Chapter 56 May Fourth A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities has nothing to do with Charles Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities. The so-called twin cities refer to our Taipei and Seattle in the United States.I have a little rough knowledge of both cities.I have lived in Taipei for more than 30 years, moved six times, moved from Dehui Street to Xinhai Road, ate and worshiped, squeezed through Huachao, visited Confucius Temple, and visited Wanhua. After all, I know very little.The high-class people feast and feast, while the low-class people live in brown clothes and eat vegetables. They don't have much contact with each other. The scope of daily social activities is also very narrow.Seattle (West Market for short) is a large port in the Northwest of the United States. I have visited it no less than ten times over the years. And without tools to win, even if you travel with words, it is just a glimpse.So I said that I only have a rough understanding of these two cities.

I never want to talk about Chinese and Western cultures, let alone compare them.Just because the knowledge is not wide enough, not deep enough.Chinese culture has a long history, which cannot be summed up in a few words; Western culture is also broad and profound enough, which cannot be represented by a piece of claw at a time or place.What I want to talk about now is just some superficial feelings or observations based on what I have seen and heard of the two cities.A sage recognizes its greatness, and an unwise man recognizes its smallness. The climates of the two places are different.Taipei is located in the subtropical zone, and it is also a basin surrounded by mountains.When I look down from the top of the building, I can see a vast expanse of whiteness, which seems to have the momentum of steaming clouds and dreams.When it comes to Huangmei, the clothes and bedding are always wet.In summer, there are often showers in the afternoon, which come suddenly and go quickly. After the thunder and lightning, the rain is over and the sky is blue.When a typhoon crosses the border, it will move mountains and seas, as if it is about to scatter the dome. It should be a scene in Taiwan, and Taipei is also lucky.West Market is located in the seaport in the northwest corner of the United States. Its latitude is equivalent to Harbin and Qiqihar in the northeast of my country. Thanks to the warm current of the ocean, although it is rainy and snowy in winter, it is not too cold.There are also continuous rains, but when it is sunny, the sky is clear and the sky is thousands of miles.I have seen a long rainbow spanning one hundred and eighty degrees, covering half the sky.At 4 o'clock in the morning, when you go out to the east, the sun will be thin and it will be after 9 o'clock in the evening.

I came from Taipei and wore summer clothes. There was heating in the Xishi Airport, but I didn't notice any difference. As soon as I stepped out of the airport gate, I felt the cold air, and my family rushed to put on thick coats.I took a deep breath of air, and it penetrated into my lungs, as if ice was in a jade pot.When I went back to Taipei, as soon as I stepped out of the air-conditioned airport, I was greeted by the fuming wind, and my body was full of fluids, as if I had fallen into a wok of hot porridge.However, everyone has their own preferences and cannot be generalized.I know a friend who grew up in Taipei and lived in West City for a long time. It is said that he misses Taipei very much, misses everything in Taipei, and especially misses the humid, sticky and hot summer weather in Taipei!

The weather in West City is dry and cool. Looking out of the window, you can see that the mountains are mountains, the water is water, the red flowers are green, and the leaves are clear, delicate, and brightly colored.There are also trees along the roadside in Taipei, Chongyang tree, Bawang coconut tree, red cotton tree, and Melaleuca, all of which are magnificent, but the leaves are covered with a layer of dust. Only when you arrive at Yangmingshan can you see the green leaves that look like wax. Every household in Xishi has chimneys, but none of them emit smoke.In the fireplace was a large wooden peg, most of which was fake, and was powered by an electric mechanism.When it is sunny, you can see the snow-capped Mount Rainier, as if floating in half the sky; looking north, the Cascade Mountains are looming.Taipei is different.Few houses have chimneys, but many burn paper and rubbish on the roof, in the yard, or by the side of the road.You can also see the mountains from the window. What I can see every day is the Toad Mountain that is close at hand.The nearby mountains are green, and the distant mountains are green.Guanyin Mountain is always a touch of flowers and green, and Datun Mountain is more often cloudy.But we must not forget that if Mount St. Helens erupts, if the wind direction is a little bit off, West City will also become disgraced!

