英语路

方壶斋

在蒙特瑞，英语路对很多学生，老师，低收入家庭来说是一个家喻户晓的名字。这条路的名字起源不详，不知道是英语路，还是英国人路还是英国的路。大概因为自己是学英语的，当初一见到它就定名为英语路了。

刚来蒙特瑞的第二天，热心的塞尔维亚女房东佐丽卡就开车带我去买菜，第一家菜店就是英语路把口的这个绿房子。她介绍说，这里的菜比别的地方都便宜。初来乍到，跟着她车跑，到了那里还如在五里云雾之中，不知道现在自己的方位如何。只是等到后来有了自行车，才发现这个菜店并不远（按照北京的标准来说）而且在蒙特瑞的主要大道之一上。

后来碰到新来蒙特瑞的老师或者学生，我都给他们推荐这家菜店，并且告诉他们，如果是从蒙特瑞市中心出发，那沿着弗兰克林路往山下走到底，见丁字路口往左拐，贴右道，见路右拐，贴右道一直朝前走，经过右手边一个像公园一样的海军研究生院继续向前，见到一号公路的路桥顺道右拐马上上左道开进停车场便是。

这个菜店的名字叫做黛尔蒙地农贸市场，因为它在黛尔蒙地大道和英语路的街角上。它还有一家分店在另外一条主干道福利梦大道上，斜对着美国银行。虽然名字不同，两边的菜价却都是一样的。这两家店都有五毛九一袋的削价蔬菜。很多如果买回去马上就吃还是可以的。

黛尔蒙地农贸市场是很多中国老师下班以后回家路上常常停留一下的地方。有的则周末出去买菜的时候也特为在那里停一下。我去那里的时候，常常会碰到认识的人。当初我买了汽车以后，周末出去，会告诉一个不开车的同事：“我去英语路，带不带菜？” 有的周末，这位同事会说咱们去英语路吧。很少的时候我会带着同事去，因为我车一开出去就没谱了，指不定什么时候回来。另外，我也不想让别人误解我是合家外出买菜，因为有一次店里的小姑娘确实这么问了我一哈。

说到那里的店员，基本上都是女的，有一段时间有个小伙子帮忙装装口袋。这几年来，那里的店员很是换了几个，只有一个在中途消失了一段时间以后又出现了，而且至今还在做。

她的名字是丽达（假名），是在我来蒙特瑞大约两年后出现在店里的。因为她出现在店里了，我去买菜就勤了。星期六去过，星期天也还去一下，有的时候说是出来骑车遛弯顺便给同事带点菜。我这也不完全是假话，因为我骑车都是往那边跑，有事没事都从那里经过。

在我看来，丽达是一个很漂亮的女孩子，虽然皮肤黑一些，打扮上也就是一般劳动人民的样子。她长脸略瘦，大眼睛，卷曲长发，有点像我见到过的一张詹妮佛-洛佩兹穿着红色衣服，戴着红色项链的半身像，但是她的眉毛开端比洛佩兹的粗黑，长度也比洛佩兹短。她的脸架没有洛佩兹那样的圆润，而是更近似于佛丽达那样的棱角。当她略施淡妆的时候，她显得青春勃发性感十足，当她没有化妆的时候，有时会显得疲惫。

有一次带办公室的那个女同事去买菜。同事买完菜上车后说：“这个女孩挺漂亮的。”又有一次跟另外一个女同事去那里买菜，那个同事却说这个女孩子不好看。看来人都是有感觉的时候眼里才出西施的。

第一次见到丽达，她在店里扫地。我问她是不是新来的，除了在这里工作还有没有上学等。那个时候她的英语还结结巴巴。但是我发现很快她的英语就改进了。这跟我在别的地方见到的一些店员不一样，死活不肯好好学英语。

一年圣诞节将近的时候我去店里买菜见到她。她开玩笑说圣诞节有什么礼物给她。
我没有想到，但是也没有说话。圣诞节的时候，带了一个中国结送给她，说你挂在车里吧。

每次去买菜的时候如果店里不忙，我就跟她练习几句西班牙语，并且开玩笑说请她下班后去吃饭。她说我不能，我有男朋友。

她说她的男朋友是另外一个城市的警长。我说那我可不敢情你吃饭了，搞不好你男朋友来给我突撸一梭子。她哈哈大笑。

最近两年店里时不时地出现一个跟丽达长得很像但是年龄略大的女孩，有的时候在黛尔蒙地这边，有的时候在分店那边。有一次我忍不住好奇问她是不是丽达的姐姐。她颇为激动地说：“怎么你也这样说？好多人都这样说。不是。她是墨西哥人，我是萨尔瓦多人。” 过了很长时间没有见到她，我把这个都忘了。碰到她，我又说：“你是不是丽达的。。。”“不是，我不是丽达的姐姐！”我才想起来：“啊，萨尔瓦多！”

奇怪的是这里的拉丁移民，不是墨西哥人就是萨尔瓦多人，很少碰到危地马拉人，洪都拉斯人，更不用说秘鲁人，阿根廷人了。我们单位食堂的几个拉丁裔工人都是萨尔瓦多的。大概他们互通信息，彼此介绍工作机会。萨尔瓦多人如果非法进入美国那可不容易，得穿过两个国家。墨西哥虽然对自己跑到美国去的非法移民睁一只眼闭一只眼，对企图穿越墨西哥的别国非法移民却是防范得很紧。有一个电影叫做《北方》，反映的就是两个危地马拉兄妹穿越墨西哥进入美国的故事，是八十年代获得极好评价的一部电影。

这次从中国回来去英语路买菜见到丽达。买完菜想起来书包里有一块湖北酥糖，便转回去找到她说：“这是我老家的糖！” “Vow! Thanks you!”。

2007-1-20

English Road

Fang Huzhai

English Road is a family word for many students, teachers and low income families here in Monterey. I do not know how this road got its name and if it means the road of the English language, or the road of the English people, or the road to England. I assumed it should be understood as meaning the road of the English language, perhaps because I was a student of English.

