在西餐厅当适应生

在Franz Josef 的三个月多里，我曾在当地的一家五星级酒店属下的餐厅当过侍应生，让我见识到西方人所讲究的的高雅餐饮文化（fine dining）,真是和中国人的酒楼餐饮文化大相径庭！总得来说，Fine dining之下的西方人很讲究各种餐饮细节，从餐具摆设、食品搭配、食物色相到情景设置，样样都让人如此花心思，绝不儿戏。相比来说，现代的中国人更为注重食物味道，反正能刺激味蕾，使之产生快感的，那就什么也不用管，随手拿起筷子就大快朵颐呗，更不必顾形象的。坦白说，我喜欢这样不顾餐饮礼仪的，吃是一件快事，一种官能享受，因此西方餐饮礼仪对我而言是很麻烦的。

当个侍应生，我主要的工作是端食物出去。我得记得楼面每张餐桌和座位的个别号码，在厨师准备好食物后，依照主管的吩咐端菜去指定的餐桌之下的座位，“Could you please take it to table no. 40 and seat no.2?” 。知道了吧，中国人聚餐是以“中央政府”的形式进行的，主菜放中间，大伙一块儿夹菜，而西方人则是“地方自治”，各自吃各自的，所以我才需要弄清楚座号，要是在中国餐馆，弄清桌号就行了。

我工作的这间高级餐厅的顾客多为英国游客，或者一些外国的有钱游客，毕竟这里的价格贵得吓人啊，不是你和我有能力花费的。每次端菜出去，我尽量动作优雅地将食物摆在客人面前，其实有点战战兢兢的，哎，主管说，要注意盘子摆放，不要放太靠近客人身子，盘内主食如羊扒的骨头尖端不能对准客人，实在太讲究了！有时忙起来，两手拿两盘食物，我真的顾不了那么多，我无法腾空一只手来调动盘子的摆设，要是主管不在，那就算啦。其实客人也未必在意的，这些来fine dining的客人都是斯文人，绝不会对侍应生吆喝大叫地，反之让人受宠若惊的是，他们一般在我放下盘子以后，就对着我微笑，还很有礼貌地道谢，看到我端给他们的食物是他们中意的，还会表现得喜出望外地说“this is lovely!”，吃得开心后，还会向我说，“Tell the chef the food is great!”。

我还记得有好几次客人还会和我们这些侍应生聊天的，问我从哪儿来呀。我在中国餐馆做过工，一般那边的客人自顾自吃地，哪会和侍应生聊天啊。有一次吧，一个幽默的老伯还对我开了玩笑，我放下盘子那一刻，他说，“oh this is beautiful!” 我报以微笑，他再说，“not the food, but you.”噢，那时我还真感到尴尬啊。

整个晚餐进行为时挺长的，想想从开胃菜到几样主菜，再到最后的甜品，每一次都得确保同一餐桌上的客人全都吃完后，被侍应生一一收拾干净后，才能上下一道菜。我们要去收拾的时候，得问问客人，“May I clear?” 或 “Have you finished?”记得有一次，我那客人吃完了吗，而他居然展现俏皮一笑，说：“I’m afraid I can’t take the bones anymore.”哇，这是不是叫作英式幽默啊？

其实为这些客人服务还挺开心的，但这份工作也不是那么轻松的。可想而知，西方餐饮的瓷制碗碟有多重！令人不忿的是，很多大大的盘子是用来盛那么一点小小份的食物，那食物像装饰品那样很精致地摆在大大的盘子上，所以累坏了我们这些端盘子的侍应生。我们中国人的食物可是盛满一个盘子的啊，这才省事嘛。无论如何，这三个月多在这家西方高级餐厅工作，我想会是一个很难忘的经验，反正这是我这辈子以来最有吃甜品的福气的时候，这种高级西方甜品啊，很贵的，我离开这餐厅以后都不可能自己掏腰包去买来吃，正如我上次在蓝莓园工作那样，人生中似乎只有那几个星期才能吃现成的蓝莓吃得那么过瘾。至于餐厅里的其他正餐食物嘛，嗯，非奶油则芝士味，调味料不够多元化，没什么香料，烹饪方式就只以烤煎炸为主，我们中餐的可丰富了，还有炒蒸焖煮炖烩等，因此我觉得中餐比较可口，西方食物嘛，还是其甜点来得吸引人。

第一次的徒步行-Copland Track

As highly recommended by a friend, before I left Franz Josef, I tried so hard to take leaves from my hotel job and went for Copland Track.

Travel information tells that this track is suitable for tramper with some prior experience, and it can be quite tough for beginners. However, I decided to go for it without any hesitation at all! Well .. I was just thinking, “I’m always proud of my tough feet and willpower, I wouldn’t feel tired easily even for a long distance of walk..”

