25.3.12

恐懼做為指引的力量

我羨慕三種人:第一種,有信仰的人;第二種,有伴的人;第三種,知足的人。我羨慕他們因為我並不屬於這三個項目中的任何一種。

下午老天爺賞光沒有下雨讓我們得以悠閒散步,在漫步搜尋午餐的路上她的神情奕奕地談著教會。我告訴她我一向對宗教很有興趣,但是就是沒有辦法去「信」。我無法說我相信我並不真心相信的東西。但是我一直很想要有個信仰 - 有個比自己更高遠的東西可以依靠,在黑暗的時刻可以避難及搜尋慰藉。但這想望並沒有構成「信」的正當性:「祂」不會因為我信而存在,或不信而消失,會改變的只有內心。這也就是說,不管我有多麼想要信(佛祖、媽祖、上帝、阿拉或是濕婆都好),我沒有辦法去信一個只存在我想法裡的東西,並相信祂會拯救我。

稍晚,坐在飯桌前,我一手拿咖啡一手拿餅乾與阿叔及阿嬸聊著天。「你阿叔有在買股票,」阿嬸傾身向前,「但都是在賠錢!」話還沒完他們兩個人就一陣笑呵呵。看著他們,這種有人了解你並陪你過日子的溫暖感覺讓我也笑了起來,但是我不禁想到,我已經習慣了一個人過生活,我還有機會及能力接受生活中不只只有我嗎?我的笑容隨著這想法而煙消雲滅,但基於作客的禮貌我還是保持微笑。

晚餐時我們移師餐廳,繼續聊著我的未來這話題:
「讀西文的畢業後大部分都在從事什麼工作?」阿嬸問到。
「很多都是去做貿易,」我熟練地回答著,「啊有的跑去外交部或是繼續讀博士。」
「但這都不是我想做的,」我緊接著補充,「我想要做出版和寫書。」
這寫書的想法是我近幾年才發現的,一直以來我只知道坐在辦公桌前處理文件很無趣,以及四處跑和寫東西時我很快樂。有一天我忽然察覺到我想要的只是成為一個透過我雙眼 - 而非經過他人 - 看過這個世界的人。我不夢想賺大錢,我不要做大官看人敬禮,我也沒有興趣擁有高學歷,讓我快樂的東西並不是這些。

當然,這很美好,因為它是夢想。而現實告訴我們除非你家印鈔票或是抽中樂透(而且沒有因為揮霍縱慾過度而死),否則夢想需要很多時間及金錢的累積才會有那麼一點點成形的機會,而成形並不表示就會開花。這鐵的原則我懂,所以我猶豫不決,心中充滿了未知及不安,我的未來到底在哪裡?我是否會成功?還是我會敗的一塌糊塗到最後什麼都不是也什麼都沒有?思緒至此,口中的佳肴沾染了苦味,我不禁羨慕起那些可以因為有穩定工作而滿足(這並沒有貶意)、有伴可以傾訴、有信仰可以做精神支柱的人。

5.3.12

憶往

代表不同時空的影像隨著音樂的起伏而出現、消失及替換;歡樂、痛苦及感傷也亦步亦趨地伴隨著這些包含著人事物的畫面。這大概是我最常想的事情,幾乎每一個地方都有令人難以拋棄的回憶,只是回憶拋棄了人,讓人陷在回憶裡。到現在為止不管我多喜歡一個地方,我仍然無法定下來,因為我思索著:要如何拋棄記憶裡的那些地方呢?所以我不停的從一地猶疑到另一地,聽著之前的音樂,看著過往的照片,同時創造新的回憶。這,真是可怖的存在。

25.2.12

La Residencia

Aquella una de la madrugada caminé arrastrando mis maletas atravesando calles calladas cuyo silencio fue interrumpido intermitentemente por el salto un un gato o la música que salió de una ventana por encima de la cabeza.

En un intento de recordar los nombre de aquellas calles, las busco por el Google Maps. Amplio el mapa y lo vuelvo a ampliar hasta que sin previo aviso sale una foto mostrando la puerta de la residencia. Y se me inundan los ojos.

5.1.12

映在牆上的影子

新北投捷運車廂緩緩地駛向月台,透過貼著點狀圖形的窗戶及車門,我依稀可以辨識出門後站著的人影以及類似木製洗澡桶的圓形狀裝置。列車雖然只有幾節,但這真是一列裡外色彩豐富的車廂。那圓形狀玩意兒結果是個螢幕,我想大概是在介紹新北投的景點,而且可能也因為這緣故所以列車開的特別慢,讓我們可以慢慢欣賞兩邊的老舊公寓以及它們的舊日容光。

