烈嶼行﹝4﹞/ 莊峻華

烈嶼行﹝4﹞/ 莊峻華 晚餐後，我們四位男士又到村頭舊餐館串門，四位就是仲龍，大公子，三 峽么女婿，和我，舊餐館就是剛來探問這家，整個后頭，均是方姓，都有 親戚關係，男主人解釋當年其父親，隻手經營餐館一事，我不曾花錢前來 銷費，但我有幾次，或僅一次，陪連輔導長來吃黃魚，是如此方式，我們 在村頭遇見小販，鐵馬前掛兩尾大黃魚，連輔買下一尾，當年約是拾元， 二十元新台幣，約有十幾斤重，很大一尾，他就將魚迅速帶到舊餐館，交 給老闆，老闆代為烹煮，是免費但是魚分一半，就是分一半，量仍然甚多， 可供兩餓漢，饜食而歸，老闆紅燒，許多細切蔬菜作料佐配，黃魚吃起來， 像豆腐一般細嫩，連上廚房，有很多烈嶼病戶，出院時贈送黃魚，大鍋菜 作不出如此口味，我提起舊事，41年前舊事，老闆已過世，小老闆仍舊憶 得這些往事曰，幫過其父經營，一直到駐軍撤出后頭，晚餐中有位豪飲者 亦在場，繼續邀么女婿喝高粱，么女婿不勝酒力，低聲懇求放他一馬，於 是大公子陪他，大公子在生日席上，為其父生辰宴，酒戰群雄，猜拳喝令， 已是強弩之末，輪到仲龍，他也超過其三杯幾次，幸好桌上有位貴賓，是 烈嶼島選出之女縣議員，年輕貌美，約是陪其夫婿來，或是舊餐館之媳婦， 她熟練之接下酒招，回答我之好奇問，縣議員烈嶼幾席？大概僅一席，但 若有按照婦女保障額，應有兩席，然後分析大金門如何佔小金門便宜，影 響到烈嶼經費，觀察其談吐，誠懇信人，閩南語流利，表達無礙，我非常 佩服，家裡有電話來，督促切生日蛋糕。 晚上三女兒關照注意，幾位酒醉之男士，也安排好翌晨回台北之交通，我 跟她從后頭，搭二女婿座車到碼頭，上岸後改搭記程車到山外，搭飛機返 台北，三女兒住中和，我可以幫他運一行李，在山外機場買一條香菸給其 夫。我們在水頭，由記程車司機帶領，去拜望后頭老村長小女兒阿惠不果， 阿惠約是開小貨車送貨去也。在機場等候，遇見一位美婦，年紀七十，仍 舊非常迷人，認出三女兒，我呼其為雪樣，其夫為日本餐館大廚，因工作 講日語，連她都跟著學，她是位裁縫師，專門修改新娘禮服。我在旁邊聆 聽兩女士交談，我正好奇，如何錯過如此美貌之冰果店老闆娘？當日到木 柵訪義女家人，國忠嫂一下也想不出，說是可能是人家繼室。 雪樣帶我到中和一菜市場午飯，此素食店正在打烊午休，也是大金門移民， 詢問雪樣是否房屋自有，她點頭，金門人到台灣打天下，兢兢業業，令我 想起美國，到烈嶼旅行，勾起多少往事回憶。