Obviously, I underestimated this track, with a variety of challenging condition to cross over, it is one’s bodily coordination and balancing that matter. I’m the one without much kinesthetic sense, but luckily it’s still fine, willpower takes the lead for any other matters, no matter how frequent I fall, how many times I’ve made myself so ugly, I think I am still quite resilient to stand up and go on, haha, bragging.

It took about 6 to 9 hours to finish the track (one way). In the very early morning, my friend from Hong Kong and I started with it and till the evening, we stayed in a hut. The next day, we went back to the origin.

因为一个英国朋友大力推荐的缘故，离开Franz Josef之前，我硬要抽出时间，不惜从酒店的工作请假，就是要完成Copland Track徒步走就对了。旅游资讯介绍说这track是很险峻的，适合有稍有些经验的徒步探险者。我是毫无经验的，可是我一点犹豫都没，要去就对了，我心想：我的脚力毅力一向来都是比一般人好的，我走多远都不言累啊。可见当时的我太低估这track了，其实不是我脚力好就行的，走这种track，个人的身体协调能力和平衡能力更是不可忽视的因素。但还好，所有这些因素都是建立在毅力之上的，我这个人是没什么运动细胞 的，跌倒了无数次，出丑也当习惯了，但我就是撑得住，继续走到终点为止…

其实这是得用一天时间走完的track，我和以为来自香港的朋友一大清晨出发，直到傍晚抵达终点的小屋棚过夜。

这经验对我而言是难忘的。有几次，我跌下小悬崖，那时朋友被吓倒了，还好只是小悬崖，还好我跌下那一刹那恰好抓紧了树干，还好我爬得上去。还有一次，我和朋友走散了，我自己一个人不知怎么地，就迷路了，走到了不是路的路，地势更为险峻的路，我爬啊爬，奋力抓紧那树干，我身后的是零零散散的山中树丛，也看得见底下疾疾而流的小河，我无从可逃，我必须找到出路，我只能往上看，横着倒下的树干太大了，我该怎么攀过？从树干底下弯身而越过吗？那支撑着我的身子的是什么？稳不稳固？要是，要是我不小心失足，要是山泥倾泻，我不幸掉下去悬崖了，那怎么办？

可想而知，其实那时候的我是异常害怕的，当时的心悸是令人难以想象的。我越是害怕，越是想找到出路。幸亏，后来我真的走出了。只是，其实在那千钧一发的时刻，我发现自己那一刻最深的牵挂是什么，要是我有什么三长两短的话，我最遗憾的是什么，我告诉自己，“你真的不能有事，不然爸爸妈妈会很伤心的！”。原来在危急时刻，我才了解我如今在世上最挂念、最放不下的人是双亲，我是一个我行我素，有些非传统的女孩，他们的话我未必听，可是在我的心深处，我完全了解爸妈对我的爱的，令他们难过，会是我千万个不愿意看到的事….。如今我安然无恙了，在纽西兰流浪六个月后，我平安到家了，我想我该感到欣慰的。

事情过后，我想起了孔老夫子的一句话：未知生，焉知死。

The experience with Copland Track is really a memorable one for me. From there I encountered the greatest fear, despite the initial fall at the turning point amidst the narrow mountain path, there was another time I lost touch with my friend, somehow I just unheedingly walked on a path that wasn’t supposed to be a path!

I struggled to find my way out, what’s behind me was the scattered bosk and it looked like a cliff, I could see the fast-flowing small river too. No, no, I can’t turn my head back and I can only look upward … I grasped the tree branch so tightly, and I wondered if I was steadily supported?

Luckily I found my way out. I was terribly scared, and I realized one thing: at such delicate situation, what worried me the most. At that moment, my mind only thought about that I couldn’t let anything happened on me, else my mom and dad would be very sad … then I knew, in the world, parents are the ones I care the most. I am not a very obedient daughter, am actually quite a reckless one especially when going for things I want, yet deep inside my heart, I know their love is forever unconditional to me..

有道是“不经一番寒彻骨，哪得梅花扑鼻香”，我这下言之，“不经一路荆棘行，哪得温泉暖我身”。
是的，徒步行走了超过五小时后，在抵达今夜留宿之处- 小屋棚时，那儿是有一个自然温泉等着我们的，全身酸痛，累到乏力了，此时看到那温泉，让我太感动了，那还是自然温泉，我这辈子第一次泡温泉，第一次看过的温泉还是天然的！
No pain, no gain; finally after more than 5 hours of trampling, when we reached the hut, there was a natural hot pool awaiting us! I was so touching to see the hot pool and I quickly jumped into it!

