台北夜晚，旅行、陌生人和新朋友。Taipei evening, travel, stranger and new friend. (English version follows)

昨天傍晚的台北天空出現難得的高積雲，抬頭看到滿天小小的雲朵像是爆米花，感覺很像在街頭看電影。走在大安公園附近趕著赴約，第一次在台北跟沙發衝浪上認識的朋友見面，但其實從未見過面。

朋友問我說跟陌生人見面真的好嗎？你又不認識他。

「ㄟ，聊聊就認識了，聊不來的話就吃頓晚飯掰掰呀。」

我常常想起前些日子歐洲旅程中遇到的無數陌生人的好意，有些是透過沙發衝浪認識，然後我們在米蘭的運河邊聊到寫字對我們的意義驚人地相似；有些透過blablacar 汽車共乘認識，一起度過絕對值得在我人生記上一筆的巴黎驚險之旅；有些是餐廳聊聊認識，然後我吃到超美味的黎巴嫩雞肝卷；有些是朋友的朋友，在我旅程中最難過焦慮的時候，二話不說就帶我去羅馬郊區秘密公園散心壓驚；有些是透過airbnb認識，聊完之後我感覺我回家了。

當然旅程中還是有許多白爛事發生，但總之我一如往常的盡力看到美好，如果沒有這些溫暖的時刻，我想我無法走到這麼遠。在收到這些美好之後，除了在心裡收好這些回憶之外，我所能做的，就是想辦法把這些禮物再轉送給下一個陌生人。

首次身為台北人和沙發衝浪客見面的心得：有些時候在沒有預期的狀況下反而最有趣；新朋友是在美國長大的伊朗人，現在在帛琉工作。一個晚上聊下來，我好像同時去了這三個地方旅行，有陽光照耀著清澈的海灘、步步為營的紐約街頭和伊朗文化的簡略導讀，順便拜訪了大學時代最愛的酒吧MOD。

一場隨意跳躍時間和空間的夜晚旅行，配一杯冰涼的啤酒。

Ps. 永恆路癡如我，走出酒吧時，竟然順口就問朋友前面這是忠孝東路嗎？「對」他很篤定的說。結果他說對了。

Taipei evening, travel, stranger and new friend.

Popcorn-like cloud on the sky last evening at Taipei, walking around feels like watching a movie on the street. Going to meet a new couchsurfer who is visiting Taipei for the first time.

“Is it really ok to meet a stranger like that? You don’t even know him!” A friend asked me.

“Ehhh, well, we have to meet people to know people, right?” I said.

I often think of some people I met during my trip in Europe this time, sweet and kind strangers. Some I met through couchsurfing, then we discovered we share similar feelings towards writing. Some I met when I shared a car ride on Blablacar, and found out roads in Paris can really be killing, but also exciting. Some I met randomly in a restaurant, then I got the chance to taste absolutely delicious and authentic Lebanese chicken liver pate burrito. Some I met through friends, at my very helpless moment, they just came to pick me up and took me to a hidden park in Rome to bring the smile back to my face. Some I met through airbnb, after a few chats, I know I’m home now.

Of course there are still always chances that shit happens in trip, but naïve as me, I always try my best to see the beauty. Without all those warm and gentle moments, I couldn’t make it that far. As I carefully take care of all these little glimmers, all I can do now, is to pass forward these gifts, to a next stranger.

For the first time being a couchsurfing host in Taipei, Rule No. 1 – more fun when less expectation. Stranger/ New friend is an American Iranian now work and live in Palau. After a night with local Taiwanese dinner, it feels like I travel to all these 3 places at the same time, sunny beach, crowded New York and a bit of introduction of Iranian culture.

With a glass of icy cold beer in hand, at a bar called MOD in Taipei, which is also my most favourite hangout place back to my university time.

A trip cross time and space.