For a person who loves flowers and trees, the two cities have their own merits.In Xishi, there is the famous Zhouhuashan Rhododendron, which is full of clusters of flowers, shining brightly, and there is almost no family garden that does not have a few trees for decoration.In addition, camellias, roses, magnolias, and bulbous crabapple are all healthy and gratifying.There are many flower factories here, with large scale and various categories.The most rare thing is the peonies that are not well grown in Taiwan's climate, which can be seen here occasionally.My friends Ma Fenghua and his wife carefully cultivated several peonies. The yellow ones are especially elegant. I came here later this year, and there was only one tree left on the branch.Strictly speaking, Taipei's climate and soil do not seem to be particularly suitable for growing flowers, but famous flowers from all over the place gather there.For example, in the election of the city flower in Taipei, it is said that Rhododendron should be the leader.This rhododendron is different from the mountain rhododendron in Xishi. It is light and compact, and resistant to heat and dryness.Orchids are very popular in Taipei. Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, and Dendrobium are all extremely delicate and beautiful, and they can be found everywhere. Suxinlan is the only one with beautiful flowers and leaves and a faint fragrance. Therefore, it is called the fragrance of a gentleman and can be used as a fragrance. into the picture.Narcissus is also a must in Taipei. Every New Year, Lingbo Fairy is an indispensable member of the Qing offerings.Take the so-called narcissus in the west market, and a large area of ​​wind blowing by the roadside, the taste is quite different.

Doors are not closed at night, and roads are not picked up. This is the imaginary world of Datong, which has never been truly realized in any place in ancient and modern China and abroad.Human nature has a good side and an ugly side, so it is impossible for the crowd to want it to be both good and bad.Generally speaking, law and order can be maintained, and most people can live and work in peace and contentment. Even if the law and order is good, its form and degree vary from place to place. The good law and order in Taipei is world-renowned.In my more than thirty years, it was my turn only once that a lone thief openly entered the house and robbed a watch and a handful of banknotes, and he was arrested within twelve hours and executed within twelve days.And when I was preached to accuse the witness, he even said sorry to me.As for pickpocketers, where are they?I have only lost three fountain pens in more than 30 years, once in the zoo watching snakes eating chickens, once in a bus, and once on the sidewalk of Chengdu Road.I blame myself for not being careful.In addition, the family was visited several times by thieves, and only two Datong electric cookers were lost in total, perhaps because there was nothing else in the humble house.It is often heard about the big move, probably because there are so many things worth moving.There are many iron bars on the windows of residential houses in Taipei. Their appearance is indecent, and it is difficult to escape in case of fire, which has long been criticized by Chinese and foreign people.There are no iron bars on the windows of the houses in West Market, and there are no walls, at most short bars are set up to keep dogs out.But in the place where I stayed in Xishi, three times in the past few years, young hippies smashed the glass window with a beer bottle. After calling the police, the police car arrived within a few minutes. There is no further text after that.The large doors and windows of the government office were smashed, but the windows of private homes are nothing!The large potted trees in front of the bank were also removed overnight.But speaking of it, it's all ringworm and scabies.Robbing banks with open flames is a big case, and there have been a few cases in West Market. The newspapers underestimated it, and everyone is familiar with it. This is something that Taipei does not have.

Tigers in Taipei City are defiant, especially the beeping and smoking locomotive that Saburo is riding desperately.Whoever thinks that the zebra crossing is safe may suffer immediate losses.Some people say that the traffic disorder here is the most chaotic in the world. I have not traveled around the world, so I dare not speak falsely.The situation in West Market is really different. I don't know why ordinary drivers are so obedient. They stop when they see the word stop, regardless of whether there are pedestrians or vehicles ahead.Pedestrians often cross the street, and the driver stops to nod and wave to you, but he doesn't hear him say please!You please!I have also seen two cars collide. The strange thing is that the two parties did not curse, but calmly exchanged names, addresses and insurance company numbers, and left separately without hurting the peace.Nor did a large crowd of people gather to watch the excitement.But no one can deny that taxis in Taipei are running all over the streets, and they come as soon as you call, which is extremely convenient.Although it depends on luck, the driver may be disheveled and wear slippers, or he may be full of resentment because he thinks your journey is too short, or his car seat may be in disrepair and uneven, or he may be addicted to cigarettes. Smoke dust flies down on your chest, and maybe he sees that you can be bullied and drives the car into the wilderness and takes out a screwdriver to force you, but this is a rare thing.Taking a taxi in Taipei is fairly safe, much safer than pedestrians crossing the road.There are few taxis in West City because there are too many private cars, and things are rare and expensive, so you have to hire a car to go to the airport early in the morning, and you need to negotiate the night before, and the fare is also very high, but it is not like our Taoyuan Airport. The car is such a mess.