This is a journey, and despite all the hardship and pain, I would still go for it, because I would never want my journey to be a wholly flat one.

A Walk, a Talk, a Thought

In a fast-paced city, rarely do we have a chance to slow down and look into ourselves from within.

Being away from the places I am familiar with to New Zealand, it means a lot to me. Well, this is the first European country I’ve been to, and when you are plumped into a new place, that implies a certain degree of unlearning about the practicability of one’s own culture, letting go of the social status, material possession, a stuck relationship or situation when you are in your own country. You are just about to start a new journey and to learn and view the world from a different perspective. It can be insightful yet exciting!

Throughout my 6-months working holiday in New Zealand, I spent the most of my time in Franz Josef for about 4 months. Why I was here for that long? Haha, I’ve never planned for anything and it just happened that I have a “special connection” with this place? I was blown to here and stayed till mid autumn.

I love to walk around Franz Josef. Sometimes, I walked alone, sometimes, with a friend. When I am alone, I usually indulged myself in gazing at the glacier, feeling the natural surrounding, the gentle breeze, and then I would have a pleasing conversation to myself. I walked with my preferred pace and dreamt about the desired.

When I was with a friend, I did enjoy the way we walked together and although some people just don’t talk much to you, but you would cherish the chance to walk alongside with someone and appreciate this acquaintance.

Shan is the Hong Kong girl whom I had most of the non-solitary walks with in Franz Josef. She is few years older than me and she is about to be a full-time roamer. We talked about life, love, the interpersonal relationship we had in the situational drama of Franz Josef Scenic Hotel, etc while walking along the farm road behind our lodge that gives us another stunning view of glacial mountains.

I remember how we talked about love, I mean the romantic relationship of a couple. There is a saying, there are two things a couple should do before they decide to tie the knot: one is to cohabit, to stay together, the second is to travel together. One is to test the couple in dealing with the certainty (seeing your mate’s unchanged temperament) in life while the other is to test their ability to face the uncertainties together in life.

To stay together, you get to know each other better in term of his or her character, predisposition of likes and dislikes in daily activities, his or her habit and so on. It’s not merely about having temporal fun while hanging out with him or her nor the first infatuated impression when meeting him or her. To travel together, it is another challenge to face. As the relationship proceeds, there might be some unexpected obstacles that happen. If those happen, are you going to hold her hand still to tackle all the undesirable things? Will you be able to tolerate or compromise when she has severe disagreement with you? When both of you started to have different agenda and different destinations to go, will you two calm down and sort these out?

.................. I am 25, still enjoy being free and solitude is a state when I am most truthful to myself. People come in and out and pass me by, some stay silently for me, some leave unnoticed, my heart is drifting, so I am still a little uncertain :)

我喜欢离别 I like *Separation

I like separation, I like the intense feeling that developed only when you were about to leave. We only learnt to cherish each other at that moment.

我喜欢别离，因为唯有在离别之时，我们才会显得比过往更珍惜彼此。从来对离别之愁没有很深的感受，反倒是对那份离别时浓得化不开的情感感触极深。至于和你不怎么在乎的人的“离别”呢，呵呵，那何来离别之说？因为你们都貌合神离，本来就不曾实质上地在一起过。因此我真正喜欢的，是和自己在乎的人的离别。

那时候，离别之时，我们可能是比往常多话，更多了些以往不会轻易说出来的心底话；也可能，我们无言胜有言，只是默默地感受那离别的气氛，或是默默地望着对方，或是以拥抱来诉说千言万语；再可能，我们或许闻到了空气中的离别之愁，而为了化解那份伤感，不知是有意还是无意地拼命说些废话。不管怎么样，我们唯有到离别时才知道，原来我们之间的情谊是如此美好的，因此我有点舍不得你走，因此那一刻，我多么希望往后或许会和我疏于联络的你会一直过得好好的，心中突然有好多好多对你的祝福涌上来。

人是很奇怪的，平常和你一起吃喝玩乐都习惯了，和你一起聊个天花乱坠已是家常便饭，感觉日子一天一天这样，没什么特别，只有在你要走的时候，我才认清自己以后得从生活中将一部分的你给抽离的事实，虽然另一部分的你还是能够存在在我思念的记忆里，可我一想到我们要分开了，感觉就有点纠结，似乎因以前对你不够好而感到遗憾，又或者后悔来不及好好了解你。

或许以后我们会少了联系，而多了思念；也或许我们会少了联系，亦少了挂念而逐渐淡忘彼此；再或许我们会因思念而多了联系。不管怎么样，你我都知道，未来的路上，大家会遇到好多人，他们或许和我擦肩而过，或许在下一刻变成我的朋友或知己，一直陪伴我的身边人或许是那个新认识的他。而过往的你呢，在我心目中的地位或许因为这些人的出现而稍微有了变动，可我记忆中善良可爱的你从来没变过。

