0215

Went to see a movie with Mom and Dad.

The movie’s over at eleven. We stepped into the night. Not so cold yet a light drizzle was falling.

“It’s quite a good movie.” I said.

“Yeah, it’s awesome.” Mom said.

Dad nodded.

And we didn’t speak anything else after. Walking home in silence, our brains kept repeating the impressing parts of the movie – didn’t feel awkward even though there’s no one speaking. That’s one of the good things when you stay with family.

People came out of the theatre, passing by Mitsukoshi department store. The light of advertisements was especially conspicuous in this dark night; the falling rain sparkled in it. People around me discussed excitedly. Little green one started to countdown, and we crossed over the intersection. Starbucks appeared at the corner.

There’re still all kinds of people staying inside. Two of them were foreigners, with ties; staring at each other, look quite serious. They’re talking business. Of course I couldn’t hear anything with the glass between, but I just knew. They’re talking something important. The coffee on the table was still full. At this time, this point, I guessed they already forgot that they’re in Starbucks.

It’s just a place for them to talk business; they felt obligated to buy something. My dad did that a lot. After finishing the talk he’ll empty the cup at a draught, and ask the clerk for a paper bag, to bring sandwich or crescent or something else back home to me. Yes they’re just ordinary sandwich and crescent but they seemed more tempting in Starbucks paper bag. So this is the brand image. The so-called intangible asset -- this thing really exists, and sounds extraordinary true when you’re chewing the proof in your mouth.

Back home at half passed eleven. Watched NBA with bro. It’s been quite a time since the last time I watched it. Didn’t find this fact during the past few months.

Europe’s almost occupied by football; baseball or basketball, they’re quite easy to forget when you stay there. Really.


和爸媽一起看電影。

晚上十一點散場，我們踏入不怎麼冷卻下著煩人細雨的夜。

"還蠻好看的唷。"我說。

"是呀，蠻好看的。"老媽說。

爸爸點頭。

在這之後就沒有任何對話。三個人默默地走回家，各自的腦子裡正不斷上演剛剛印象深刻的片段 -- 即使沒人講話也不覺得尷尬。這就是和家人在一起的好處之一。

散場之後的人潮經過新光三越。廣告燈光在深夜中格外顯眼，飄落的雨絲發出微光。人們在我耳邊興奮地討論劇情。小綠人開始倒數，我們穿越十字路口。轉角出現熟悉的starbucks。

店裡頭還有各種人待著。其中有兩個表情嚴肅，打著領帶的外國人。正面對面談著生意。當然我隔著玻璃是聽不見他們在說什麼，但就是知道他們正講著甚麼正經事。桌上的咖啡看似動也沒動過。在現在的這個時間點，他們兩個或許完全忘記自己是坐在星巴克裡吧。

對他們來說不過是一個談生意的場所，咖啡算是義務性買的。我老爸就常做這種事。談完事情後把咖啡一口喝乾，然後向店員要個紙袋把三明治或可頌什麼的帶回家給我吃。明明就是普通的三明治與可頌，被星巴克的紙袋一裝就顯得特別好吃。這就是品牌形象嗎，所謂的無形資產。這東西好像真的存在一樣，特別是你嘴巴正嚼著證據的時候。

十一點半回到家，和老弟看職籃轉播。原來自己已經這麼久沒看職籃了，在歐洲的這段期間
都沒發現這個事實。

歐洲被足球充滿了嘛。籃球或棒球什麼的，在那裡真的很容易被拋到腦後喲。