跳蚤市场(二)- Turkish Trophies

看样子这个系列会继续下去?今天又去逛周日的跳蚤市场。淘来两张小画。成色好,画得又生动。两张画上都有签名。左边是Hy Mayer右边是H. King.

回到家上网一查分别是 Henry MayerHamilton King. 两人都是二十世纪初住在纽约的插画师。Hamilton King设计过有名的可口可乐女郎 Coca Cola Girl. King的遗孀在插画家协会建了一个Hamilton King Award 从六五年发到今天。我们淘到的这两张都是为当时美国烟草公司Turkish Tropies香烟绘制的广告卡片。大都会收集的这个系列最全。右边H. King这一张叫A Quiet Game. 网上可以找到这个系列的其他作品。比Don Draper还要早一点。网上说Hamilton当时红得发紫,很多不是他画的也被标上他的名字,因为他的名字变成了一个品牌。”Hamilton King Girls” 下面这两套画就很明显画风不同。上面的是Henry Mayer 画的,下面才是Hamilton的。但是现在上网搜,统统都叫Hamilton King Girls.

好奇为什么烟草公司叫Turkish,原来西班牙把在南美发现的烟草带入了欧亚大陆。最早是奥斯曼帝国种出了一个变种烟草。二十世纪初美国一个烟草公司把奥斯曼烟草做成卷烟,所以起了Turkish Trophies这个名字。

 跳蚤市场的收获 – Tomoo Inagaki 稲垣知雄的猫版画

上周一是六月第一个周日.海湾对面的ALAMEDA 每月一次的古董市场开门的日子.我们因为好久没去逛,就拖了小朋友开车过去,结果居然盛况空前,排队进停车场都等了一个小时. 我们因为是中午以前到,大人还需要买十块一张的入场券. (午后就变成五块一张了).小朋友十二岁正好卡在不要钱的小朋友年龄线上.

逛了一圈下来,只给小朋友买了一张日本木版画的猫. 回来查了一下,画作者名字是稲垣知雄. 卖家说他把这一批的全买下来了.但是因为没有签名也没有框,米粥网上查了一下,价钱是$80左右.我们当时是$25成交.

今天是我们家隔壁的跳蚤市场每周一次的开放时间.我们就又晃过去想给这张猫画淘个镜框. 因为画本身的尺寸稍微有点少见,找来找去就找到一个合适的配好了画的框子. 卖家开始要价$30 我们稍微讲了一下价$20成交. 回到家,我们都准备把里面的原画割出来换上猫了.发现画本身有签名,后面还有很正式的鉴证卡片和说明.米粥就又上网搜了一下,发现原画作者是法国人,七十年代去世,这幅画是石版画,当时印了一批275张,我们这张是第244. 后来石板被毁.所以这画居然在网上卖到$455! 从镜框到签名到背后的鉴证卡都跟我们的一模一样.

看来今后的跳蚤市场值得常去! 至少要再给小朋友的猫版画找一个相框啊!

《最后生还者》The Last of Us (HBO)

去年底在纽约客读了这篇Can a video game be prestige TV? 就一直在期待它的上映。虽然我对僵尸设定毫无兴趣。但是凭着Craig Mazin的信任还是开追。结果就是我和小朋友都变成了这个剧的狂热粉。甚至开始研究是不是需要进一个Playstation去玩玩这个游戏。

今天刚放出第三集。出乎意料的好看。Craig Mazin确实是可以信赖的剧作人。第三集尤其好。讲了一个爱情故事。跟切尔诺贝利一样,剧集播出期间还有同步放送的博客。游戏制作者老在暗示接下来Ellie跟Joe之间会有各种背叛,让我很忐忑。继续靠着对Mazin的信任追下去。相信他不会把观众带到沟里去。阿弥陀佛。

听有声书《Babel, or the Necessity of Violence》

非常易“读”,大概三四天时间听完了。最大的亮点是用语言,翻译和各种词汇的辞源来做魔法这根线。从中文古文到拉丁文波斯文到梵语。有趣的跨文化链接让人目不暇给。对我而言最大败笔是简单粗暴的批判殖民危害的布道式的世界观。后者非常有大学新生作文的味道。让我想起电视剧《白莲花度假村》里面类似的观点,但是白莲花至少带些自嘲没有这书作者这么自以为是。这种传教士口气写小说的方式还让我想起1984.