The second day after I arrived in Monterey, my warm-hearted Serb landlady Zorica drove me to grocery shopping and the first stop was this green house at the beginning of English Road. She told me the produce there was cheaper than all other places. I was new to the area and when I was in front of the store, I had no idea where I was. Only after I got my bike did I find out that the store was not far and was on a main road of Monterey.

Later, whenever there were new students or teachers, I would recommend the store to them and told them that if they start from downtown Monterey, they could come to the bottom of Franklin and turn left. Keep on right lane and turn right when hitting the next road. Still keeping on right lane they should go all forward, passing a park-like NPS and going on till they see the freeway overpass. Turn right following the lane and then left into the parking lot and there they would be.

The name of the grocery store is DelMonte Produce, because it was at the corner of DelMonte and English Road. It has a branch on the other main road of Monterey called Fremont, facing the Bank of America at a slight angle. Though of different names, the two stores sell the same produce at the same price. They both have discount produce of 59 cents a bag for quick consuption.

DelMonte Produce is a place where many Chinese teachers make a stop when going home after work. Some stop there on their weekend runs of grocery stores. I often met people I know when I go there. When I bought my car and drove out on weekends, I would often told a colleague who did not drive: “I am going to English Road, do you want grocery?” On some weekends, the colleague would say let’s go to English Road. I seldom go with my colleagues because once I drove out, I did not know where I would be and when I would be back.

The cashiers there were almost all women. For some time there was a young man helping with bagging. There had been quite some turnover of cashiers. Only one of them, after disappearing for some time and surfacing again, is now still working there.

Her name is Lida and she came to the store about two years after I came to Monterey. Because of her, I went to the store more often. I would often go there on Sundays though I had been there the previous day. Sometimes I would say I was in the neighborhood exercising on my bike and was getting my colleague some produce. It was partially true because when I rode out, I always went in that direction no matter what.
As far as I see it, Lida is a pretty girl, although her skin is a little bit darker than what the Chinese would deem beautiful and she always dresses in the working class clothes. She has a long thin face, big eyes, curled long hair, often reminding me of a photo of Jennifer Lopes in red dress with a red necklace. Her browns however start thicker and darker than those of Jennifer’s and end shorter. Her face does not have the rounded smoothness of Jennifer Lopez, but has more semblance to the angular face of Frida. When she puts on makeup she appears young and sensual and sometimes when she does not care about makeup, she would appear somewhat tired

One day I was there with my female colleague whom is mentioned before. When we left, my colleague sat into the car and said: “that girl is pretty.” Another time, I was there with another female colleague and she remarked that the girl was not pretty at all. It seems only when you are in the right mood do you see the beauty of someone.

The first time I saw Lida was when she was sweeping the floor at the store. I asked her if she was new and if she was going to school in addition to working. She spoke broken English at that time but soon I found her English improving fast. It is different from some cashiers I met in other stores who would give everything not to work on their English.

Once it was Christmas when I went to the store. She joked out of my expectation what gift I had for her. I did not say anything and later brought her a China Knot for her to hang in her car. I did not know if she had a car.

When she was not busy I would practice some Spanish on her and jokingly invited her to eat. She told me that she couldn’t because she had a boyfriend.

She said her boyfriend was a sheriff in another city. I said then I dared not take you out. I do not want bullets put in me. She laughed heartily.

Recently a girl often shows up in the store who looks like Lida but is older. Sometimes she works at DelMonte Produce and sometimes at the branch store. One day, unable to hold my curiosity, I asked if she was the older sister of Lida. “How come you say so too. Many people have said that. No I am not. She is Mexican and I am from Salvador.” After a long time since then when I saw her again I had forgotten what she had told me and asked again: “Are you Lida’s…” “No, yo no soy hermana de Lida!” “Ah, yes, Salvador!”

Strange is it that the Latinos in this area are either Mexicans or Salvadorans. Seldom do I see someone from Guatemala and Honduras, much less to say Peru and Argentina. The several Hispanics at the chow hall of my school are all from Salvador. I think they pass to one another employment messages. For Salvadorans, it would be hard if they should want to come into the U.S. illegally, for they had to pass two countries. Mexico closes one eye on her own illegal immigrants to the States, but keeps a close watch on those who want to go through Mexico. There is a movie El Norte that tells of a young  man and her sister from Guatemala who attempted to enter the U.S. illegally by way of Mexico. It had good reception in the 80’s.

Not long ago, after I came back from China I saw Lida at the store. After shopping I remembered I had a piece of Chinese candy. I returned, searched for her since she had left the counter for an interior room, and gave her the candy: “From my hometown.”

“Vow, thank you!” she beamed.

“并且开玩笑说请她下班后去吃饭。”

敢邀请姑娘吃饭，老方有希望！：)