Break In

“Break in” 可以是闖空門, 也可以是磨合. 新車要break in, 新鋼琴要break in, 新喇叭要break in. 磨合結束以後叫”broken in”. 英文字改個樣子就可以了, 跟中文比起來的確是比較精簡 (也可以說比較沒有味道, it depends, 就看你是大法官在寫按例, 還是李太白在寫將進酒).

磨合期叫 Break in period (BIP). 新老師學生要break in period, 新婚佳偶要break in period. 家裡多一個寶寶要break in period. 生活中的BIP很多很多. BIP有長有短, 有新鮮 (大學新鮮人) 有痛苦 (新兵訓練), do you like BIPs? What was the last time you had your BIP with something that worth memorizing?

Are you constantly looking for or enjoying BIPs in your life? Or do you prefer no BIPs?

我覺得生活中三不五時的BIPs對生活品質有幫助. 每個人對BIP的喜好程度不同. BIP好像一個身體總動員的測試, 看看how good you “still” are.

我家買了一台新鋼琴, 看看我老婆, 先讀了一堆怎麼保養鋼琴的書, 文章. 喔 – 家裡得裝個濕度計, 確保鋼琴音質, 家裡炒菜的油煙得處理, 免得弄髒鋼琴烤漆 (早該處理了), 所以在新鋼琴入門前裝了一個新的抽油煙機. 孩子沒洗手不准碰鋼琴, 所以孩子一天洗手的次數變多了 (Good change). 彈完得稍微擦一下, 家裡最好得像台積電的半導體無塵室 (Obsessed, but…), 所以發現老公承諾兩周至少吸一次地毯常常在不知不覺就”忘記”或敷衍過去 (啊, 就這樣被抓包了, I did not see this coming).

Break in period你小心翼翼, 萬全準備, 全身的感官都在跳耀. That is good to your health. You need that from time to time.

當BIP結束時, this is what happens, 某搬家公司的工人在幫我搬家時說, 我們常常在幫人家搬鋼琴, owners都沒什麼在彈. You should find the next BIP. BIPs are a journey themselves to enjoy.