烈嶼行﹝3﹞/ 莊峻華

烈嶼行﹝3﹞/ 莊峻華 我在金門兜留約是24小時，其中大部份在過去營房所在后頭村，我服 兵役大部份是生活在此村落和已廢棄之碉堡，村落已經煥然一新，但是 人煙稀落，部隊已去不在，而且村落人口，多半他去，留下來者，均為 長備，老弱婦孺，台電和中華電信，投資在金門，期待小三通，可以帶 來一些過夜遊客，不想直航緊接，無需經過廈門到中國。我仍想描述我 這24小時之心得，我在仲龍岳父大人府上，乘車到碼頭附近之一餐館， 在岳父家過夜，在一舊餐館親妻家，聽一位貌美女縣議員談論，翌晨如 何回碼頭搭渡輪到大金門水頭，再回台北，一直到回中和，永和。 烈嶼原是廈門港之外島，自古平靜，冷戰期間有過緊張，我猜測其島之 開發，與五口通商有關係，廈門是其中一港，許多人經由此到南洋工作 ，仲龍岳父，未分得祖產，其宅土地屬長兄所有，家人無法擴建，長兄 已歿，其後人居汶萊，就是馬來西亞之一富邦，婆羅乃。過去我門營區 ，野戰醫院，都是在其領土上佔用，就是現在碉堡荒蕪廢棄，也不見土 地歸還民有，我想此與戰地政務，土地所有權，和台灣稍異，我一老友 國忠兄，離島期間，祖產土地一塊，被劃為公園，仍舊無法計較討回。 老人長子在台灣教書退休，邀請老父母移民到美濃定居，老人家寧可住 在烈嶼老屋。 生日宴席上，我被安排在一退休老師席，多半是大公子舊日烈嶼國中同 事，多半在台灣退休，因為烈中現在僅存80多位學生，我當兵時曾夢想 到烈中教書，營長反對，當年有位莊主任幫忙不果，我在餐桌上提到此公 ，他們都說身體欠安，已經搬到台灣，我素食，餐廳老闆對素食，特別興 趣，我們兩位素食者有福氣，過去看到大尾黃魚和馬加魚等均未見到，只 見到小只牡蠣，台灣和美國之蚵，均為大號，當然宴席豐盛，只不過我太 興奮，許多感觸，乎略飲食罷了，小金門人豪酒，高粱都是乾杯。 仲龍嫂阿秋，是位美女，連我當年都注意到，常到營房來取衣送衣，許多 醫官制服，都是交給村落小姐燙洗，阿秋領衣照顧弟妹，父親洗衣，非常 刻苦，這位岳父識字，過去幫村落人寫信到汶萊。家裏有許多兄弟姊妹，都 是一個照顧一個，無形中培養成一特殊之感情。仲龍為醫護兵，在病房照顧 阿秋之一姑媽，贏得芳心，這是很不容易之事，我高中一位小金門同學，思 想阿秋小姐，卻未得傾彩，仲龍曰也有醫官落花有意，只憾流水。兩人婚姻 開始非常艱困，一直到他考上中信職位，他說有鬱悶氣，則騎機車出野外。

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen(2)/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen(2)/ Charles Chuang There was a white laboratory across the street from the bus stop following a sitting lady and did not want to go away. He was so adorable. I walked across the street. She kept on whispering to the dog back home. The dog usually followed her to the bus stop for food and without food, he was not leaving. Actually, it was a bag of two pieces deep fly rice cookie which was my favorite as well. He concentrated eating the cookies. Something came in to my mind, I asked her that I knew. There was this soldier in my old company who married a local girl after I left. She told me, as a matter of fact, that this man was in the village for the time being to celebrate his father-in-law’s 96 birthday. She asked an old man on an electrical wheel to show me where the house was. I recognized the man instantly. He was drinking sorghum liquor with his brothers and sisters in law in the front court yard. I was received warmly and took him 30 minutes to recognize whom I was. He was assigned to our unit not too long before I was discharged. Chung Lung and our captain, as a matter of fact was a major, were with the same surname while the captain’s first name was Gin Lung which means golden dragon. After I was discharged, it was Chung Lung’s turn to be given all the hard time by the captain. In the army we called it a shock, electrical shock or whip, lash to receive discipline regularly. I have been very stupid and stubborn by birth and many people like to discipline me all the time. Luckily I met some officers from Santong, China, gave me some help to avoid bad consequences. He, Chung Lung, described a story which occurred after I left. He followed a first lieutenant Chen, the commander of a field hospital, to Kinmen for regular business. Chen decided to delay two days to return to our unit and was found guilty by a punishment of isolation in a closed barracks. There were many other surgeons in our company/filed hospital from , for example, draftees from civilian medical school graduate, graduate from military medical school such as Chen, and supporting army surgeons from the first army corporation etc. The Captain was not worry at all and in the name of discipline, both of them should be punished with no exception. Chung Lung has no regret what so ever for that punishment and I have no idea about Chen. One day there was an accident in training at Da Dan Island, the island adjacent to Leiyu even closer to Shamen, China that I would say about 4,000 meters away. The commander, a brigadier, accompanied the wounded rush to our field hospital. He demand to see the chief of the hospital as asking why he was absent from the hospital and report and brief the situation to him. The captain’s private was scared and responded with a full army reporting manner that the chief was jailed by the captain. The brigadier , also the vice division commander, pulled out his pistol and yelled to the captain, you set him free or I’ll soot you right on the spot. The captain and our new battalion commander all had a face like a color of pork liver. I stayed over nigh and attended the 96 birthday dinner and witnessed how the guests enjoying drinking. This reminded me that year when I was a guest of my old friend’s family for a local celebration dinner and got drunk. The liquor was made from sorghum. Because of the high quality, sorghum liquor production cannot meet the high demand from China. The next morning, he took me back to the village and took some pictures for my memory. Leiyu reminds me most difficult time of my life including the difficulty of my son Arthur’s defect birth difficulty. Where there is a will, there is always a way.

