再難，也繼續走下去
在馬達加斯加東部，當地獵人出發遠征之前，會先摘幾顆煥顏草的紅色果實帶在身上。
這是一種薑科植物。葉莖能長到三四米高，花卻不生在頂端，而是貼著地面開，因此果實也結在腳邊。剝開紅熟的果皮，裡面是酸甜多汁的白色果肉，裹著一顆顆深色的籽。果肉用來止渴，籽則帶著辛香。
它在馬拉加斯語裡叫 longoza。辭典將它拆成兩個字根：lona，久久不在；hoza，經歷困難。連在一起，就是一段長途跋涉的艱辛。
知道前面是艱辛，人還是帶著它上路。
我們一生總有一些時刻，會離開熟悉的生活，走上一條未知的路。從來沒有人說過這條路容易走。可是，走得艱難，跟走不下去，是兩回事。
煥顏草籽的香氣，剛好合這樣的路。初聞帶有一點辛，是溫暖而透著綠意的辛香。它有著小豆蔻的影子，但少了嗆進鼻腔的那種尖銳。慢慢地，氣味會沉下來，化作一種近似絲柏的木質感。就像安靜地待在旁邊，陪你坐一會。
如果今天覺得步伐沉重，對前方的路感到迷惘，不妨停一停。
願這抹溫暖的木質辛香陪你一段路。路不易行，但我們繼續走。
以香為語，安在當下。
𝑩𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕.
Hard going, still going.
In eastern Madagascar, a hunter setting out on a long expedition picks a few red fruits and takes them along.
They belong to a plant in the ginger family. Its leafy stems reach three or four metres, yet the flowers never open up there. They sit close to the ground, so the fruit ripens at your feet. Break the ripened skin and there is a sweet-sour white pulp around a cluster of dark seeds. The pulp answers thirst; the seeds carry a warm spice.
The plant is called longoza. A Malagasy dictionary traces the word to two roots: lona, to be gone a long while, and hoza, to meet with hardship. Put together, they describe a long and difficult journey. Which means the hunter knows exactly what lies ahead, and sets out carrying it anyway.
There are stretches of a life that work the same way. We leave what is familiar and start down a road nobody promised would be easy. But finding a road hard and being unable to walk it are two different things.
The scent suits that kind of road. It opens with a little heat, a warm spice with something green running through it, cardamom without the sharpness that catches in the nose. Then it settles into a quiet woodiness, close to cypress. It sits beside you rather than urging you on.
If today feels heavy, and the way ahead unclear, there is no harm in pausing.
May this warm and woody spice keep you company for part of the road. The road is not easy. We keep walking.
Grounded in the present, spoken through scent.
𝑩𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕.