我在匈牙利探訪住在Matra 山區 (Matra是匈牙利現時境內最高的山脈) 的朋友時, 朋友帶我到郊外看昆蟲和植物。途中, 我們遇上一些當地人, 我看見他們, 我都笑著跟他們說 “Hallo” 這個世界通行的招呼語, 他們看見我這 “少數族類” (中國人居住在布達佩斯等匈牙利大城市的不少, 但在Matra 山區, 匈牙利人卻很難得會遇上一個亞洲人, 更何況是中國人), 也會說 “Hallo” 回應。 最難忘的是一位婦人跟我說完 “Hallo” 後, 再掉頭走到我跟前, 把她手上採摘得來的花朵遞給我。對她這突然而來的禮物, 我感到萬分驚喜, 接過她的花朵, 我連聲向她說 “Thank you”。這是我收過最美麗的花朵。
回到香港, 需要經常進出冷漠的高樓大廈、穿插在繁忙的街道上。我分外懷念英國的日子、你爽朗的笑聲、你我一起踏過的青草地 (見另文)。
你離開我之前寫給我和另一位朋友的電郵 (見下), 我再三細讀, 對你的文學修養和優美的辭語, 我佩服不已, 對你給我的高度讚賞, 我愧不敢當。
你離開當晚是凌晨兩點, 我原以為你會給我 “優惠” - 免我在天寒地凍的晚上給你送行, 那晚上你來電問我甚麼時間出門向你送行, 並且叫我不用擔心回程的安全問題, 因為屆時還會有其他送別的朋友跟我一起回來, 這時我才了解到你之前多次叫我跟你送行是認真的, 原來你是多麼看重我這位朋友。
電郵摘錄:
Please read after 1.50 am! (此乃電郵標題, 原意要我在送別後才閱讀, 但我天生好奇, 又沒有耐性, 當然在收到後就立刻閱讀了)
Dear [另一朋友的名字, 已略去] and Nora,
Fare thee well!!! We will be separated by this vast sea of distance henceforth but neither heat nor frost nor thunder nor the darkest cloud of Norwich can take away our friendship and love. Geographically closer by birth but fate brought us all to flat land of Norwich to be friends and know each other.
To [另一朋友的名字, 已略去] :
[內容已略]
To Nora:
{It was in 3rd week of September 2006, I saw one lady near the Security Lodge of UEA, with a kind look, seemingly stressed and lost in thought (later I realized that she was so unhappy with her Norfolk Terrace residence) walking very fast. Couple of days later, I was one among the 50-odd would-be-post-graduate students in law, seated in the Earlham Hall Lecture Theatre when this same lady walked in little late (as it turned out subsequently she seldom made it to the class on time), surveyed the room, futively glared at every face and finally settled down beside me. She later on introduced herself as “Nora Tam, from Hong Kong” and she went on to become my best friend during Norwich Law School days.}
So My Dearest Nora, (my last woman standing in UEA, haha), I cannot imagine my life without you in UEA. You practically become my mentor, advisor/lawyer, para-legal, personal secretary and so on to keep me going and you rescued me from the shell of my stupidity at times. I would have missed quite a bit of Law School activities had you not been around. Indeed such specie of friend is hard to come by in life. Your presence around me gave warmth and comfort, joy and cheer, love and affection, assurance and confidence. I owe you a lot. I enjoyed every moment of your company, be it: walking along the green, grassy grounds; sipping beer in the noisy pubs of Norwich; having lunch in the fulfilling Chinese restaurant (thanks to you. I realized that there are thousands of restaurants in Norwich); grabbing some ice-creams in the café; shopping in the Morrison; window-shopping in the City Centre; to partying in the Earlham Hall. I genuinely used to miss you so much when you were away. In fact, I still and will carry this patch of regret for not traveling with you and missing the beautiful places. Every moment of our togetherness is a stamp of mark to cherish the bygone memories and bring smiles when relived. I am deeply moved and touched by your love and care showered on me during my stay in UEA. You gave me force and energy to drive ahead my life in UEA. Conventionally it is believed that behind every successful man there is always a woman but in this case, even behind the stupid man like me, there is an intelligent and nice woman like you who practically chartered the course of my life in UEA. I am running out of words to express my sincere gratitude and thanks. It is hard to gauge the degree of generosity shown to me in time, space and money and you even compromised some of things in the process for me. During my last phase of UEA life, I practically dragged you almost every day to Union bar; many apologies for that. From this moment on, be assured that I will leave you in peace as far as bar is concerned.
Of course you used to get satisfaction by beating me in academic score as well as physical jogging. Didn’t you? (Just a joke). I would really mind if you did not turn up when I get my LLD from Cambridge. Remember that promise! (haha).
I wish you a very successful career in life.
To both of you:
Shakespeare said that ‘life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’ but I think our moments of togetherness have always brought smiles and joy not taught by Professors. I have very few friends in UEA and fewer so close like two of you and how blessed I am- with two angels around.
We certainly will meet again at one point of time in future. If you visit my part of the mountain-terrain, please drop me a message. I will be so pleased to receive you. But remember that ‘poor’ man from ‘poor country’ can extend only love and friendship and I might fail you in giving ‘comforts’. So you have to keep your expectation low in that regard.
So I bid farewell to both of you with tearful eyes, slurred speech and heavy heart. Now it is quite late night and if angels are sleeping, they certainly will weep in their dreams to see me leave you behind the wilderness of uncertain future stored in for us. Believe me I have never cried before while parting but with you two, it pains me to break away the inexplicable eternal-bonding that runs through bottom of my heart like a golden thread. Ahhh! I pray stars to hide their fires to cover my tears. Shakespeare also would have said ‘if we meet again, we will smile; otherwise this parting is well made’. But I would say ‘if we meet again we will relive our togetherness of UEA days, otherwise also, we will cherish our friendship’.
With tons of love. To be with you is to carry wonderful memories
我之前從沒有在中環上班﹐有的只是偶然到那裡開會。現在我卻在中環工作。
香港的中環是甲級寫字樓的集中地﹐是香港的金融中心地帶﹐各銀行總部、跨國公司的總部都設在中環。辦公室設於中環是一種身份﹐代表有能力負擔那裡的昂貴租金。
中環心臟地帶的甲級寫字樓都由行人天橋貫通﹐寫字樓的地面幾層佈滿名牌商店。穿梭裡面的人都衣著光鮮﹐打扮斯文。在冰冷的商場通道, 他們一群一群的在我身邊擦過﹐名牌店舖高傲地豎立兩旁。我走在當中, 彷彿這一切都不真實﹐虛徒外表﹐缺乏內涵。我感覺格格不入﹐我不屬於那裡, 我需要溫暖的地方。
中環面積很小﹐但在那裡上班的人卻很多。於是在上班時份﹐你會發現人潮從四面八方湧向中環﹐然後在午膳期間﹐街道上人頭湧湧﹐一眼望去﹐你會感覺人潮在街道上流動。很是可怕。人在當中﹐失去了自我。
不少少女希望在中環上班﹐出入高級寫字樓﹐樂於被稱為中環的“白領儷人”, 彷彿是一種身份。除了打扮花枝招展之外 , 我卻看不到她們有甚麼特別的地方。