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen/ Charles Chuang A young staff at Wanhwa new immigrants center where I discovered a free Internet use helped me to check the schedule to fly to Kinmen, the old frontier; therefore, the next morning at 5:30 am I went to Dingsi station to take the first bus to Songshan airport. Someone advised me to wait till 6:00 am to take the first subway was better. I took the subway and changed at Chunshaw Fushin station and arrived at the airport very quickly. This airport was the one which I took off to the U.S. 39 years ago. It was very different in feeling in my mind. During 1971-1973, I was in the mandatory army service and my division stationed at Leiyu Island, Kinmen where in the cold war era was considered as the frontier. I always want to re-visit this island because of the hardship of life during those two years. After taking off, the aircraft flew over Taipei high rises and entered the Formosa Strait. It is the beauty of Taiwan. We landed at Sanwai airport one hour later. 42 years ago, our transporting ship landed the harbor right after midnight and our Battalion marched to the barracks at Sanwai on foot. I waited outside of the Airport for bus to Gincheng Township to be transferred to another bus to Shuitou Harbor to take a ferry across another strait between the big and small Kinmen. Along the highway, I could see the improvement of highways and buildings at the island which was very much different from another midnight march from Shanwai barracks to Shuitou harbor 42 years ago. At that time we took an old amphibious boat across. I took another bus to Houtou Village where I thought that I could walk to if necessary. It is all different now, it is much prettier. The village has been expanded a bit with new homes. They are very colorful. I asked a man who was washing a car for my old friend’s phone numbers in Taipei. He was very surprised for my effort coming all the way from the U.S. just attempted to get this information. He stopped his chore and find his i-phone without any success. He directed me to an old restaurant which had been closed and changed to a residence. They are relatives. The relative directed me to another relative who managed the abandoned house. One after another direction, finally I got the phone numbers. Before I left, I found the old barracks which had been abandoned for years and took some pictures. I was ready to leave. I ran into Mr. Bean curd a little bit away from the bus stop. Our company used to purchase bean curd from Mrs. Bean curd; she would come back to our kitchen to get our left over food to feed her hogs; we purchased her two hogs for the Lunar New Year feast etc. He invited me to their new house to meet Mrs. At their home, He called my friend in Taipei and verified me. They are relatives as well. My friend recognized me instantly. He remembered that he visited me at Huwei in 1974 and I visited him in Taipei in the same year. I took his youngest baby daughter as my adopted daughter at that time. She should be age 42 now. Mrs. Bean curd invited me for lunch and had some more conversation about the acquaintance at the village. She prepared a plate of vegetable. She also encouraged me to visit the younger daughter of a village head who resided at Shuitou harbor. She still ran a grocery and her husband was a retiree of an elementary school. I said farewell because that I did have an itinerary to follow before going back to Taipei that night.

