on the paw. No matter what, he didn’t want to lick his paw in front of us. We got so angry with him that we shut him outside our room in the night. He was beside our door the whole night, scratched the door and sneezed once in a while, and made it difficult for us to sleep. We didn’t surrender and keep the door shut until morning.

隔天早上，他一聽到老公打開房門走進廁所梳洗，咚咚咚地馬上跑去報到。老公順著要求把他抱到懷中，說時遲那時快，一到懷裡馬上打個大噴嚏幫老公洗臉，一溜煙就不見貓影。看樣子…這場人貓大戰大概還會繼續持續下去…至少到春天到來。
The next morning, he arrived the bathroom once he heard Michele moving. Michele picked him up according to his request. Guess what?! He sneezed on Michele’s face and ran away immediately. I guess this war between human and cat will go on for a while…at least until the arrival of spring.

Missing hot spring in Taiwan

住到國外以後，除了想念台灣的家人朋友與美食以外，到了冬天，還格外想念在台灣幾乎唾手可得的豪華溫泉享受。
After I moved abroad, the missing feelings about Taiwan not only direct toward family, friends and good food, I especially miss the luxury thermal spring that is so easily found there.

今年的秋天來地挺早，十月中而已，偶爾夜間已經有冬天的感覺，溫度可以降到七八度左右，這時，泡個暖呼呼的澡，成了一大享受。
Autumn arrived fairly early this year. It’s only mid-October, sometimes the temperature during the night is down to 7~8 degrees. At such a cold night, a nice bath is such an enjoyment.

每天坐上書桌開始上工以前，看看郵件、走訪各家報台、瀏覽一下幾個最愛的網站、翻翻電腦裡的照片，成了暖身動作，今天看看窗外灰暗的天空，身上已經穿著平時入冬才拿出來的毛衫，看到今年春季回台偕友泡溫泉的照片，不禁讓人暖上心頭。偌大的浴池裡漂著玫瑰花辦，花小錢就有如此高貴的享受，大概也只有台灣才會這麼方便。
Everyday, before I start working, it’s a routine to check my mailboxes, visit some friends’ sites, browse through some favorite sites, and review some photos in my computer. Looking at the gray sky outside the window and then the heavy sweater that I normally use in winter, the viewing of the photos that were taken during a trip for hot thermal spring with friends in the springtime warms my heart. Spending a little money for luxurious enjoyment, you’d have a big bathtub with rose petals afloat. It is in Taiwan that you’d find such convenience with little cost and short distance.

也許，年底回台，再來一次這樣的溫泉之旅，想著想著，身子也跟著暖了起來…
Maybe, when I go back to Taiwan at the end of the year, I’ll try to go for another trip like that. Just the thought of it warms me up…

Something about my life in Italy – Coffee

my "caffettiera napoletana"


日上三竿，從廚房裡飄來了咖啡香，碗公大的咖啡杯裝著滿滿的卡布奇諾，配上剛出爐的可頌麵包與餅乾，看著家裡的寶貝貓在窗台上曬太陽打滾，我的一天，就在咖啡香和奶香中開始。家中最受我所青睞的咖啡壺，並不是一般台灣人所熟知的濃縮咖啡機或摩卡壺，而是一種在我搬到義大利以後，無意間在廚房用品店裡看到的拿波里式咖啡壺。這種咖啡壺說穿了就是滴漏式咖啡，不過除了外觀和煮水方式不同以外，它所泡出來的咖啡，也比一般的滴漏式咖啡壺（機）來地濃些。濃縮咖啡無法滿足我的咖啡因需求，而平淡如水的美式咖啡又讓人覺得少了股香氛，早上起床又懶得開瓦斯爐用摩卡壺，取巧如我，也省下拿波里式咖啡壺煮水的方式，直接把電壺裡剛煮開的熱水到進去，一邊等著咖啡一滴一滴地濾入壺中，一邊聞著四處瀰漫的咖啡香，腦子也跟著手上的雜誌慢慢醒來。
Late morning, coffee smell from the kitchen, a big mug of cappuccino with some brioche or cookies, cats stretching under the sun on the windowsill, my day begins with the smell of coffee and milk. The coffee maker I’m using at home is not the moka or espresso machine that most Taiwanese are familiar with. It is a kind of coffee maker that I got to know after I moved to Italy. A “caffettiera napoletana” (Napoli style coffee maker) that I discovered in a tiny shop for kitchen utensils. To put it simple, it makes filter coffee, though the look and the preparation is slightly different. Besides, it makes stronger coffee than normal filter cups or machine. The quantity of espresso can not satisfy my “need” for caffeine, the “water-like” American coffee lacks some nice smell, and I am too lazy to turn on the fire to use moka in the morning. The Napoletana is the easiest way in the morning. Fill up the filter and then pour in boiling water from the kettle, I can read my magazines when I wait for my coffee, my brain starts to wake up along with the coffee smell that gradually fills up the whole kitchen.