我还是很喜欢和怀念那一刻围绕在我们离别之时的浓浓情感。

Heli-Hike at Franz Josef Glacier 乘直升机攀走于冰川之中

我这辈子，第一次近距离接触直升机，原来其引擎发出的噪音是那么响的；更令人雀跃的是，我要登上它直往冰川，再落冰行走攀顶了！

The very first time in my lifetime to see a helicopter such close, and so I know how vibrant and loud it was for the noise generated by its engine. The fantastic part is, I am going to take a ride in it and go up to the glacier! I will land on the ice up to the mountain!

好了，直升机放下我们，落地了。得为我的攀山靴子装上鞋底钉。Okay, so this was how we landed. I struggled to fix crampoon to my hiking boot here. 领队给我们一伙人讲解攀冰之行得注意的安全措施。The Heli-hike guide explained to all of us about the safety precautions to mind when walking on the glacier. 好，走吧，领队先生，辛苦你了，为我们开冰劈路。Okay! Let's go! Mr. Guide, thanks for your hard work, slash the ice and lead a path for us!
就指靠你的鬼斧劈工，化寒冰为小道了。So we're counting on your strokes of an axe, let's march on. She jumped! I caught her motion! She's the Germany girl who took the helicopter with me earlier on. :) 她飞身跃过！Hmm, it is getting hard to climb. 使劲攀山。
我看似神气，可是和那些洋人比较起来，我好想走得像企鹅似的，使力保持平衡啊，免得滑倒。This is me who is a little bit clumsy and usually got to walk like a penguin to avoid slippery.
“嘿！瞧见我吗？” "Harlow! Can you see me?"
白茫茫冰川之中，我是如此渺小。I am too little at this far-reaching glacier.
Melting. 融化中。
touching the ice, oh! it's really ice, crystal clear! 摸摸冰，感觉很新奇，真的是冰吔。

真的很壮观。It is truly a nature's masterpiece, we're just speechless to express our wonderment.
Oh! We've walked a distance, it was a little hard though for a short distance. 短短一段距离，可是走起来还挺吃力的。
好了，是时候乘直升机下去了，这里始终是属于大自然的。Ok, it's time to leave. This place belongs to the great nature.
That's a fine sunny day. The temperature is quite high, yet icy glacier is able to maintain its volume, its phenomenon strikes our curiousity. Oops, I am not good in Geography.

以前远远眺望冰川，我看到的像是白石啊，来之前也不知道冰川为何。远远看，仅是慨叹其特殊的面貌，现在才知道，冰川就是会移动的冰之河，以你肉眼看不到的速度无时无刻在流动着，为何会形成如此构造？真的很神奇！

I used to stare at glacier far away, for me, it was like a bunch of white rocks at the mountains. Before I came to Franz Josef, I didn't even know the meaning of "glacier", I got to check the dictionary. Look from far, I was only amazed by its unique appearence. Now only I knew, glacier is a moving icy river, it moves from time to time with a speed that is invisible to us. How on earth there is such structure? This is truly amazing!

去看冰川了 Going to see Glacier!

一路上也看到好多游客和我一样，沿着可行的石子路，越过小川流，只为了近距离看冰川。

There're just many other tourists walking along the stony road like I do, crossing over some streams, to catch a closer view of the magnificent glacier.

四周围的山，有小瀑布啊。 Some hills that surround Franz Josef Glacier, look, there are cascades!到了! 但不能走得再近了，只能在安全范围走动，因为石崩的可能性还是存在的。

I've reached! But I can't walk any closer, only can get around in the safety region due to the possibility of avalanche.
警惕游客的告示牌。The warning signboard to get visitors on guard. 壮观的冰川。据说它背后有一段凄美的毛利传说，从前有个爱登山的女孩，执意要其爱人和她一起登上这一座特别壮丽的山，结果在他们登山期间发生意外了，她眼睁挣地看着爱人失足而从山中坠落，她伤心愧疚过度，泪流成河，在那寒冬的季节，成了这绝美的冰川。

It is said that there is a Maori legendary love story which is sadly beautiful pertaining to this glacier. Once upon a time there was a girl who loved mountain-hiking, insisted to get her lover to climb this spectacularly beautiful mountain. They climbed together and at the end, an tragic accident occurred, she stared helplessly at his lover's misstep and a subsequent fall from the mountain. The heartbroken girl was too sorrowful to shed her tears endlessly and turn the tears in this chilly season to evolve as such magnificent glacier.