烈嶼行﹝2﹞/莊峻華

烈嶼行﹝2﹞/莊峻華 車站過馬路，有一隻白狗，一直跟著一位女士不走，非常可愛，我走過馬 路，女士一直叫大狗回家，說是狗屬村頭人家，習慣來車站向她討餅吃， 餅不出來，狗仍舊不走，原來是一包兩片之炸米餅，我也很喜歡，狗認真 吃餅，令我問起另一位村頭小姐，此為義女阿姑之閨中摯友，約40年前 ，我到景美拜望老友，其妹告訴我有位澎湖兵，娶村頭這位摯友，我隨口 提起此事，女士告知此兵此刻正在村上，準備慶祝其岳父大人96歲生日， 著旁邊一位乘坐電椅之老者，引路帶我到此岳父家，一進門我就認出這兵 ，他正在前院和小舅連襟等人喝酒聊天，很親切之留下我，約30分鐘如 廁畢，始認出我是誰，我退伍時，他剛分發到連上。 仲龍兄和連長同姓，連長名金龍，連長在我退伍後，輪到整他，我們軍中 俗語曰電，或撻，鞭撻，用鞭子擊打，我人冥頑不羈，鋒芒外露，是許多 人打擊之對象，在軍中服役，倖有幾位山東長官幫忙，避過大難。因為我 被連長討厭，所以如廁時令他憶起，於是他描述一件事。有次，他隨一位 軍醫中尉組長，到大金門出差，組長要他一起兜留兩日不歸營，兩人都被 連長關禁閉，連是野戰醫院，許多軍醫，預官軍醫，軍團支援軍醫等，連 長有持無恐，持何也？軍紀，仲龍至今無怨無悔，不巧者禁閉期間，大膽 島有事，少將副師長親自護送重傷官兵來，不見野戰醫院院長出面報告， 責問連長傳令兵，組長何在？傳令是位基隆兵，當過遠洋捕魚船員，很會 唱台語歌曲，幾乎每一曲都會，歌詞都會，當時為氣氛所震嚇，曰報告師 長，組長被連長關禁閉，副師長大怒，掏出配槍斥喝，馬上放人，否則將 你斃掉，營長連長等面有豬肝色。 我留下一夜，參加4桌生日大宴，目睹小金門人豪酒，令我憶得當年拜拜 流水宴席，喝的是金門高梁，金門高粱品質佳，為中國人索購一空。翌晨 仲龍帶我再繞一遍后頭村，我再深入拍攝荒蕪之碉堡，過去之回憶。烈嶼 之服役期間，是我最困難之一刻，包括元兒之出生困難，我都覺得只要耐 心等候，全力以赴，有志者事竟成，我甚高興有此行。

烈嶼行/ 莊峻華

烈嶼行/ 莊峻華 我在新發現之萬華新移民中心，使用免費網路電腦，一位靑年職員，幫我 查詢飛往金門班機，於是翌晨五點半，我就到捷運頂溪站，準備搭車到松 機場，有位熱心者告知，應搭捷運。不久，捷運站開門，我在忠孝復興， 換車到松山機場，買上機票，機場等後登機，松山機場是我39年前登機 來美處，氣氛非常不同，1971-1973年，我服兵役期間，隨部隊駐紮烈嶼， 就是小金門，當年冷戰期間，是前線戰地，我一直想去拜訪，此一生中最 為艱苦之一段歲月。 飛機起飛，飛過台北後，就在台灣海峽，此為台灣美景，一小時後在山外 機場降落，過去我們運兵艦，黑夜在料羅灣靠岸，然後野行軍到山外營房 。我在山外機場門口，等候巴士到金城鎮換車，再搭另車到水頭乘渡輪到 小金門，沿路看到金門新建設，房屋馬路，整潔漂亮，和42年前摸黑行軍 到水頭搭水鴨兩棲艇，迥然不同。到小金門改搭巴士往後頭村，沿路景色， 完全和回憶中不同，我道是步行可達，過去曾走過這一段路，不想巴士繞上 一圈，包括八達樓子城門，後頭村已擴充許多，村落新穎，美麗色彩，有幾 座新建廟宇。我詢問一位洗車居民，我想找這位老友之連絡人，我一直無法 找到此家庭之台北電話號碼，只好親自來烈嶼詢找。這位先生放下工作，撥 翻手機不果，要我到街頭原飯館詢問，說是他們是親戚，飯館已經關閉改建 ，主人要我再到另一家，一家問過一家，我已經走過幾次朋友棄屋多次，稍 微有些回憶，許多舊屋牆闢，尚有撞球廣告，終於讓我找到老友木柵電話， 於是我準備離去，找到廢棄之營部連部和野戰醫院，正待離去。 有人語我在候車亭不遠，可以找到豆腐阿嫂，過去我們連向她購買豆腐，她 來廚房領餿水餵豬，過農曆年向她買豬加菜。在路上遇到豆腐伯走路回家， 邀我到其府上小坐，原來此為新屋，熟悉舊屋就在斜對面，兩老人都不便於 行，都驚訝如此不速之客，豆腐伯當場按號碼，打電話給我之老友，也是他 之親戚，老友一下就認出我，表示曾經到虎尾找過我，我也到過景美找過他 ，當兵時我認他小女嬰為義女，如今應是42歲矣。 豆腐嫂留下我午餐，特別為我準備一盤青菜，然後一直想回憶一些人物，我 仍舊憶得許多人，其中一位是村長小女兒，她說嫁到下船之水頭附近，仍舊開 雜貨店，先生是位退休老 師，應該順路去拜訪她，我因想當日趕回台北，於 告別，回車站候車。

