I finally requested and got the book “WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING” by HARUKI MURAKAMI (村上春樹) from public library. I know it has been on market for more than one year, but it is not so easy to find Chinese book in Canada by using the online catalogue system. Like this one, I thought it was Chinese version at the moment I requested, but it came out to be English when I collected it over the counter.

This is my first time to read HARUKI’s work in English and found it is pretty straight forward. The translation is done by Professor Philip Gabriel, Department of East Asian Studies of Arizona University.

HARUKI’s personality is disclosed through his own analysis of his reason why he chooses jogging as his daily activity for more than 20 years: “The thing is, I’m not much for team sports. That’s just the way I am. Whenever I play soccer or baseball …… I never feel comfortable.” (p.8) What a honest disclosure to his true mind. From this point of view, he is actually very westernized. He does not like to hide his feelings.

He is sharing his attitude to life through showing his thoughts on competitive sports: “……I could never get into the kind of games you play with others. I am also not very good at one-on-one sports like tennis. I enjoy squash, but generally when it comes to a game against someone, the competitive aspect makes me uncomfortable.” (p. 8-9)

It seems that he is uncompetitive. If so, what or who has motivated him to finish so many famous novels? HARUKI gave out the answer without any concealment: “I never cared all that much whether I beat others or lost to them. …… beating somebody else just doesn’t do it for me.” (p.9)

This is his way. His way reflects his personality. His personality decided his setting Marathon as his goal, and running perfectly fits his mindset.

In the summer of 2005, HARUKI went back to Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He wrote: “It’s been ten years since I last lived in Cambridge (which was from 1993 to 1995, back when Bill Clinton was president).”

What a coincidence! I was living in Cambridge from 1994 to 1996. The difference is I never got back to see “the Charles River again.”

But from his description,  I know “the Charles River in particular looked totally unchanged……. The water still flows swiftly, and silently, toward Boston Harbor.”

There are always many people running, skating and biking along the shore of the Charles River. I have a dream -- I might have met HARUKI during my stay in Cambridge. He might be just one of those joggers passing by. On some certain Sundays, I was watching those jazz bands performing at Harvard Square. He might be one of the few Asians standing quietly aside.

I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication