愛在天花蔓延時

(攝於秘魯庫司科 Cusco, Peru, 一行人於Amauta西班牙文學校前集合準備出去玩)

除了中美洲瓜地馬拉的安地瓜(Antigua, Guatemala)，南美洲最適合學習西班牙文的城市據說有三個，厄瓜多的基多，秘魯的庫司科，玻利維亞的蘇魁，本篇提供一些我們的學習經驗供大家參考。

>>厄瓜多的基多（Quito, Ecuador）

厄瓜多的西班牙文發音純正，價格也便宜，但我們在秘魯北部申請厄簽，但因簽證需時過長，我們不想等太久而放棄。

>>秘魯的庫司科（Cusco, Peru）

雖說我很愛吃中華料理，但是出國旅遊總想多嚐嚐當地料理或小吃，很少會想要吃家裡就吃得到的中國菜。

根據南美當地華人說，現在秘魯(Peru)已經有四千多家中華料理餐館，利馬(Lima)的一條大街上從街頭走道街尾不過二十分鐘路程，就有二十多家，平均走一分鐘就有一家，在同樣以米飯為主食之一的秘魯與玻利維亞隨處可見，相當受到歡迎，這是還沒來南美之前始料未及的。

南美當地人統稱中華料理為「Chifa」，也是這裡中國餐館最常用的名字，取自廣東話諧音「食飯」，菜單上常見的有

(taken by Kris, at Mauri's place, Santa Cruz, Bolivia)

「哈尼，你今天有大便臉唷。」漢克說。

小芳聽到的是

“You look like shit today.”

「可不可以不要一早就說大便臉！聽了真的很不舒服！」

給在家中的半百老翁,

長這麼大第一次收到你的來信，感覺十分奇特，請繼續保持，多寫些信來吧。

 
很開心妹妹找到工作了，看看可不可以順便找個好男朋友，希望這次不會做一個月就撐不住了，祝她好運囉！

這個我交代的家庭作業，沒想到老翁大半以描述電影內容帶過，先不論。老翁今年看了一百二十九部電影，為何獨挑小津安二郎的作品？是否暗示你也有和片中男主角同要的遭遇？經營婚姻簡單不花俏卻被老翁太太叫做「悶蛋」？老翁太太是否趁我不在時又偷偷欺負古意的老翁？如果有的話，請跟我說，我們現在有這個版面可以報仇，雖然讀者不多但總是能出心中的一口氣啊！

給在遙遠的玻利維亞的兒子漢克：

         天生勞碌，如能歡喜做，甘願受就好，偏偏做久了偶爾也會有不爽的時候。

 (taken by Hank, at the parade of Virgen de Guadalupe, Sucre, Bolivia)

西班牙文老師：「下個週末有一個叫做處女瓜達陸培的慶典遊行，你一定要留下來參加！」

漢克菜：「處女？遊行？那不是會有很多處女在街上跳舞？太棒了！喔夜！」

想像一下三千個處女在街上跳舞，旁邊圍觀的群眾口水流個不停的景象，哈哈！

(taken by Hank, at Cusco, Peru)

話說在到達秘魯的第三天，一句西班牙文都不會說的狀況下，在車水馬龍的利馬(Lima, Peru)街上攔了一台計程車。

依據經驗，我知道要先問價錢，劈頭就開始喊價。

沒想到…

 (taken at my host family in Cusco, Peru)

不知道是幸運還是可憐，活到這把年紀，除了大學住了半年宿舍，後來搬出去自己住兩年外，我從小到大都住在爸媽台北家中兩坪半大的房間，就連住外面都離家不到三十分鐘的車程，沒事就可以回家吃老媽做的晚餐，偷拿衛生紙、洗髮精、牙膏等日常用品。我從來沒有寄人籬下的經驗，更不用說什麼分租房子、共繳房租。

Café Dos X 3 is a tiny little hole in the wall café in the winding streets of Cusco. It had two tables that held two people each and three diner booths surrounded by orange walls. Inside the only display cabinet were three framed caricatures of some old men. Jazz and classical music played at all times. It felt more like a jazz joint than a café. Right behind the cashier machine was a shelf with hundreds of figurines, from Picachu to tiny elephants, you name it.

The owner always hung his glasses right on the ridge of his nose. I have never seen him wear anything else but a plaid shirt, a wool vest and Levi’s jeans. He had this Italian mob boss look to him and with his white moustache and hair flowing, I was drawn to him. He had the charm of importance, mystery and melancholy. He was tall and smoked cigarettes as if they were the very fixation that was going sustain his breathing. The solemn look on him told me many stories in my head. He probably is not married and if he was, he does not have a close relationship with his family. He did not feel like a man with children. Maybe he was a mafia boss who ran away from Italy to find peace in Peru. I do not know. I did not speak enough Spanish to even ask him how his day was.