Eating in Taipei, just talking about it will make many foodies salivate.There are many restaurants, big and small, for all kinds of tastes. Some people say that only in Taiwan can Chinese culinary art remain intact.This is a long story.At present, there are cooks in Taipei from all provinces, and most of the so-called chefs in restaurants in the north, Ningzhe, Guangdong, Sichuan, etc. may not be connoisseurs who have learned from their own masters, and they may be just a glimpse The two knives of the doorway.Order a spicy chicken, vinegar fish, braised abalone, and twice-cooked pork, and you can immediately taste how much hometown flavor it contains.Perhaps it is limited to the transfer of goods, and the craftsmanship is inconvenient.For example, roast duck, no one can reach the standard, because there is no such kind of duck suitable for roasting.Everyone is homesick and hungry, and it seems that they feel that talking is better than nothing.The banquet for the whole table is rich and almost extravagant, so it can be ignored.Common people's food, which concerns the public, is what we care most about.Snack bars and food stalls in Taipei often offer high-quality and cheap food from all over the world.Generally speaking, the quality of food for the people is still sufficient, but there is still room for improvement in terms of nutrition and hygiene.General kitchen cooking utensils, utensils, washing and storage are not clean enough.When someone enters a restaurant, check the toilet and kitchen first. If you are not satisfied, turn around and leave, at least not the next time.I eat youtiao biscuits every day, and someone warned me: beware of mouse feces in the biscuits!I checked it the next day, and it was true. I was so scared that I didn't dare to try it for a long time. In fact, looking at the bucket of dishwashing water, which was both muddy and black, was enough to make people hesitate.

Food in the United States does not vary much across the country.I often hear people ridicule that Americans are not educated and don't know how to eat.Some people first came to the United States to study and were so poor that they ate canned food every day, so they thought that American food was not much different from dog food.In fact, some hippies often eat canned dog food to show their demeanor.It is also true that Americans are not good at cooking, but with their ingenuity, if they are willing to work hard to reconcile the dishes, they may not be inferior to other countries.Their lives are tense, and they pay attention to speed and efficiency in everything. For ordinary workers, the lunch time is half an hour to an hour. I have never heard of a so-called afternoon nap for healthy people.Their food is simple, and they also have food boxes similar to bento, but I have never heard of steaming bento before eating.Their common food is hamburger sandwiches, hot dogs, fried chicken, fried fish, pizza, etc., which are cheap, fast and easy, and they carry a five-finger steel fork with them, and they just wipe their mouths after eating. Speaking of hamburger sandwiches, we also have them in Taipei. But cutting corners pales in comparison.McDonald's BigMac has a lot of oil, meat and vegetables inside, thick and thick, it is hot in your hand, and it tastes delicious in your mouth.I've eaten Hullfield's bacon burger sandwich twice. It's bigger, double-layered patty, plus several strips of partially transparent bacon, tomato, onion, and salad dressing. You need to open your mouth to the maximum to get it Bite down.Xishi Binhai, clam king, crab king, various fish, shrimp, and Jiang Yaozhu, etc., are all delicious.Taipei has oyster omelette, and Xishi has oyster soup, which is comparable.KFC fried chicken, the batter has a secret recipe, and Taipei's imitation is useless.Xishi restaurants, regardless of size, are often subject to cleaning inspections, and there are often public punishments and orders for improvement, which is worthy of applause. The health administrators are obviously not the kind of vegetarians.

