Love and wine seem to be forever intertwined, two of life's most elusive yet captivating emotions.
Recently, I stumbled upon the Japanese mini-series The Flow of Evening Drinks (晩酌の流儀). This drama revolves around the theme of food and life, telling the story of a female protagonist who works in a branch of a real estate agency. Every day, she leads a fast-paced, hectic office life.
However, no matter how busy she is, she leaves work at 6 PM on the dot, preparing for her “evening drink time.” She always ensures she's ready for the evening ritual, whether by hitting the gym to burn calories or relaxing in a sauna.
For her, this time is the most precious part of the day — a moment of relaxation and reconnection with herself. The evening drink, as the name suggests, is a light-hearted session of enjoying food and alcohol after work and serves as the show's heart.
The protagonist cooks various meals by hand and pairs them with different types of beer or alcohol to conclude her busy day.
But her evening drinks aren’t just about eating and drinking; they’re about savoring life in all its flavors and nuances. Each evening drink is a time to reflect, a way for her to reconnect with herself, showing viewers that while life may be tough, balance and happiness can still be found through these simple pleasures.
The series also includes some lighthearted work and life episodes, depicting the protagonist’s interactions with her colleagues and friends. Through these relationships, the show presents how modern working women balance their busy careers with their personal lives.
One of the protagonist’s signature lines, “Evening drinks are meant to mark the beautiful end of a day,” beautifully encapsulates the philosophy behind food, drink, and life.
One night, she invited a heartbroken colleague over to share an evening drink at her place.
To console her friend, she connected to love and drinks in a profound way: “Love and alcohol are the same. Those who aren’t willing to understand the charm of the other will never experience true love. The same goes for alcohol — only those who know its allure can bring out its true flavor and savor the best moments.”
These words not only reveal the commonalities between love and alcohol but also offer us a new perspective on emotions and life. The heartbroken colleague may not have understood, but for us, the message is clear: whether it’s love or wine, both must be savored. Those who are unwilling to explore deeply will never grasp their beauty.
This sentiment draws parallels between the subtlety of love and the depth of wine — both are celebrations of joy and solitude, needing time to age and be understood.
Love is like an unopened bottle of fine wine, brimming with unknown possibilities. If we approach it with preconceived notions or fear of getting hurt, it’s as though we’re shelving the bottle away, never tasting the rich flavors it holds.
Only by opening our hearts, and exploring the differences and commonalities between ourselves and others, can we truly experience the sweetness of love.
Similarly, a glass of fine wine requires our full attention to appreciate its complexity. Different winemaking techniques and grape varieties create unique flavors. If we drink it without thought, how can we ever appreciate the delicate layers within?
As French writer Honoré de Balzac once said in Father Goriot, “Wine is the distillation of human wisdom.” Only those who recognize its charm can find true satisfaction in every sip.
English writer Oscar Wilde once remarked, “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” This applies to our relationship with wine as well. When we learn to love ourselves and appreciate the beauty in life, we naturally find better ways to love others and savor fine wine.
In the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢), the love between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu is like a slowly aging bottle of fine wine, filled with tears and longing. Their love, much like aged wine, grows richer and more profound over time, revealing its depth and complexity.
As the novel says, “All worldly affairs are learned with experience and human relations are honed through wisdom.” Just like wine, love must be lived and experienced to understand its true essence.
Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises uniquely portrays both wine and love. The characters in the novel, lost in the emptiness of love and life, often seek solace in alcohol. In his writing, wine becomes a part of the highs and lows of life and love, with the chaotic romance of the story resembling those who drink too much, carrying a void that cannot be filled. As he wrote, “You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.” In this, we see the similarity between love and wine: both provide fleeting pleasure but can leave us feeling emptier than before.
In the end, whether it’s the love in Dream of the Red Chamber or the portrayal of wine and romance in Hemingway’s work, both are profound journeys, deserving of our patience and quiet contemplation. Only those who take the time to savor them will truly experience their richness.
This is precisely what the protagonist of The Flow of Evening Drinks aims to convey. The allure of love and wine lies in the moments we take to appreciate them, slowly brewing the best moments of our lives.
沒有留言:
張貼留言