What kind of trip is meaningful? Let's see if there is a time machine in the village. Maybe we can find the answer.
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novel Norwegian Wood sold10 million copies as soon as it was listed in Japan. 1 084 went on the market in 2009 12 days, and the sales volume broke the unprecedented record of110,000 copies.
Influenced by western culture, his writing style is eclectic and his tone is light.
In addition to writing, he loves running, jazz and translating English literature.
If there is a Time Machine is a collection of travel essays, which tells what Haruki Murakami saw and heard when he traveled to eleven places in seven countries.
From Iceland with green moss and hot springs to Tuscany with mellow wine;
From Boston, famous for its marathon, to Laos, looking for what's there.
From Greece, where the Norwegian Forest was originally written, to Finland, where the colorless Dozo and his travel year were completely created by imagination.
Might as well follow Haruki Murakami and take a time machine to explore the beautiful world in his eyes.
1. If there is a time machine, where do you want to travel?
Murakami, who loves jazz, said that if he had a time machine, he would like to go to new york in 1954 to listen to a live performance of Clifford Brown and Max Roach quintet. It is not difficult to see Murakami's love for jazz.
During my four-day stay in new york, I went to the old and famous jazz clubs "Qianwei Village" and "Bird Garden" and the fashionable and exquisite "Smoke" to listen to jazz concerts in the evening.
Visiting jazz record stores and looking for vinyl records during the day is beyond words.
If you had a time machine, where would you want to go immediately? Back to the past or back to the future?
Sticking to what you love is a kind of happiness.
Murakami loves running and has participated in six Boston marathons.
Why do you take part in the marathon here, but not elsewhere?
Murakami said that this competition route has always been engraved in my heart, and I can still remember the scenery along the way in order, just like vividly recalling the route I took on my first date with my lover.
The road by the Charles River is where he often jogs. The beautiful scenery and interesting people by the river left a good impression on him, and it is a paradise for joggers.
Running the full marathon is the result of Murakami's persistent running every morning, which is not always a great achievement for him as a writer.
3. Don't take the usual road and enjoy the trip.
When it comes to Iceland, what do you think of? Hot springs, icebergs or aurora?
Murakami talked about "Icelandic" animals, sheep without tails, horses with small manes, and an amazing number of calm cats.
In the summer of Iceland, there are the largest number of seahawks in the world, hence the name "the world's seahawk capital".
Murakami wanted to see the seahawk with his own eyes, but he was told that the breeding season was over and the seahawk had gone to sea. However, I felt the battle to save the missing seahawk in a small town in Iceland.
As soon as the breeding period of the sea eagle passed, the parents of the little sea eagle entered the marine life. Some of them instinctively go to the sea to look for food, and if they can't catch food, they will die.
Some small seahawks were attracted by the lights in the town and flew unconsciously. But it was either run over by a car or attacked by cats and dogs. Therefore, at the beginning of September every year, activities to save the missing seahawk are carried out everywhere.
When the children released their baby seahawks and struggled in the storm, Murakami couldn't help shouting to them: Come on!
Did Murakami's image of a warm man appear immediately?
In Luang Prabang, Laos, there are countless temples and monks can be seen everywhere on the streets of the city.
Every morning, the monks will go out to beg for alms, and the village will give alms to the monks like the locals. Empathy, think about how they repeat this ritual year after year, and feel a deep-rooted power in the experience.
This may be the meaning of travel, with Murakami-style observation and thinking, let us feel an unusual experience.
As he said, traveling is a good thing. Although sometimes I feel tired and sometimes I feel disappointed, there must be something there.
Food is an indispensable element in travel.
No matter which country or place Haruki Murakami goes, enjoying food will be an important part of his trip. After all, feeling the local food in a foreign country will bring a new feeling to his taste buds.
The book mentions two cities with the same name on the east and west coasts of the United States, one is Portland, Oregon in the west, and the other is Portland, Maine in the east. Both places are rich in quality food.
Portland on the west coast, as a natural harbor inland, uses high-quality fresh and watery ingredients. The characteristic of cooking is that it is basically not over-processed, so be careful not to destroy the original flavor.
Among them, the strawberry and quail salad and dessert made by Hu Deshan left a deep impression on Murakami.
Murakami doesn't really like strawberries and quails, but this delicious food fascinates him.
Italian wild mushroom cat noodles on the east coast, fresh fish and shellfish barbecue and baked Maine lobster are all feasts in this village.
Haruki Murakami once lived in Rome for two or three years, where he finished his Norwegian forest novel.
Usually when he is not writing novels, he and his wife will drive to Tuscany and buy wine in batches.
A bottle of 1949 Cotibno red wine from Murakami's animal year, with Florence steak, chatting with friends in front of the heater and drinking together is really wonderful.
There are a lot of fun and surprises in the journey, as well as some boring and sad feelings. But whether happy or unhappy, Murakami is happy to accept it.
Free, unrestrained and warm, this is what Murakami looks like when traveling. He doesn't like the designed travel route, and he can play freely through uncertain routes and uncertain moods.
Haruki Murakami said that what he saw and heard there, the bits and pieces there, the popular music at that time, the people he met, the air he breathed, the words he talked about, whether it was boring experience or sad feeling, everything would be wrapped in the paper of time and put in the drawer of your consciousness.
One day, when you recall this trip, it can still bring you touch and warmth. Maybe this is the meaning of travel.
If there is a time machine, maybe we can ride it through time and space and feel the interesting and warm world in Murakami's eyes.