今天我們沒做任何旅遊安排，徹底給自己放假，媽媽和我去賓館吃早飯，豐富多樣的食譜令人眼花繚亂，從火腿到冰激凌蛋糕，應有盡有。正如鄰家智利和阿根廷人喜好，巴西人同樣講究早餐的氣派。我吃得不多，一看到如此盛大的早宴，不覺已鎮倒胃口。媽媽儼然掉進新鮮烘焙的巴西咖啡里而不能自拔，結果撐得連走回房間的力氣都沒剩多少。 

      To start the day off, mom and I were overwhelmed with a breakfast banquet in Brazilian style from ham to ice cream cake. It looked like a quite delightful cuisine as its neighbors like Chilean and Argentine in South America. I did not eat much, but felt full already once I was floating at the food sea. Mom indulged herself with Brazilian fresh roasted coffee and couldn't even walk to our room.

      Early afternoon, we were leaving for Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. The time appeared extremely awkward. A few of hours wouldn't do us much good. However, sitting around doing nothing wasn't my type either. What we decided our best bet before we set off was to hang around in such 5-star colonial style Hotel das Cataratas atop the canyon nestled in the rainforest and overlooking the Iguazu Falls. To me, that sounded more like videogames on the iPad. I barely talked afterwards.

      我們將於下午離開這裡，前往巴西首都巴西利亞。說起來，打發下面幾個鐘頭並非簡單。出去溜達，恐怕時間不夠；待在房間不做任何事情，又覺乏味。我們拿定主意，索性轉一轉時下住的座落在峽谷之巔、藏身於熱帶雨林當中、鳥瞰伊瓜蘇全貌的五星級殖民式“大瀑布酒店”。對我來說，這個計劃等於提示自己隨時做好玩耍平板電腦遊戲的準備。當然，我舉雙手贊成。

      Before we headed for Iguazu Intl. Airport (IGU), I had my final meal at the bar of the hotel. A chicken sandwich with a stack of tomatoes and lettuce was served on the table. It tasted like American fast-food in Brazilian flavor, which I loved. The more I experienced cross-cultural profundity at a universal level, the more I realized the civilized essentials that drew in large crowds no matter what language you spoke.

      尚未離開伊瓜蘇時，我在賓館酒吧點來最後一頓午餐。雞肉三明治厚厚地夾上西紅柿片和生菜葉，嘗起來是地地道道具有巴西風味的美式快餐，非常好吃。看來，隨着對跨國文化精華接觸越來越多，我逐漸發覺，無論人們操持何種語言，各個文明社會根基其實很容易受外部勢力影響，古為今用，洋為己用，只有兼收並蓄，才能順應時代需要。

      As soon as I boarded on a TAM airplane, I fell asleep soundly all the way through the entire flight. I awoke just in time to see the glistening lights of Brasilia. 

      登上了巴西天馬航空公司的班機，我立刻倒頭大睡，一路酣聲四起。醒來時，正趕上飛機降落，巴西利亞星光燦爛。

      Finally, a scrumptious plate of spaghetti and meatballs ended my boring day. I never knew that eating would be so interesting compared to jumping from one place to another I did today.

      夜晚臨睡前，噴香的意大利麵條拌上肉丸子總算了斷了無聊憋屈的一天。我做夢都沒想到，吃東西要比馬不停蹄飛來飛去更有意思。

(二O一三年一月八日)