For the first few times we were there, the owner did not pay much attention to us until one time; I got my courage together and asked him about a photograph on the wall. He smiled to me for the first time. He then handed us a book on a native photographer from Cusco. (His name was written in a notebook, which is now lost along with some other possessions during a trip in northern Peru.) Hank devoured the book and went from cover to cover at least three times before he was ready to hand it over to me. He was served cappuccino and I, a chocolate caliente. This café had the best hot chocolate ever.

Before we left Cusco, we went back to the café to enjoy our last craving for the orange décor and hot chocolate. We told him that we were leaving and then, I saw him smile for the second time; he handed me a figurine of a condor. I pulled my hands out of my gloves to have it placed in my palm. It was a sweet moment, at least I thought so.

(Taken by Hank, in Sucre, Bolivia )

情侶相處時間久了，到了一定熟稔的程度，就容易出現以下對話：

一天在大街上，陳x芳忽然在人很多的廣場上對我說：

「我有一個狀況」

「什麼狀況？」

  (Taken by Hank, during la fiesta of Virgen de Guadalupe, Sucre, Bolivia)

I thought that it was just going to be another parade.

We stood right outside our hostel which was right on the route of the parade. It wasn't like we had anywhere else to go. Everyone was there and the street corners were blocked off by the police. We were stuck with our front door as our exit.

（圖說：taken by Hank, in Peru）

我總說你退休後喜歡裝忙，沒事搞得自己累得半死，但我知道你是天生勞碌命，疼老婆又娶了一個愛發號施令的老婆，我其實是心疼你日夜操勞。

我知道你不擅言詞，每次我打電話回家跟媽媽聊天，你總會拿起另一支電話偷聽，每當你跟我講電話，總和你跟阿媽講電話的時候一樣，支支吾吾、不知所措，甚至有些侷促，不知如何表達，雖然我們沒有真正聊什麼心事，但我知道你很關心我，也謝謝你支持我的遠行，幫我繳電話費、處理一些在台灣有的沒的的雜事（我知道就算請老媽幫忙她也會請你去做，或許這也是你一直都很忙的原因之一，哈哈！）

 
有關於幻想，想到南美洲，你第一個會想到什麼？

(taken by Kris. in OUR car. hee hee.)

Since we started traveling in South America. Needless to say, we have been exposed to a total different kind of culture. The culture shock comes with the consumption of local food along with physical and mental adaptations to the subject.

Hank and I spend 24 hours together. NO EXCEPTIONS! We spend more time together than we would like but this I suppose is good training for the future (that’s what my dad said anyway). I can’t remember when it was when we started to discuss each other’s bowel movements. These discussions occur at random times and even public places. Since no one here understands Chinese, my darling boyfriend has used it to its fullest advantage.

(taken by Hank. Kris at Mjuz bar, Taipei, Taiwan)

 (接續上篇… 請先閱讀「行前準備兼顧櫃的三個月」)

前情提要：

在二零零七年六月二日，陳小芳駕駛著我的小白送我到機場。原本期待在機場演出一場轟轟烈烈、涕駟縱橫的羅曼蒂克大離別，沒想到check-in完距離（陳小芳堅持是「具」離，可見他的中文程度有多好。）登機時間還有兩個小時，出現了以下的對話：

（圖說：taken by Kris, in Phnon Penh, Cambodia.）

認識菜大爺不久後，他開始介紹他的朋友給我認識。第一次應該是在羅凱文的婚禮，我坐在林貝兒旁邊，她特意繞過我的座位跑去問菜大爺說：「她會說中文嗎？」（我真的看起來這麼像外國人嗎？還是我看起來太凶悍？）後來又陸陸續續地認識了他身邊所有的人，幾乎所有的人都異口同聲的說:「他對女朋友很好。」、「他是個大好人」之類的，好像我會隨時跑掉一樣。

可能是他身邊很久沒有女朋友出現了吧，大家都在替他維護感情。認識漢克媽的時候，她也對我說她兒子脾氣好的很，當下就覺得苗頭不對，好好先生似乎是完美的男朋友，但是對我來說卻是最沒有辦法相處的類型，為什麼這麼說呢？

因為我的水/堅果論。

葡萄：表面潤滑，色澤誘人，果肉甜美，但是中心是顆硬的種子。當朋友最適合，因為你不需要進到最核心處才能享受到她的果實。但沒有人可以真的了解葡萄，因為他自己也不清楚他要的是什麼。

核桃：外表堅硬，醜不拉幾，看似無法進入，但是中心是顆美味的種子，越嚼越香。要當他的朋友要花些時間認識他們。但是只要他們相信你後，沒有秘密的存在，只有分享的快樂。

蘋果：亮眼的他們是最受歡迎的朋友角色，但是這些人有許多顆心。永遠都不缺朋友，但是把朋友分的很清楚，酒友歸酒友，知心的的歸知心的，跟從不一樣的地方認識的，他說的話、做的事都不一樣。(像我大弟倫，帥到不行，聰明但不愛唸書。喜歡玩電腦，愛攪和，但是又有時間發行網路小說。朋友從黑道老大到工程師都有。)

以上為個人意見。請多指教。