約莫兩個小時之後,我再次等車進站,午後原本冷清的月台現在擠滿了下班族和討人厭的國高中生以及他們有關手機的討論。拯救我逃離煉獄的特快車不疾不徐地在鐵道上拖行。於車門開啟的同時,返家心切的人潮好比如獅子看到獵物搬飛撲上去。一直困惑我的是,為什麼人們不等車廂裡的人先出來然後再進去呢?這疑問已在我心中駐足了快十年。某次在電梯裡一位中年男子因為湧進的浪潮太過洶湧,導致他勇敢踏出的右腳在有機會落地之前就被擠的潰不成軍,最後只好發出無奈的怒吼:「讓我先出去!」

我坐定位之後發現對面原本應該是椅子和窗戶的地方現在有一面大約56吋的液晶螢幕,而窗戶則被畫有圖案的牆面所取代,要凸顯的重點顯然是液晶螢幕裡氣定神閒地在寺廟拜拜、拍照和逛新北投的妙齡少女。在這「新北投-北投」一站的距離裡,影片總共撥了兩次,這顯然是要讓旅客有機會可以好好地欣賞並記下少女所拜訪的優聖美地。而我也的確為這設計所動容,在離螢幕約兩公尺的距離裡彩色牆面佔據了雙眼的視線範圍,帶觀眾進入另一個空間,成功地把地獄來的國高中生們打入邊緣的角色。

我回神過來,猛然發現我在移動的車廂裡盯著一個螢幕看。我頭左右轉,迅速地巡視一下四周,發現除了我之外沒有人在注意影片中精彩的劇情,每個人都低頭在看手機。我忽然有一種感覺 - 一種活生生的感覺 - 如果牆面瞬間崩解、消失,然後我發現我站在蕭瑟的海灘上跟外星人握手,我大概也不會覺得太訝異。

1.1.12

Consistency

I saw the ceiling darkened by the advance of the hours and, when the irises got used to the gloom, the faint glow printed on it by the streetlamp through the drawn curtains. It's as if I've been staring at ceilings my whole life while thinking about nothing in particular. Most often I found my thoughts drifting from one trail to the other, then on to something else, and later it would find its way back to the starting point. This process would go on like automation till thoughts gave way to slumber.

As I lay there on the bed in my friends' house I had a sudden feeling that my life reflects my thoughts in form - drifting from one place to the other familiarizing with and specialising in none. Where am I going and what to do next? In my case the latter conditions the former, yet it was the former that sets the goal for the latter. However, under close scrutiny it should be better described as both happening at the same time.

I have the rather unrealistic dream to write and publish travelogues, think of Paul Theroux or Michael Asher (British writer and desert explorer). Problem is, I couldn't figure out ways to get there. Two big reasons (or excuses if you insist) being: 1) domestic expectation (read: pressure) to establish a "stable career" and then a family of my own consisting of me, my wife and my children. Flagrant foul of which would result in great domestic disturbance bordering on the edge of a crusade against the offender. 2) doubt and fear of stepping into professionally unknown field at an age when your friends are happily making kids and big bucks at work. The resulting disorientation is great.

This dreadful state forces me to think quickly for even if my family should stop talking about it I couldn't drive it out of my mind. It has successfully taken over woman as my leading preoccupation. As a matter of fact, the idea of a girlfriend might even seem a bit unthinkable. These days I dedicate my time between soaking in photography and trying to figure out my career (and some other meaningless activities like staring into the ceiling), this may sound productive, but it is constantly interrupted by the inconsistency of my thoughts which has led me to my own wretchedness.

28.12.11

Skyscrapers

Untitled by Schuma
Untitled, a photo by Schuma on Flickr.

My on-going journey through photography has landed me in medium format land. Taken with Rolleicord III, Kodak 400TX.

19.11.11

Epilogue

Epilogue by Schuma
Epilogue, a photo by Schuma on Flickr.

Taken with Leica Standard, Kodak 400TX

Prologue

Prologue by Schuma
Prologue, a photo by Schuma on Flickr.

Taken with Leica Standard, Kodak 400TX

11.11.11

Aficionados' conversation topic over coffee

Untitled by Schuma
Untitled, a photo by Schuma on Flickr.

Taken with Leica Standard, Kodak 400TX

30.5.11

The Virtue of Writing

Too much convenience is bad for your health, while in modern society it's just all too convenient. I gave up on digital cameras because they leave no room for imagination, we use them precisely because they provide us with instant feedback at no additional cost. So I turned to film photography about 2 years ago and contrary to what people prophesied I'm still using my film camera, and most importantly, I finally find joy in it which digital failed to provide me with.

For the past 2 years I've somehow lost the habit of writing, something which I valued greatly for it served as a means of reflection and intimate friend that I don't have in real life. It was replaced by Facebook, I now have most of my friends up there, having access to their latest updates with the click of a mouse, yet the hole in me's grown bigger. I realized that Facebook is not the answer to my plight, and that I need to go back to my old practises.

I was surprised by Esther's remarks the other day telling me that when a friend asked her what would she like to read in English on a regular basis, the first image surfaced was the blog Old Magazine. I didn't know I had another reader apart from the toastman (haha)! Her letter was a reminder to what I enjoyed doing. I've been looking in the wrong direction for salvation, I should get back to writing and release my ghosts here.