今年過聖誕節的方式也不同，公司在一樓大廳處擺了一棵有燈飾與音樂的聖誕樹，三樓的透明玻璃也佈置了燈飾，尤其到了晚上燈光亮起時更加點綴的佳節的氣氛。24日下午在公司收到往來銀行的一份專送禮物，覺得很驚訝，是一個裝有許多餅乾與巧克力的藍子，包裝紙拆掉後取所有小禮物擺在櫃上，靈機一動貼上號碼標籤，讓所有部裏的同仁對號抽獎。
晚上參加中方投資方在飯店請我們外方的聖誕夜晚餐，只是聚餐並沒有特別的活動，最大的考驗是陪喝酒，還好長官知道我不會喝酒而不會勉強我，兩種酒任選一種：黃酒或白酒，我只好選白酒，中方代表是前任我們公司的董事長，北方人年近六十，態度穩健，說話比較中肯，話中謙虛的讚揚在座台方及日方代表國家經濟的成就，直言的指出大陸需要改進學習的地方，說飛彈能有二十顆打到美國已經不錯，而美國起碼有兩千顆可以打到中國，經濟成長方面值得肯定，但是一比較人均就差人家很多，過多人口造成問題，而重視量產的結果使的生產過剩造成通貨緊縮，不重視技術的提昇，在進入WTO後五至十年是最痛苦的時期，但政府有些方面已經在進步，重視環保方面，在黃河上游重視造林與限制上游農民抽水耕作，加強道路交通建設等。倒不像是有些人不斷地誇大其詞。餐後，帶著一些醉意回到公寓中。
25日到市區逛逛，感受節日的氣氛，百貨公司正是年終大回饋，偌大的標語：買兩千送一千活動，廣場上汽球、音樂與人潮構成了佳節熱鬧氣氛，在溫馨的小表演台有現場音樂演奏，有兩支薩克斯風、一支小喇叭與電子琴合奏中外古典音樂，都是四五十歲的中年人，我駐足了許久，當演奏慢節拍時我一方面聆聽著，小喇叭的聲音喚起對父親的思念，不覺得眼框也濕潤了。當演奏輕快的音樂時，心跳又隨著音樂的節奏起伏。
在回程的地鐵站竟巧遇辦事處財務人員，於是到他公寓坐坐，晚上他帶我至一家百年老店的餐廳用餐，一行三人守著正在用餐客人的一桌，直到坐上位子，點了雲南過橋米線、一盤白斬雞與煎餛飩，結果米線湯太鹹而餛飩太油。餐罷，三人同往外攤看夜景，我住在市郊而少有機會夜晚在市區久待，今晚是大開眼界，白天看街道旁的建築物並沒什特別，晚上在燈光襯托中每一棟早期洋人在上海留下的建築物好像穿了件彩衣似的綻放出金碧輝煌，最亮麗耀眼的莫過於聳立在黃浦江另一側江邊的東方明珠建物，加上江邊兩岸強力彩色燈直色入黑幕夜空，煞是迷人。上金光閃閃的遊輪緩緩行駛於江面上，欣賞這一外攤的夜景，讓我今年的聖誕節也顯得特別些了。
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聖誕晚餐美氣氛，薩克斯風思父親，巧遇舊識吃米線，外攤夜景煞迷人。
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Enchanting Christmas: Lights, Music, and Joyful City Exploration
Celebrating Christmas this year is different. The company has set up a Christmas tree with lights and music in the lobby, and the glass windows on the third floor are also adorned with decorations. Especially at night, when the lights are lit, it adds to the festive atmosphere. On the 24th afternoon, the company received a special gift from a partner bank, which was a blue box filled with cookies and chocolates. After unwrapping the packaging, I placed all the small gifts on the counter and had the idea of putting number labels on them for a lucky draw among my colleagues.
In the evening, I attended a Christmas dinner hosted by the Chinese investors for our foreign delegation. It was a simple dinner without any special activities, but the real challenge was keeping up with the drinking. Fortunately, my supervisor knew that I didn't drink alcohol and didn't force me. We were given a choice between yellow wine and white liquor, and I had to choose the latter. The Chinese representative was the former chairman of our company, a person in his late fifties from the northern region. He had a steady demeanor and spoke fairly, praising the economic achievements of Taiwan and Japan while also pointing out areas where mainland China needed improvement. He mentioned that having twenty missiles capable of reaching the United States was already impressive, whereas the U.S. had at least two thousand missiles that could target China. He acknowledged the positive economic growth but highlighted the disparity in per capita income and the challenges posed by overpopulation. He discussed the consequences of focusing on quantity rather than technological advancements and mentioned the painful period China went through after joining the WTO. However, he also noted that the government had made progress in environmental protection, emphasizing afforestation and restrictions on upstream farmers' water usage in the Yellow River, as well as improvements in road infrastructure. It was refreshing to hear such candid opinions, rather than exaggerated claims. After the dinner, I returned to the apartment with a slight intoxication.
On the 25th, I went to the city center to soak in the festive atmosphere. The department stores were offering end-of-year promotions, with banners proclaiming "Buy 2,000, Get 1,000 Free." The plaza was filled with balloons, music, and crowds, creating a lively holiday ambiance. On a cozy performance stage, live musicians were playing saxophones, trumpets, and electronic keyboards, performing classical music from both Chinese and Western traditions. The musicians were middle-aged individuals in their forties and fifties. I stood there for a long time, deeply moved by the slow melodies, and the sound of the trumpet evoked memories of my father, bringing tears to my eyes. When the music became lively, my heart danced to the rhythm.
On my way back, I coincidentally met a colleague from the finance department at the subway station. We decided to visit his apartment, and in the evening, he took me to a century-old restaurant. The three of us waited at a table while the customers finished their meal. Finally, we sat down and ordered Yunnan-style rice noodles, a plate of white-cut chicken, and pan-fried dumplings. Unfortunately, the broth for the rice noodles was too salty, and the dumplings were too oily. After the meal, we went outside to enjoy the night view. Since I lived in the suburbs, I rarely had the chance to spend evenings in the city center. Tonight was an eye-opening experience. During the day, the buildings along the streets didn't seem particularly special, but at night, illuminated by lights, each of the early 20th-century architectural structures appeared splendid as if they were dressed in colorful attire. The most dazzling and captivating sight was the Oriental Pearl Tower on the other side of the Huangpu River. Along both sides of the riverbank, vibrant colored lights added a touch of enchantment to the dark night sky, creating a mesmerizing scene. A golden cruise ship glided slowly on the river, and I admired this magnificent nocturnal panorama. It made my Christmas this year feel extra special.
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