2AM.
Time Machine was playing on tv.
But we drove out to the mountains to see the meteors.
Up on the hill above the sea of ocean mist,
wrapped in a blanket lying on top of a car,
and gazing into the sky’s celestial blue,
I counted 43 falling stars.
島上的第二個黃昏，我又見到了綠光。島上十四個日夜，只有這一次無雲的夕陽。
Time mends many things.
Time erases many things.
在時間與記憶的對峙之中，誰是永恒的敗將，而誰又能逆轉這場輸贏？
Dawn had broken when he said: “Sire, now I have told you about all the cities I know.”
“There is still one of which you never speak.”
Marco Polo bowed his head.
“Venice,” the Khan said.
Marco smiled. “What else do you believe I have been talking to you about?”
The emperor did not turn a hair. “And yet I have never heard you mention that name.”
And Polo said: “Every time I describe a city I am saying something about Venice.”
“When I ask you about other cities, I want to hear about them. And about Venice, when I ask you about Venice.”
“To distinguish the other cities’ qualities, I must speak of a first city that remains implicit. For me it is Venice.”
“You should then begin each tale of your travels from the departure, describing Venice as it is, all of it, not omitting anything you remember of it.”
The lake’s surface was barely wrinkled; the copper reflection of the ancient palace of the Sung was shattered into sparkling glints like floating leaves.
“Memory’s images, once they are fixed in words, are erased,” Polo said. “Perhaps I am afraid of losing Venice all at once, if I speak of it. Or perhaps, speaking of other cities, I have already lost it, little by little.”
- Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities, Trans. William Weaver
人生有時候就像黑暗的屋宇，命運就像從花窗外射進來的光線，從右走到左，從黎明走到黑夜。房間內璀璨與否不僅取決於內部的基調與色彩，更常常取決於命運如何光顧，取決於這窗外的光線是屬冬，屬夏，屬陰，屬晴，有否烏雲蔽日，風雨蕭條。
願陽光盡量普照吧。如果外面雷電交集，那房間裡也盡量燈燭輝煌吧。
【汶川地震 2008 年 5 月 12 日 14 點 28 時 04 秒】
從圖書館借來的書，偶爾翻著翻著便掉下來前任閱者遺漏下的紙片。現在出借只需掃描條碼由電腦在發票上打印還書日誌，無需再用手工給扉頁的卡片蓋章，教人少了個閱讀以外的小小樂趣：從扉頁的卡片上讀這本書被借閱的歷史，就如去舊書攤翻淘舊書，於紙張、文字之外，得窺這一冊書有別於他者而存在的個體性，所謂 personality. 有時看到一本書上次被打卯已經是數十年前，那時刻，總有一種被人遺忘過又被人重新想起的感慨。
The two moments, instead of being separated by decades, belong to the same hour of the same season.
前次從書頁裡翻到一張購物清單：『一斤蝦，通心粉，番茄，兩隻燈籠椒，運動飲料……』。看到別人私生活的一個片刻，隱約有點偷窺後的自責。有時候在超市排隊等待付款，會忍不住打量別人購物車裡面的細節：這個人家裏有嬰兒，那個人是懶怠做飯嗎所以只吃罐頭和冷凍餐，左邊這個大概快要開派對，右邊那個在瘦身……然後再反觀自己的購物車，看看從中能推算出自家的幾分真貌。
這次從書頁裡掉落下來的是一張書簽，印著本市一個書店/咖啡館的地址。怎麼沒見過？到網絡黃頁上查，才知道這間店至少七年前就已經關張。惋惜之餘，也想到在本市經營獨立書店的舉步維艱，關門的境遇其實並不出意料之外。書簽印得恭儉溫良，還書的時候忍不住收留下。
在這裡，一個獨立書店的前生——
EARTHLING BOOKSHOP & CAFE
1137 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 965-0926
BOOKSTORE HOURS
9:00 A.M. - 11:00 P.M. SUN. TO THURS.
9:00 A.M. - MIDNIGHT FRI. & SAT.
CAFE HOURS
OPENS 7:30 A.M. WEEKDAYS
EVENTS
• AUTHOR APPEARANCES:
Sundays at 3 p.m.
• WRITERS UNLIMITED:
With open readings.
Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
• FILM CLUB:
Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
• TRAVEL SLIDES:
Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.
• OPERA NIGHT & MORE
Thursdays at 7 p.m.
• CHILDREN’S STORY HOUR
Saturdays at 11 a.m.
SALES
• New York Times Bestsellers at 30% off.
• Selected Hardcovers and Art Books up to 80% off.
04.12.2008 - 04.16.2008
週末晴空萬里，氣溫驟升，仿若夏日降臨，與可以恣意暢談的朋友，在浪花碎處的細沙上長久的漫步，想來是多年不曾有過的快樂。
近一個月各類事件頻頻發生，加之前一通與母親的電話中討論時政引發的爭端，陡然拓展（或說，扭轉）我目前的閱讀空間和興趣取向。人到了一定年紀，心思漸次由對自身的關注轉向對世界的關注。世界是什麼？世界包括我周圍的人（我認識的、我知道的、我將要認識的、以及我將要忘記的人）；我生存的環境(自然，文化，藝術，語言，理念，信仰，科學，未來)；我所處的社會與國家機制，我關心的人所處的社會與國家機制……還有更多。
從前寫過的話，雖然有許多以現下的心智看了只會訕笑，但當時有曾這樣想過、這樣寫過，就有於此存在的權利，是所謂尊重歷史。也不能保證日後不會重又突如其來的發些瑣碎的感言，人，大概總免不了一時血氣上涌情感取勝於理智。
思緒紛繁蕪雜，寫作實為極好的爬梳。書寫中形成認識、鋪展認識、質疑與反思，慢慢成為當下內心的側重。
偶然查成語時，看到【想入非非】條。非非，原為『非想非非想處天』的省略。
復次阿難當知。識所住處有其七種。非識住處有其二種。七識住處者。所謂若有色有眾生。種種身種種想。是為第一識所住處。若有色有眾生。種種身一想。所謂初禪天。此為第二識所住處。若有色有眾生。一身種種想。所謂二禪天。是為第三識所住處。若有色有眾生。一身一想。所謂三禪天。是為第四識所住處。若無色無眾生。彼一切處離諸色想。都一虛空。所謂空無邊處天。是為第五識所住處。若無色無眾生。彼一切處離於空想。都惟一識。所謂識無邊處天。是為第六識所住處。若無色無眾生。彼一切處離識無邊。都無所有。所謂無所有處天。是為第七識所住處。阿難。二種非識住處者。所謂若有色有眾生。即無想天。是為第一非識住處。若無色無眾生。於彼一切離無所有處。非有想非無想。即非想非非想處天。是為第二非識住處
- 大藏經 ∙ 阿含部上 ∙ 大生義經
【那個坐在我左邊的人】
蕩蕩的人力車踩遍了鄉野的路。你探身向前，把臉埋在十指間。你的目光梳過柏油路的紋理，那些猶如低飛的燕拂過平坦的湖面時候的粼粼的光。
——你在做什麼？
——我在努力記住這一刻。
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man: Spider Monkey (Out of Season)
Time is but a memory
The bitter note unsung
Running
Tryin’ to find salvation
From the sorrow that is doneFor the life of me
Will the sorrow rise
For this under
Underlies all i seeFor time is but a memory
Beautiful for some
Feathered like a majorette
In a rose unsaid and doneMoments
Like a rainbow coloured sky
How they come and go
They come and go but whyFor unknown
Is our fortune
And our fortune won’t let goAnd our faith it will die with the sun
It will lie
Underneath
All will seeFor time is but a memory
Beautiful for some
Feathered like a majorette
In a rose unsaid and done
But it’s all
All for our future
And our future won’t let go
