1898

2004

說起紐約的猶太人，說起Lower East Side, 一下子就想到了在WilliamsBurg Bridge陰影下的Orchard Street. 在紐約的時候,特別喜歡看到雜誌介紹什麼地方好玩,就周末背個小包晃過去.

比如說,這個Orchard Street. 看到不知道哪篇文章的介紹，說是那裡是Bargain Heaven，尤其是有個SHop是專賣Movie Props 家具的. 想到若是能和誰誰吹俺的這個墊子是某某星星做過的（哇，Titanic裡面Rose靠的那個？？ 做夢啊！）多美啊。。俺頓時來了興致。某個不冷不熱的星期天，俺在Chinatown吃飽喝足，沿着Grant Street踱將過去。走了沒多遠，街上的牌子就已經很興高采烈的宣布:Orchard市場區。看看周圍，除了幾家巴基斯坦人/猶太人/阿拉伯人（我總也搞不清）開的電器店，還沒有什麼嗎。店主老兄熱情地站在門口：“MY FRIEND, COME IN" 這不會是俺哥們說得賣他Grey Market電器的那位吧．．．　
繼續晃，拐上Orchard。瓦，好熱鬧，街市呢．　路邊那些小樓房，看着都很古舊的．街當中就是 Tenement Museum,好像是那時候愛爾蘭，德國難民住的地方。。　五六個人一間屋子的平民窟。好像要收錢，探了探頭，不去也罷．　那個家具店怎麼也沒找到，路邊還有幾家比較異類的酒吧。還有好些賣衣服，賣皮包，皮鞋，皮衣的。哇哇，尤其是幾家Corset的專賣店啊，什麼年代啦，還有這麼多人穿Corset啊？　價錢也不低，但是顧客們都在熱烈的討價還價，看看打扮，好多都是猶太人的樣子．．．　

容納了一代又一代新移民的老房子，橋上的汽車聲，火車聲，想到那些講述十九世紀故事的偵探小說．看着充滿希望辛苦努力的人們，想起了Neil Diamond在這裡寫的歌。。。　

Beautiful Noise
What a beautiful noise
Comin' up from the street
Got a beautiful sound
It's got a beautiful beat

It's a beautiful noise
Goin' on everywhere
Like the clickety-clack
Of a train on a track
It's got a rhythm to spare

It's a beautiful noise
And it's sound that I love
And it's fit me as well
As a hand in a glove
Yes it does, yes it does

What a beautiful noise
Comin' up from the park
It's the song of the kids
And it plays until dark

It's the song of the cars
On their furious flights
But there's even romance
In the way that they dance
To beat of the lights

It's a beautiful noise
And it's a sound that I love
And it makes me feel good
Like a hand in a glove
Yes it does, yes it does
What a beautiful noise

It's a beautiful noise
Made of joy an of strife
Like a symphony played
By a passing parade
It's the music of life

What a beautiful noise
Comin' up to my room
And it's beggin' for me
Just to give it a tune