Visiting Chusan, Nantou/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Chusan, Nantou/ Charles Chuang I had made an appointment to visit Chusan with Dr. Su on 11/17/2013 before leaving Houston for the trip to Taiwan. We would take of before day break from Tounan, his hometown, to Touliu to transfer to Chusan to visit a beautiful library. On the 16th, I was delayed by the rare opportunity to have a lunch and coffee with the old college friends in Hsinchu. I was late to catch the last bus to Huwei, my hometown, and was struggling between two railroad stations. I took another train south to Tounan, and was at midnight when I got to Dr. Su’s house. I was so sorry. The next morning, we took the same route in train back to Touliu to catch a bus to Chusan. We passed by a group of seniors who were doing Taichi exercises which he attempted to teach me some a night before. Hsin Jong library and Yu Lang culture center are in honor of their parents by four brothers. The building has been built on the parents’ land and with six hundred thousand US $ annual budget. Most of the volunteers are the retirees of government workers. They maintain the ground and garden regularly. One of the four brothers is Dr. Kao who is a co-founder of GPS, has donated US$125 million to the University of Tennessee and the state of Tennessee matches it to make US$250 million to build a six story college of electrical and computer science at Knoxville, Tennessee. It is one of the legendary talk in the USA. The bus started at Touliu passing through Yunlin hilly country and beautiful Villages. Su checked my Taiwanese language on the way by testing how I pronounced the names. It’s very difficult for me especially after so much Influence by Mandarin Chinese language. Most of the passengers were Farmers dressed very casual. At Chusan you could see some hiking tourists To hike at a forest nearby belonged to National Taiwan University. Chusan Is one of a larger townships in Nantou county named for its scenery, sweet potato, bamboo shout, and tea. The library was off on Monday, we did see many volunteers working outside for the yard and garden. I ran into a retired junior high principal who was still younger than me. He is a friend of my former colleague at Huwei Senior High. The world is so small that we can almost run into some one we know anywhere any time. Actually, Dr. Su has a property near Chusan downtown. We went to take a look and left for downtown market. It was persimmon season variety of products. I asked a vender how to make dry persimmon and he told me baking which is different from the one I know of. Taiwanese dry persimmon is better looking than mine at home. Because I had a dental appointment on the next morning at Wanhwa, Taipei, I was in a hurry to leave Chusan. We took a bus back to Touliu and separated, I transferred to another one to Huwei home. Three hours after arriving at Huwei, I was on my way back to the railroad station on my way to Taipei. This also included a dinner at a vegetarian café. I always think that if Dr. Su would allow me to stay at his abandon building at Chusan for a month in a year; therefore, I can visit those famous mountains and old temples at Nantou. I would re-paint that room for him.