There are quite a few steakhouses in Taipei, but there are not many who want to chew and swallow their steaks like leather soles.The steak in Xishi is generally soft and tender with juicy pulp.Almost every resident has barbecue facilities in their backyards, and there are often three family barbecues. You don’t have to go to the seaside or mountains to burn them. This kind of flavor is not something that people who live in Taipei can appreciate. Seattle is sparsely populated, with a short history and a large scale. There is a considerable distance between residential areas and commercial areas.With a population of over 500,000, there are dozens of parks.The botanical garden shared by the city government and the University of Washington is located in the downtown area, which is really rare and valuable.There are several parks on the seashore, with sandy beaches, where you can dig clams, fish kelp, watch seagulls flying, and fishing boats.There is an art gallery in the Volunteer Park (the stone beast Weng Zhong standing in front of the gate was moved from China!), and a greenhouse (with orchids from Taiwan).There are towering ancient trees left in virgin forests everywhere.West Market is a modern city developed on the wild frontier of the Northwest of the United States.Our Taipei is an ancient city that suddenly prospers and develops, causing panic everywhere.The price of real estate is above the West Market.Upstairs is a house, downstairs may be a smoky auto repair shop, or an iron factory, or a laundromat.The jumble of market moves is dazzling.

Vendors gather on the main streets, which is a scene in Taipei. In fact, this is also a remnant of the ancient traditional market.In ancient times, China and the sun were the markets, and we set up stalls at night.When the police came, they fled in droves, and when the police went, they flocked back together.Buyers and sellers are happy to say it.There are several street vendors that have become established, each with its own franchise, and it seems that no one has banned them.Recently, some students have also joined the ranks, and the momentum has grown enormously.There is no such thing as a street vendor in the West Market. If a person is poor and desperate to rob a bank, who is willing to make such a small profit?However, there is also a hawker market on the seashore where ethnic minorities gather, selling fresh fish, vegetables, groceries, etc. From time to time, some young bearded youths play guitar and sing, adding to the fun and begging for money.Once when I was wandering the streets there, I suddenly smelled a strange fragrance. I found a cart peddler on the corner of the street, selling chestnuts fried in sugar for 25 cents a piece. He was Italian.This is quite similar to the situation where we sell baked sweet potatoes along the streets in Taipei.I've also seen carts selling donuts.In summer, there are occasional tricycles jingling slowly in the residential area, making children rush out of the house to buy ice cream.Besides, the residential area is quiet, there are few pedestrians in the alleys, there are few cars and horses in front of the door, and no car horns have been heard. How can it be as lively as our Taipei? West City is rich in wood. Generally, the houses are made of wood. The wood is very solid, and most of the walls and fences are also made of wood.Generally, houses are bungalows, and high-rise apartments are rare.This is different from our four-story apartment, seven-story building.Therefore, every family has a front yard and a backyard, and every family cuts grass and grows flowers, and it is rare to see someone drying clothes in the sun.When it comes to clothes, Americans are very picky. Probably only bank employees, government officials, and company shop assistants wear a full suit and tie.If you meet a Chinese with neat clothes, you can probably guess that he has just come from Taiwan.In the past, on university campuses, the special sign of professors was to wear a bow tie, but now it is no longer the case, and they often wear a casual look.So-called garage sales or charity sales, sometimes you can buy a coat for fifty cents, and a suit for one yuan, which is pretty good. Waste disposal in West City is undertaken by a private company.There is a door-to-door collection by car on a fixed day every week. The car is sealed, and there is no prayer music from our Taipei garbage truck girl. The driver jumped out of the car without a sound and carried the trash cans in front of each house on his shoulders into the car. As soon as you throw it away, the mechanism inside will start to crush the garbage.In Taipei, a garbage truck is equipped with several workers. Everyone is busy carrying and sorting garbage at the same time. Plastic bags are placed in one pile, glass bottles in another pile, and thick cardboard boxes in another pile.The most useless rubbish is transported to more remote places and spread out, and some people do the second echelon of climbing and combing. People in Xishi like to live outdoors, but we in Taipei seem to prefer indoor games.Yachts gathered at the lakeside of Xishi, and many cars ran all over the street with motor boats on their roofs.There are people jogging early in the morning, rain or shine.Young people flock to skiing, mountain climbing, and camping.Mountain disasters seem to be unheard of. I don't know who made the playful irony of "the circle of the moon and foreign countries" to ridicule those who blindly worship foreigners.But some people like to move out a poem from Du Gongbu that the moon is the hometown circle, which is a bit superfluous.What's more, the original intention of Du's poem is not to say that the moon in his hometown is rounder than that in other places, but just to say that it is also the time when the moon is full at this moment in his hometown.The two cities I described, where flaws and goodnesses meet each other, may have revealed their own scars and grown the ambitions of others, and may not have violated the principle of seeing the good, thinking of the same, and hearing the same, but readers are forgiven.