義大利的咖啡，是早餐，是短暫的休息，也是餐後消化的好幫手。上班期間的小憩，逛街時的歇息，可以是休息室或吧裡一杯杯的濃縮咖啡。走進人來人往的咖啡店裡，向服務生點杯咖啡，站在吧台旁，看著服務生以幾近音樂性的手法，敲掉已經煮過的咖啡渣、放入新鮮磨好的咖啡粉、裝入咖啡機，不到兩分鐘，香濃的咖啡就在眼前。義大利人在吧裡喝咖啡，往往是五分鐘的事情，倘若問他們為什麼，則免不了惹來一陣訕笑，「喝這麼一杯小小的咖啡要多少時間？」是的，喝一杯濃縮咖啡要不了多少時間，價格也的確平價到令來自台灣的我感到訝異（一杯普通的濃縮咖啡大約是0.8歐元，卡普奇諾則在1.2歐元之譜），咖啡果然是義大利的國民飲料。
Coffee in Italy can be breakfast, short break in the day, and helper for digestion after meal. A break from work or some rest during shopping can be espresso in the resting area or in the bar. It is always busy in the bar. One walks in the bar, orders the coffee, stands beside and waits. It is almost “musical” the way the bartender prepares the coffee. Within minutes, a nice espresso is ready. The culture of drinking coffee in Italy is different than that in Taiwan. Drinking a cup of espresso is something within minutes, and it’s not something or some place that you can spend the whole afternoon. It doesn’t take much time for a cup of coffee, and the price is “amazingly” cheap for those who do not live in Italy. An espresso is about 0.8 euro while a cappuccino is about 1.2 euro. No wonder coffee is the “national drink” in Italy.

義大利人喝咖啡的花樣，也是多到令人咋舌。除了濃縮咖啡（espresso）、雙份濃縮咖啡（double espresso）、卡普奇諾（cappuccino）以外，還有著各式各樣的變化，加上一匙奶泡的馬其朵（macchiato）、放上一坨發泡鮮奶油的康保藍（con panna）、近幾年來時興的美式咖啡（americano或lungo）、或是摻入烈酒的克雷多（corretto）等，都是義大利人喝咖啡的名堂。其中，克雷多這種喝法，我還真是到了義鄉以後才首次嘗試。可以加在咖啡裡的烈酒種類繁多，也讓克雷多成了千面女郎，有著各種迷人的風貌，而最受我所喜愛者，非加入餐後酒渣釀白蘭地者莫屬，風味濃烈而直接的酒香配上威尼斯老咖啡店特選烘培、口感溫順的咖啡，在酒足飯飽之際，可謂一大享受。
There are many ways Italians consume coffee. Apart from espresso, double espresso and cappuccino, there are some other variations like “macchiato” with a bit milk foam, “con panna” with whipped cream, “americano” or “lungo” with more water, and “corretto” with a drop of liquor. I only got to know “corretto” after I came to Italy. There are many different kinds of liquor that can be added into espresso, and it creates the charming variations of it. I especially like to have it with a drop of grappa. It’s such an enjoyment to have an espresso that is prepared by my favorite coffee from Venice with a drop of prestigious grappa after meal.