南投竹山行/莊峻華

南投竹山行/莊峻華 我在休市和同鄉蘇博士約好，11/17/2013凌晨從斗南出發，到斗六轉車 到竹山，參觀一美輪美奐之圖書館，16日在新竹和同學聚餐後又喝咖啡 ，待我搭火車抵斗六時，台西客運已經打烊，因此決定不回虎尾，再搭 火車到斗南，到蘇博士府上，已是半夜，真是歹勢，翌晨天未破曉，我 們又走路到車站上車到斗六，他一直要傳授我氣功，剛好有老人會在練 太極拳。欣榮圖書館和玉蘭文教中心，是竹山高家兄弟，為紀念其雙親 ，在其雙親土地上，興建之圖書館，每年預算約六十萬美金，有許多退 休公務員，前來幫忙，美國之高博士，捐一億兩千五百萬美金，給田納 西大學，田納西州政府，跟進同數目，在諾克斯維爾校區，興建一六樓 電機電腦學院，引為全國美談，高博士為地圖儀器之共同創辦人。 台西客運巴士，從斗六出發，穿過雲林山區，許多美麗之農村，蘇沿路考 我許多台語村名發音，我真有困難，沿途上車者，都是樸素芝農民，約一 小時後，就到竹山，可以遇見許多參觀台大實驗林之健行者，竹山是南投 大鎮之一，風景出名，產竹筍，番薯，和茶葉，當然也有稻米。圖書館當 日公休，庭院上有許多志工，在整理花園，有位退休之國中校長，年紀輕 我許多，是我虎中同事好友，世界就是如此小，這位同事令弟，曾在霍福 市美南夏令會與我巧遇。 蘇博士原來在竹山有一房地產，我們去看一下，就到竹山菜市逛街，詢問 柿餅做法，此刻剛好柿果季節，許多脆柿，紅柿，和柿餅，台灣嘉義柿餅 做得漂亮，據說是烤出來的。我因為隔日有牙診，需要趕回台北萬華，所 以我們匆匆忙忙搭車回斗六，然後分道揚鑣，抵達虎尾後兩小時，又趕到 斗南搭車北上，這還包括在健康素食晚餐。 我一直想，蘇博士是否讓我住竹山棄屋一個月？讓我掛單，遊山玩水，拜 訪南頭名山古剎，我願幫他粉刷該室。

Visiting Hsinchu/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Hsinchu/ Charles Chuang Originally I arranged to stay at the hostels in Taipei when I had my dental appointments. I could go back to Huwei, my relative’s homes to stay while waiting; therefore, I passed by Hsinchu to meet a group of my classmates in college. I met them in the spring of 2008, and scheduled to meet again in 2009 yet failed due to a conflict of activity. I asked Carl, the head of the class, to arrange a lunch and he asked Roger to manage the gathering instead. He just returned from Tokyo for retirement. One Sunday morning, I took a speedy rail to Hsinchu and waked up Roger at home at Toufen, Miaoli. I showed off one or two sentences in Japanese to him. He is a Ph.D. in chemistry from Tokyo University fluent in both Japanese and English. He had stayed in Tokyo For 21 yesrs. I have had several classmates coming back to Taiwan after finishing the Ph.D. degrees in order to help the nation. Most of them came to work in Hsinchu such as the industrial technology research institute and science campus. Some parts of Hsinchu looks like any of the American city in the environmental feeling. We went to a Taichimen office for a cup of tea and met several of Carl’s colleagues. Soon or later, we all arrived to the restaurant for lunch. This year I met several classmates that I did not see in 2008, Ting Luan , Lijen and his wife. Ting Luan has been retired for quite some time and yet the school insists that she continue teach as a part time teacher at Hsinchu Senior High, a very prestige high school where many alumni are very famous around the world. Lijen and his wife are engaged in the water purification field, sea water converted to pure drinking water with straw. Many classmates attended 08 gathering such as Carl, Chenfu, Chenyi, and Roger etc. Carl is considering whether to be retired or not and Chenfu, a retiree yet still working as a consultant, advises him to check with company’s personnel officer to find out the maximum hours for a consultant. Roger does retire from his work in Tokyo and yet is still very busy working to receive friends from Tokyo and manage a charity foundation. After lunch at the coffee tables, he mentioned something about our life goal which attracted my attention. He described how we studied at schools for the degrees in our life and asked so much while did not know what it was. This has become a burden of our society. I was curious and asked him again when he drove me to his home at Toufen, Miaoli. Chenyi dropped tear when he mentioned hid deceased wife. I was very touched and comforted him be careful that many widow might find him in some other way. I feel very ashamed for myself that I must change my attitude toward my wife. I shall not agitate her and make her stressful.

