It's been awhile

It's been awhile since I last indite (that's a fancy word for write) on this land of yore. The reason, call it procrastination, or reluctance, or simply a genuine form of laziness, I really don't know. I am please to report, that aside from a brief episode of tooth-ache attack (happened last week - 生命中不可承受之痛), life carries on for 窮書生 in it's usually form of genuine happiness in the dew of little things and the occasional spur of magnificent boredom.

So, what to report... Ah, the books. I am devouring my collection at a steady pace for the last couple of weeks. Finished 九九's 跌倒的小綠人和八花九裂, the first book been a colletion of essays and short stories written when the author was at the tender age of 21. The quality of the prose is amazing. Moreover, she combines a deft hand at pacing her stories with impeccable timing and a sense of 無可奈何的無聊 that's reminiscent of 村上春樹. It's certainly not constructive reading in the academic sense - but it's a joy to read, and that's all it matters

Besides that, I also finish two books by Bill Bryson, "A Walk in the Woods" recounts the author's journey through the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. The book is dazzled with an assortment of hilarious and unique characters that he met along the way. Bryson, with his acute eyes and an self-deprecating sense of humor, brings out the beauty and fragileness of this trail, and gave due to it's fascinating history. This is my second time reading the book, and it reaffirms my intent that one day, when I am ready, perhaps with a companion by my side, I too would like to walk the trail.

And then there's "Mother Tongue", Bryson's witty look at the evolution of the English language, (recommended for Anny, with her interest in linguistics), John Battelle's "The Search", a book about Google, the search industry, and the world they reshaped. 朱少麟的傷心咖啡店, 陳舜臣的諸葛孔明, 夢枕貘的沙門空海,聖嚴法師的禪學入門,張愛玲的赤地之戀.....The list goes on, but one thing is certain:
.....
Jack Sparrow: [looking at all the swords] Who makes all these?
Will Turner: I do. And I practice with them three hours a day.
Jack Sparrow: You need to find yourself a girl mate. Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one, and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch are you?
.....

To conclude today's adventure, let's enjoy a poem together. This poem was written anonymously during the Han dynasty. not to be confused with another lyrical poem of the same title, written by 司馬相如 to 卓文君. 中國文人從古至今一直有一種"吃不到的西瓜最甜"的心理情節，從"所謂伊人,在水一方”到"眾裡循他千百度"表現的都是那苦苦追求，觸手不可及的距離美。對月亮的愛戀亦是如此：

鳳求鳳　　　漢　佚名

有美人兮，	見之不忘，
一日不見兮，	思之如狂。
鳳飛遨翔兮，	四海求凰，
無奈佳人兮，	不在東牆。
將琴代語兮，	聊寫衷腸，
願言配德兮，	攜手相將。
何時見許兮，	慰我徬徨，
不得于飛兮，	使我淪亡，
使我淪亡。