仔细梳理了一下为什么作者对殖民主义的批判这么让我不适。看到有书评里提到作者的反面人物塑造的太单一,只是一味的坏而没有理由。凭这一点就不如Harry Potter。 对殖民地和鸦片战争的描述也给我类似的感觉。也许不单单是作者,很多现在的时事评论也有同样的问题。所有这些让我不适的粗旷的分类好像都起源于这种论调里特意淡化或者避而不谈甚至混淆的被殖民地的政府的作用。用书里大英帝国和清朝中国的例子来解释一下。书中很自然把小说里的坏人和大英帝国的政府连在一起,腐败的政府,贪婪的东印度公司,坏人魔法师辅助帝国扩张并因此暴富。但是说到中国,就只讲人民的苦难,但是避而不谈清政府在制造这些苦难的重大作用,其实清政府和大英帝国的政府有本质区别吗?当然更不会去谈受苦的人民大部分在面对“境外势力”无论是大英帝国的政府势力还是像书中主角这种二鬼子都跟愿意维持继续受苦的民意。

书的标题把重点放在暴力的必需性这一点也是不停的让我想起法国大革命和文化大革命。主角那种想毁掉一切的意愿跟毛用来煽动红卫兵的措辞是一模一样的。

我想这也是为什么R F Kuang的小说被归到young adult这一类别的原因。简单的非黑即白的世界观跟The Hunger Game是同道。

坏话说完了,可以讲我爱的书中的高光。各种语言词汇的渊源。一个字就是一部历史,或者人类发展史。。。太有趣了。

“Nice comes from the Latin word for “stupid”,’ said Griffin. ‘We do not want to be nice.” Nice comes to us by way of the Old French nice (‘weak, clumsy, silly’), from the Latin nescius (‘ignorant, not knowing’).

“The English made regular use of only two flavours – salty and not salty – and did not seem to recognize any of the others. For a country that profited so well from trading in spices, its citizens were violently averse to actually using them; in all his time in Hampstead, he never tasted a dish that could be properly described as ‘seasoned’, let alone ‘spicy’.”

“Tabby cats were named after a striped silk that was in turn named for its place of origin: a quarter of Baghdad named al-‘Attābiyya.”

“New words in English were a game to him, for in understanding the word he always came to understand something about English history or culture itself. He delighted when common words were, unexpectedly, formed from other words he knew. Hussy was a compound of house and wife. Holiday was a compound of holy and day. Bedlam came, implausibly, from Bethlehem. Goodbye was, incredibly, a shortened version of God be with you.”

Language was always the companion of empire, and as such, together they begin, grow, and flourish. And later, together, they fall.

The phrase tantú (坦途)literally meant ‘a flat road’, metaphorically, a ‘a tranquil life’. This is what he wanted: a smooth, even path to a future with no surprises. The only obstacle, of course, was his conscience.

The Persian word farang, which was used to refer to Europeans, appeared to be a cognate of the English foreign. But farang actually arose from a reference to the Franks, and morphed to encompass Western Europeans.”

The origins of the word anger were tied closely to physical suffering. Anger was first an ‘affliction’, as meant by the Old Icelandic angr, and then a ‘painful, cruel, narrow’ state, as meant by the Old English enge, which in turn came from the Latin angor, which meant ‘strangling, anguish, distress’. Anger was a chokehold. Anger did not empower you. It sat on your chest; it squeezed your ribs until you felt trapped, suffocated, out of options. Anger simmered, then exploded. Anger was constriction, and the consequent rage a desperate attempt to breathe.”

It doesn’t translate well into English. It means “whereabouts”. A place where one feels like home, where they feel like themselves. She wrote out the kanji characters for him in the air – 居場所 – and he recognised their Chinese equivalents. The character for a residence. The characters for a place.

第五季:《使女的故事》,《王冠》

最近新出的我很喜欢的两个剧集居然都是第五季。

《使女的故事》大结局第十集十分动人。很同意剧作人的说法“the most romantic season for Nick and June, even though they were physically far apart.” 有《英伦病人》的感觉。两个人花了整整一季来说服自己对方不再需要自己。可以各回各家,分道扬镳了。Nick “was trying on the Gilead shoes.” Nick相信Lawrence的说辞要把Gilead改好。他也认为在多伦多June是安全的。但是最后知道Gilead开始暗杀June而且几乎得手,他放弃了一切换来在她依然昏迷时看看她。最后在桥上和Mark Tuello的对话让我泪目。

Nick: I will keep my end of the deal. You just keep her safe.
Mark:I will do everything I can.
Nick: That’s not good enough. Gilead wants her to suffer, they will keep coming for her, then her family. They won’t stop. I need to know you will protect her.

Mark: When you met June, when you were at the Waterford’s. You still held rank in the eyes, didn’t you?
Nick: Yes, most of the drivers work for the eyes.
Mark: That would give you the chance to run. Maybe not Canada. But there were places you could have gone. You could have run away with her.

Nick: [Thoughtful for a bit] She has people who care for her. She doesn’t need me. I’m nothing.
Mark:No, you are not. Commander. Not to her.