義大利人對咖啡，有著濃到化不開的情感，咖啡，伴隨著義大利人的腳步，也融入我義鄉生活的每一日。
Coffee can not be separated from Italian life. It gradually “melts” into my life in Italy along with Italians.

本文原載於中文雜誌《雅砌ARCH》2004年九月號

About Tattoo with Chinese Characters

剛剛看完一篇有關外國人在自己身上刺上中國字的文章，藉此疏發一下我對諸如此類的感受。
I’ve just read an article describing the phenomenon that some westerners like to put various tattoos of Chinese characters on their own bodies. That inspires me to put down some thoughts about what I feel and what I’ve seen.

從我搬離台灣以來，在歐洲看到不少「中國風」的東西，其中當然包括外國人喜歡繡在衣服上或刺在身上斗大的中國字或日本字，讓人笑岔了氣的例子，實在不勝列舉，也只能對周圍的朋友諄諄告誡，千萬不要輕易就做出這樣的決定，以免成了笑話而不自覺。
After I moved to Europe, I’ve discovered that “Chinese flavor” is becoming widely diffused, including tattoos of Chinese or Japanese characters that some people like to put on their clothes or their own skin. I’ve seen too many funny examples, and since then I’m always telling my friends not to make such decision before thorough consideration, so they won’t become “jokes” themselves without knowing it.

我向來都有個習慣，走在街上總是會不經意地看看周圍的路人，也因此看到不少有趣的畫面。外國人在身上刺中國字，總是脫不了自己的生肖、名字，或是一些他們覺得很酷的字眼。與人閒聊時做做國民外交，幫人把姓名翻譯成中文，這已經是稀鬆平常的事情，可是到目前為止，還是無法理解為什麼有人喜歡把這些文字刺在身上。
It’s my habit to look around when I walk on the street, and I can always get some fun out of it. The tattoos of Chinese characters are always related to Chinese zodiac, names or some though-to-be cool phrases. I am quite used to receive requests from foreign friends, asking to write down their names in Chinese characters. However, I still cannot understand why some people want to use them as “pictures” for tattoos.

曾經有一次，走在街上時眼睛習慣性地亂瞟，看到一名女子，在臂膀上刺了大大的「雞」字，當時沒有另作聯想，只是覺得有些奇怪，不過今天看了他人大作以後，才猛然驚覺這個字另外隱含的意義，那名女子也許只是很高興地把自己的生肖刺在身上，殊不知中文裡，這個字也可以代表著其他特殊意˙˙˙
One time, I was looking around on the street as I always did. There’s a woman with a big Chinese character of “chicken” on her arm. I didn’t really think too much about it, but just felt a bit strange. It’s not until today when I read the article on another web site that I realized that this character also carries another “special” meaning. That woman was probably putting her own Chinese zodiac as a tattoo, not knowing it can also refer to “prostitute” in the Chinese language.

在我的諄諄告誡之下，許多義籍友人總是會把家裡的掛幅或身旁友人的刺青，拿來向我請教一番。這個夏天，信箱裡就收到一張照片，向我詢問某女腳踝上的刺青是否有誤。打開檔案，差點沒笑岔了氣，原本的「天堂」，不小心在「天」上面突出了那麼一點點，成了「夫堂」，自己在往天堂的路上跌了一跤，硬要解釋，啟不成了男子尋歡做樂的對象？
My Italian friends are always careful after I explained to them about tattoos with Chinese characters. Many of them actually ask me about whatsoever pictures or paintings they have at home, or the tattoos they see with their friends. This summer, I received a picture in my mailbox, asking about the meaning of a tattoo on the foot of a female friend. I opened the file, and then started laughing like crazy. The phrase “paradise” is composed of two Chinese characters. On the very first character, the stroke is not supposed to project out, but it did… The meaning of the phrase totally changed, if I had to give it a meaning. On the road to the heaven, she slipped by accident and was turned to “some place for men to have fun with”?

告誡各位外國朋友，刺青，真的要小心！
To all my foreign friends, you should really be careful if you want to make a tattoo with Chinese characters!