虹在天涯 在寂寞行星的浪跡

Part I: Galapagos Bar and Art Space, Brooklyn, New York City, USA. December 2003

這是一年多前去 南美洲 厄瓜多 旅遊時的英文遊記。可惜那時中文打字打得很慢，所以遊記只用英文寫。那時仍住在紐約，所以整篇遊記是由 布魯克林的一間名為 『加拉巴哥』(正好與厄瓜多外海的那個群島同名) 的夜店開始的‧‧‧

I looked at the dark reflecting pool, moodily lit with floating and wall candles. The whole bar space is relatively dark and the interior decoration minimal. I could not associate anything of this place with its namesake, the Ecuadorian islands 1000 kilometers from South American mainland.

Though occasionally, I had some false expectation that there might be a giant Galapagos tortoise surfacing out of the pool.

Outside, it was an extremely cold night. Too cold and windy for an early December night, maybe. Thus, it was great that we could hide indoors for a while. It is always good that we can find a hiding place from the noisy and disturbing life of New York.

By the end of 2003, it would be a one full year since I moved back to New York City, from that warm, friendly, yet quite boring Atlanta.

Of course, for me, the Year ‘03’ will be remembered as a year I hold 3 jobs, earning more money than any other year in my life, and by the end of the year, finally having 3 new research papers accepted for publication (after altogether had 8 rejections).

However, this will also be a year that New York and I failed to find any significant reason (other than some minor ones, mostly food related) to fall in love with each other, yet once again. Even though I like my small (or mini, should I say) pad on Clinton Street, I love my neighborhood of Lower East Side, and I enjoy numerous choices of Broadway shows, concerts, and museums, I start to feel losing passion about a lot of things. Maybe because of the isolation I have had ever since moving to New York. Emotional isolation. So I feel bored again (like this is Atlanta or Baltimore)? In fact, it is nearly impossible for anyone to feel bored about New York. However, not feeling bored is not enough to maintain one’s passion, about life.

Passion? Does that mean I have to travel (one real passion) to another new destination again? Need another escape from New York? Why after so many years moving around, I still haven’t evolved into another type of persons who adapt to adverse environment faster and more painlessly?

Looking onto the reflection pool, I somehow expected that there might be a giant Galapagos tortoise surfacing. A species evolves into its own variety after millions of years’ isolation on that faraway South Pacific islands.

I am my own island here on the isle of Manhattan, New York.

(待續)