BMB

我的水上日子 (四)  古堡琴师   /  里斯本


周日下午散步回家, 打开电视一个个频道随意地浏览.  忽然发现画面上有我熟悉的那座山上高大的十字雕像, 和与山相连, 曾经在其下方穿越了许多次的跨海大桥… 我的记忆一下子把我拉回到那无忧无虑的地中海, 拉回到那阳光明媚的葡萄牙, 拉回到我所钟爱的布根维亚(BOUGAINVILLEA 一种热带绛红叶子花种)和捷克林达(JACQUELINEDA一种春夏开紫色花串的树木)四处烂漫的六月的里斯本.  几天来一直在试着追忆泰国的点滴思绪全都散得一干二净了.  我索性拿出了在圣乔治堡购得的十分珍爱的CD. 伴着悠扬温柔的琴声, 写下那天的回忆.  

已经不是第一次来里斯本了, 也不是第一次强迫自己早上少睡一小时, (这对我来说可是天大的牺牲啊!) 爬起来去外甲板看旭日初升下妩媚的里斯本城, 和守在港口外,迎接每一条入港船只的古老的歌特式BELEM TOWER, 随游轮的漫漫驶入而渐渐地映入眼帘.  每一次到达里斯本, 都会让我愉快, 让我兴奋, 就如同去约会一个你永远也看她不厌, 尝她不够的独具异国风韵的情人.

里斯本是由七座高地和其间的低地组成的现今拥有七十万人口的古都.  每次船到港, 都会有地勤人员按排的SHUTTLE BUS 把散客从码头接到市区最繁忙的BAIXA.  那里有精心设计的铺满黑白两色马赛克砖的美丽街道, 有一间间设在古老建筑之内的高雅大气的店铺和各俱特色的大小露天CAFÉ.    但是只要没有安排带团去别的什么地方, 我都会一个人跑去坐TRAMWAY 28路, 从市中心的大教堂SE起, 沿ALFAMA 那些神秘狭窄多弯的小街上山, 去圣乔治堡.(CASTELO DE SAO JORGE)

那是一座位于高地上的中世纪古堡.  曾一度是葡萄牙国王的行宫.  十八世纪中叶部分毁于大地震, 二十世纪三十年代被重建, 不仅保留了它古朴的中世纪风格, 还加入了多处花园, 从此成为里斯本著名的公共休闲场所之一.  

在西欧大陆和地中海沿岸, 我已经参观了不下二十个古堡了.  觉得每一个都很美, 每一个都各有千秋.  但每一个就只是一个古堡, 时间一久, 对它们的记忆就开始变得凌乱,模糊,混淆.  唯有圣乔治堡宁静的安详的停留在我心里它原来的位置上, 一丝不动, 一尘不染…

那天是我第一次去那里.  从28 路有轨电车下来,按地图又努力地上爬了许多石阶, 左弯右转,才到了城堡那古树环抱, 宽敞幽静的观望台.  这里沿城墙放置着几台古炮和许多供游人休闲的墨绿色铁桌椅.  四周游人不多, 从某个角落里传来涓涓的流水声.我挑了张椅子坐下, 将双腿搁在古堡低矮的墙沿上, 尽情俯瞰全城参差比邻大大小小的老建筑和它们别具一格的红瓦屋顶, 老教堂钟楼高耸突出的各式塔尖, 零星散落在城市里的几片开阔广场, 喷泉, 和看来小得蚂蚁似的塑像; 近处山上人家后阳台晒出的衣物和种在陶盆里的花草, 小桔子树; 远处港口码头上泊着的三两条游轮; 再远处海面上抛锚待港的货运远洋轮…

我这样坐了很久, 一阵微风袭来, 偶似听到了优美的琴声, 却又不敢确信, 以为是自己的虚幻, 便又屏息倾听, 果然真是琴声, 宛如仙乐无意间泻入了这一方宁静.  我起身随琴声慢慢寻去, 经过了一 座旱桥, 进入了一扇高大的石门.  石门里面又是一方大树如荫的院子, 四周是严实高耸的石砌城墙, 人可以沿陡峭狭窄的石阶爬上城墙, 登上烽火台辽望.  在院子中央的大石板上, 坐着一位中年男子, 正专心弹着他的吉他.  他座位旁的扩音器将浪漫舒展的琴声不紧不慢地传到了院子和城墙上的每一角落.  院子里除了我, 只有一位老人带着一个2,3岁的孩子在树下玩.  我在离琴手10多米远的一块石板上坐下, 背靠着坚实古旧, 被太阳晒暖了的城墙, 解下马尾辫, 仰起头, 合上眼, 任微风和蔼轻柔地吹乱我额前的发, 让日光温暖亲切地沐浴我周身, 任自己的思绪散漫自由的飞扬…

差不多十来分钟后, 琴声止了.  我睁开眼, 看那琴师放下吉他, 起身点了支烟.  我看了看表, 也是该返船值班的时候了.  离开之前, 我走去琴师那边, 买下了他放在琴架上出售的自己的CD, 告诉他,他的音乐和这古堡的氛围是那样的和谐, 融为一体, 感谢他能让我有如此平和,安静,满足,愉悦的体验.  他灿烂地笑了, 双眸闪着光, 说不管人多人少, 这里是他唯一会来弹琴的地方.  我们相互握手, 相互祝福, 相互道别.  