另外一段June 对Luke说的话在豆瓣小组变成了“警世恒言”

《王冠》

第五季是从1990到1997。继续学习英国历史。俄国最后的沙皇一家的死居然跟英国皇室的决定有关。这个是我之前从来没听说过的。貌似还是真的。另外BBC和皇室的关系,大雨中查尔斯王子在交付香港的演说,还有埃及商人Fayed和Edward贴身管家Sydney间的故事也都很有意思。

两部剧明年出第六季都是最后一季了。很期待。

说书人的重要性

书-《The Broken Earth》

小桂桂力荐的《The Broken Earth》奇幻小说系列我断断续续听了好几遍。非常喜欢。重听时注意到之前漏掉的一个细节,唤醒 Stone Eater的第一个人造人Kelenli和她的后代创建的就是”lorist”(说书人)这一种”职业”。

最近全世界各种走回头路,发现说书人的存在其实真的很重要。历史的延续全要靠说书人。

书-《The Found and the Lost》

Ursula Le Guin的中篇小说集 《The Found and the Lost》。最近读完了很喜欢。觉得比看过的她的长篇要好不少。选中的小说各种题材,层次丰富,人物多样,设定巧妙。除了Vaster than Empires and More Slow 和The Matter of Seggri 下面三篇也很喜欢。

3。A Woman’s Liberation – 想象了一个实行奴隶制度的星球,以女奴隶为前锋的反抗革命历程。清醒锋利的描述,人物刻画也非常厚重多面。

4。Dragonfly – 地海系列的故事,一如既往的好看。真是喜欢地海这个奇幻世界啊。

5。Paradise Lost – 把Wall-e这个故事重新写了一遍,加入了很多社会和人性的思考。非常有意思。

电影 - Tar

据说blanchett 为了这个电影学了弹钢琴,指挥和德文。全都完美呈现。定制西装穿得超级帅!剧本颇风趣否则会睡着。开幕近二十分钟的访谈讨论古典音乐各种 内行书袋直接把我们家小朋友看睡着了呼噜打得山响😱 后面音乐和情节出来就好多了。

“What do you mean, you’ve never heard of Lydia Tár? Come on, you must know her. She was a protégée of Bernstein’s. She’s the one who conducted orchestras in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and New York before taking charge of the Berlin Philharmonic. She has a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy—the royal flush of accolades. It’s true that she happens to be a fictional character, incarnated by Cate Blanchett in Todd Field’s new movie, “Tár,” but that is a footling detail. This woman is alive, ominously articulate, crisply styled, and all too present. She burns like a cool flame.”- Cate Blanchett Is Imperious and Incandescent in “Tár”

Anthony lane的影评一般情况下跟评的电影关系不大。我主要是看他怎么利用电影来抖聪明。但是偶尔他的影评评的特别到位。这次是后者。看完电影再读这篇觉得评的很合我意。

电视剧 - 使女的故事第五季

The Handmaind’s Tale第五季在Hulu上开播了,每周放一集,上周放到第七集。一如既往的好看和感动。

动漫世界

年初小朋友申请订阅crunchyroll看日本动漫。而且看到好片子会把我按在沙发上,把我的手机电脑都收走逼我跟他一起看,非常不容置疑的安利方式。先后安利给我的两个片子都非常好,让我不由得对小朋友的电影审美钦佩起来。

《狼的孩子雨和雪》Wolf Children

看完去豆瓣上看评论才发现导演细田守是宫崎骏之后日本最被看好的动漫导演。画中的细节,各种静物画一样的空镜头,电影镜头的运用,音乐,和叙事都非常精湛。

看到结尾我和小人都哗啦啦的流眼泪。小朋友说自己第一次看完并没有哭,但是跟我再看一遍就动了感情。他尤其喜欢结尾放演员表时的音乐和配合的这一家子经历的各种定格瞬间以照片形式回放。跟我第一次看是英文配音,不过瘾又把日文原版的放了一遍。等于是我看了两遍他看了三遍。

《奇巧计程车》Odd Taxi

是个有十三集的连续剧动漫。每集二十分钟。叙事手法娴熟,各种致敬好莱坞经典,每集讲述一个都市普通人的故事,但是彼此之间有着各种明暗线关联。据说最后是个悬疑片。虽然以东京为背景,但是入木三分的人性是全世界的都市中人都熟悉可以带入。小朋友已经看完,我才看到第四集。很惊艳。豆瓣评分高达9.5!

