一“面”之缘.docVIP

一“面”之缘 　　One of the 1）prerequisites of the international airline pilot’s trade is the opportunity to explore many of the world’s cities. That is， if one has recovered from the 2）aggregated hours of flight across assorted time zones. True rest is difficult to come by， so most of us inhabit a kind of 3）twilight zone in which we appear to be alive and well but underneath the persevering exterior remains a numbness that clings like paint. In this altered state of awareness we carry on 4）weary conversations that eventually make no sense， snore through a motion picture， fall into our food over dinner， exude loud speech and wilder actions in some sort of 5）compensatory behaviour for knowing we are not one hundred percent， perhaps not even fifty percent. This demeanor is part of us， and always will be until we hang up the hat and finally achieve a decent night’s sleep， over and again， and the business card says “retired”. 　　But the journey is fun. And that’s what we’re all about. And， this time， it was in 6）Osaka， Japan. I was on my own and decided to wander around an 7）enticing area I’d explored on other trips， anticipating a continued adventure begun on my last visit. 　　Some lovely hours were spent poking around， first in the antique shops then the model stores. I even added to my unbuilt model airplane kit collection， representing some 300 years of modeling ahead. Then， finding the narrow sidestreet that led to the noodle shop I had discovered previously， I embarked on an almost mystical adventure. The preceding month I had entered this tiny restaurant 8）on a whim， or I thought of it as by chance. A Japanese noodle shop， so called， is fairly typical， and if you have ever been in one you know what I mean. There are a few 9）diminutive tables and chairs but the focus is on a counter behind which the cook administers his trade directly in front of the customers， conjuring such delicacies as gayoza and a number of savory noodle and rice dishes. All this is accomplished aga