可爱的里斯本, 可爱的圣乔治堡, 有人赋予你音乐, 在我记忆中,  把你变得如此出众特别!

BMB

My cofi starts in two weeks. Not till then can I tell you how does it taste.  Gonna be in level 5, but I am still struggling with 'conjugaison'and lots of vocabularies.

To me, you English is very good. No need to pick up another one if you will not use it at all.  But I want to stay in the service business, to be able to communicate with people is vital.

But you know what, I feel like I am starting to loose my English laaaa   I mix French words in English and vice versa, My Canadian girl friend told me my English was terrible, and the French one said I spoke funny French.  :mad:

Mikie

oops, i think i was day dreaming when i wrote you last message....    i actually thought of saying "wolf" for the first choice, but on second thought, since there are a lot of sensitive people around watching, ipicked my second option...     

how was quebec cofi?  tasts not bad? what stage are you now? i remember when i learnd my english, there was a period of time i could ask questions in english and people could understand me, i was very proud, but then when they answered me, i had no clue what they were talking about!!! so i shut up..     

learning language is really not easy,  i guess that's why i haven't picked up french yet....like you said, enough!!

btw, i told you i haven't figured out yet what i want.... i am still trying...i am trying my best to enjoy life in montreal,  we are so much blessed by whatever, or whoever to be here in this city...we should be thankful....     

BMB

Ahhhh Mikie, you are lovely!   You know what? If I could, I would be a wild dog, (agenda not decided yet)in the first place, and a monkey the next. seriously  :p How coincident this could be!
But did I ever asked you what you would if you could at all??? Well I don't mind if you have the intention to tell. I remember what my question was 'what do you want?' in terms of all aspects.  'wishes' belongs to another topic.

What I am doing?
I am doing French  
Cofi will be served in July for two months only and then I'll find myself a decent job (HOPEFULLY  ).Would really like to be in the tourism business still.  But definetly no more schooling. I had that enough!

I blame summer for delaying my new episode coz there are just too much to do, to see, to go, to check out, to have fun. The city is vivid...and you know!   ;) Actually the article was written but not yet typed in. The ship has not sunk yet but in dry dock.  ;)   :p   

Mikie

hi bmb,
is there a voice inside me? i can hear it..   , but you are right, i am seeking this voice in me now, too bad, i just can't get settle down and be peaceful inside.   :p    :p . i am planning to doing something this summer.... and hope it will get me what i want.   

you ask me what i want to be if i could.... is monkey one of the choices???   :confused:    :p just kidding, but i don't quiet know what you are referring to....in terms of career? personality? sex? physical merits? or choice of parents.....    you got to be careful for what you wish for also....

so what are you doing now in montreal? do you still want to do your old job? or i guess you need a recharge....and try something new? like writing memoir on your days on the water.. hey, what happend to your new episodes? did the ship sink? then why did you stop....don't tell me you were the screen writer for cast away....   

BMB

You are smart, you have a fair and open mind.  That's what I learnt from your posts.  So I think, 'I think'    you are getting closer to the voice inside yourself.  As you knew, I am not a fortune teller or a philosopher who is able to point out paths to other people    :p You gonna find it out yourself   ;)
PEACEFULNESS in both mind and heart is all that I am after. For you it could be something else, what do you really want Mikie?   :rolleyes:   

Talking about hotels, it kills if I work for more than two or three years in the same one, but one thing can make me stay, coz I really like to communicate with people, to smile and serve, to make them happy so as to make me happy.  I found myself really suitable for being in the hospitality industry.  I can deal with all sorts of guys, nasty, rude, violent, drunk...of course the nice, polite,gentle ones as well.  Come to me, I'll show you the MONEY!  

Mikie

three years on the water......i told you don't tell me that...  :mad:   :p  i didn't expect you to go through "boot camp", how did you survive that  :confused: , and it didn't crew up your imaginative mind.....boy, you are STRONG   .  i almost went to work with a hotel when i was in high school, actually twice in my life, i almost ended up in the hospitality industry.  i still think today, if i did that, i would have done pretty good.  now when i walk into a hotel, that thought alway flashes through my mind, but i don't know if i would do it for life.... now i will never have the chance to know...   

i am curious, how do you know my turn is coming? judging from what? maybe you can point out a path for me, i am still as confused as what i was before.... show me the "money"   .  i've had two people played very important role in my life....funny enough, they are not the people closest to me... but somehow what they said changed my life....maybe i meet another one here....    just kidding, but seriously, tell me.... since you don't know me....  

BMB

Three years on waters plus the three years before that in a place which is a combination of army and 'fascistic concentration camp' called Swiss Hotel Management School.  
(hope my ex-dean won't sue me!)  :p
I am very proud to be one of the small amount of survivers from there.

Judge from your posts, your turn is coming soon, or maybe, you have a higher level of expectation ?  ;)

Mikie

can you tell me how long it takes to go through this path?  i haven't figure it out yet.  :confused:   :confused:   :confused: . yeah.....don't tell me three years on the water.......          i know my turn will come. just don't know when. but i am getting ready... at least trying to... that is...     

BMB

Yeah yeah I know you meant my other posts   I also agree with you that to simplify life is already philosophical, but if eventually one day, you find out who you are and what you want, you must have been thru some philosophical paths already.  If it does you good, then why not profit it?  

I won't put those heavy thoughts in the articles, I have done my thinkings, I don't think too much now, good for me hey?  ;)