看电影《康斯坦丁》,读《寻获与失落》

《康斯坦丁》

今天在豆瓣看到《康斯坦丁》要拍续集,贴的基努·里维斯剧照帅的没朋友。我诧异,这部要拍续集的2005年上映的电影我居然都没有听说过。赶紧捞出来看了。哇塞!太好看了。简直就是Matrix的异度空间的双胞胎兄弟啊!服化道都超级讲究,除了演员还在用翻壳手机让人觉得有点年头了。其他都看不出来是将近二十年前的电影。对话情节也很幽默。

偷几张上面连接里的剧照

看完到豆瓣上找了一篇天主教科普影评《适合当天主教扫盲的片》这才圆满了。影评里关于路西法lucifer和米迦勒Michael的圣经故事也很好看。原来天使造过两次反。Michael在伊甸园里诱惑夏娃,Lucifer不肯臣服于耶稣(上帝的人世儿子)揭竿而起。

除了Keanu还有Tilda Swinton演的天使Garbriel还有Peter Stormare演的Lucifer也都相当好看。现在我也可以期待一下续集了。

《寻获与失落》

Ursula K. Le Guin的 “The Found and the Lost”短篇小说集中文版刚出版。也是在豆瓣看到力荐,发现自己没有读过。前两天去旧金山公立图书馆借了英文有声书,刚听了两个半故事,觉得简直太好了。虽然说是短篇但是人物巨多,时间线巨跳,听得糊里糊涂,就去把电子版也借出来,听两耳朵读两页。觉得Ursula K. Le Guin真是女性写作的奶奶,那不勒斯四部曲和Broken Earth Trilogy写到的东西Ursula K. Le Guin很久前就开始写了。。。

第一篇”Vaster than Empires and More Slow” 就被惊艳到。瑰丽而奇异的异世界,优美而精致的深入人性。在豆瓣看到标题来自这首诗

To His Coy Mistress
by Andrew Marvell
Had we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down, and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love’s day.
Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires and more slow;

An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.
But at my back I always hear
Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found;
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long-preserved virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust;
The grave’s a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace.
Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may,
And now, like amorous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour
Than languish in his slow-chapped power.
Let us roll all our strength and all
Our sweetness up into one ball,
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Through the iron gates of life:
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we make him run.

刚看完第四篇”The Matter of Seggri”。 想象一个跟地球相反的女性社会,男性只是用来传种接代或者装饰起来观赏的花瓶(战斗花瓶)。各种让人莞尔的妙句:

the man have all the privilege and the women have all the power.

…that learning was very bad for men: it weakens a man’s sense of honor, makes his muscles flabby, and leaves him impotent..“What goes to the brain takes from the testicles,” she said. “Men have to be sheltered from education for their own good.”

we don’t let the men kill each other, we protect them, they’re our treasures.

this is a terrible place to be a man.

Maybe some day it will be possible for a boy to choose his life. Among your peoples a man’s body does not shape his fate, does it? Maybe some day that will be so here.

Even highly educated, enlightened women have difficulty accepting men as their intellectual equals.

Millbrae 晚餐

今晚又跑去眷湘吃晚饭。餐馆生意非常好,啤酒鸭居然卖完了。米粥同学叫了干锅大肠。超级好吃。我又叫了贡菜炒腊肉,小朋友赏脸跟我们一起吃晚饭,给他叫了蛋炒饭和一个不辣的干锅花菜。

小朋友喜欢这家餐馆因为马路对面有一家亚式甜食店,他们做的日本甜食薄饼比日本城的还好吃,主要是他们的 crepe边缘是脆的。甜食店的窗口摆了一排各种宫崎骏人物和台湾街头小食的街景。

甜在深 Sweet Indulgence

298 Broadway, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States

(closed on Tue)

650-697-2998

疫情过后的餐馆

三年的疫情,经常听到经营不下去的餐馆关门。幸运的很,我们喜欢的餐馆几乎都幸存下来,居然还有疫情期间开张的我们的新宠。

眷湘*Easterly, Millbrea

以前一直抱怨半岛上离旧金山近的地区没有好吃的湘菜。后来留湘在San Mateo开了分店我们去了一阵子,再后来这家眷湘在Millbrae2019年冬天开张,我们第一次去已经是疫情期间,只能外卖。我们就买了好久他们的外卖,几乎每个菜都很好吃。非常辣。米粥同学每次都吃的满头大汗。只能外卖的时候我们经常点他们的口味鱼,大大一盘,当时的小伙子侍者写的一笔好字。今天又去吃,点了啤酒鸭和贡菜炒腊肉都非常好吃。现在的小姐姐侍者还送了我们一个香辣猪耳朵前菜。

左上开始顺时针:凉拌猪耳朵,贡菜炒腊肉,啤酒鸭,拆骨肉。

Easterly Millbrae

阿拉上海,Fremont

上海点心都不错,生煎包尤其惊艳。小笼包小馄饨菜饭都很好吃。疫情过后好像还没有恢复之前的火爆,我们周末五点半六点半时间去,一般等了二十分钟就可以有座位。

阿拉上海I-Shanghai Delight