新竹行/莊峻華

新竹行/莊峻華 原先安排在台北旅店居留，等候假牙期間南下虎尾，經過新竹，和一群 大學同學見面，2008年春天有一次，2009年因位居住有問題，直接就回 虎尾，今年我特地請老班長治貞兄安排，結果他找了東京回來之瑞耀兄幫 忙，時間是週日午餐，我一早就搭自強號南下，把瑞耀吵醒，從頭份開車 到台鐵新竹站接我，我在電話中就賣弄兩句日語，瑞耀是東京帝大化學博 士，旅居日本21年，日英語流利。 我們很多同學，在美國取得博士學位後，就回國從是建設，其中最多者為 新竹之工業研究院，和科學園區，新竹有幾處，像竹北，建築環境規劃，就 像美國都市一樣。我們先到太極門辦公室喝茶，拜會幾位大師兄姊，然後到 餐廳，不久許多位老同學，均先後駕到，這次多遇到兩位08年未遇者，婷 鸞姊和立人兄嫂，婷鸞早在竹中退休，但一直為校長強留兼課到去年；立人 兄嫂全力經營海水變淡水事業。 其他幾位都是08年飯局參加者，有治貞兄，成輔兄，成義兄，和瑞耀。 治 貞正在猶豫是否退休，成輔有他之看法，他也是工研院退休，但又被聘回當 顧問，顧問之待遇有限額，必需考慮。瑞耀是在東京退休，但又非常忙碌， 需要接待日本友人，又有一財團法人，需要經營，喝咖啡時，他提到我們從 小認真讀書，都在認真追求甚麼，一直在追求，形成一種社會之負擔，但又 不清楚在追求甚麼？我非常好奇，特別登門拜訪求教，當然是他驅車載我到 頭份。 成義兄提到其亡妻，不禁淚下，我安慰他要小心，莫為他人誘拐，在休市台 灣人社會，偶有先例，內心又非常慚愧，隻身旅行，不帶賢妻同行，有喜歡 沿路和漂亮小姐女士交談，回家後要學成義，對賢妻衷心耿耿，不再言刺激 語言。

Visiting three friends on East Hoping Road/ Charles Chuang

Visiting three friends on East Hoping Road/ Charles Chuang One day after coming back from Wanhwa, Taipei for an internet use, I managed again to go out visiting three friends on East Hoping Road where I had been during senior high and college years. Dr. Wen’s clinic was very busy. He asked me to wait for a while when he saw me And let him finish the patient. I was at the waiting room where I was exchanging glances with a 5 years old boy. After getting familiar with me, he came forward to greet me. Because I had had dental disease; therefore, I encouraged him to brush teeth diligently, not liked his mom, required a dental visit. The young said no, not his mother but his aunt. I apologized. The little boy came to give me a hi 5 to depart and I was receiving as with surprise. I admired and said such a boy with good manners should run for the mayor of Taipei. The grandmother, his aunt, and Dr. Wen were all very pleased. The next patient just arrived, Dr. Wen briefly chat with me and informed me that Christina and her husband should still be in Taiwan. Christina is also our old classmate in the elementary school is at Rockville, Maryland where I visit her every year for cherry blossom. He gave me a names list with her mobile phone numbers and comforted me to see through the vanity of this life. He took an example from Speaker Ginping Wang’s saying that President Ying Jou Ma was his Bodhisattva in his heart. I surprised that Ma was in no competition to Wang. Ma attempted to through Wang to jail with corruption of lobby. There are full of intelligent people who are watching closely to the politicians. Dr. Wen is a distinguished dentist and has opened his practice On Roosevelt Road and East Hoping Road for many years. He was our classmate in the elementary school. Out of the dental clinic, I walked toward Taiwan Normal University. I ran into two pretty American students in front of the red Gothic building. I took them to the office of public relation to get some help. I knew the Mandarin Center was across the road on the other side of the campus next to the department of English and yet I was not quite sure after all the high rise buildings. Two staff members came out to help, one recognized me instantly that I was from Houston, Texas; the other one grasped a passing by student to take these two new foreign students to the proper location. The Mandarin Center at Taiwan Normal is a known institute around the world. The other staff member took to third floor to meet Anna who had been in charge of the alumni affair for the previous years. Anna, with her supervisor’s encouragement, took me to the student center for a cup of tea. I tried to remember whether this center was the old ROTC faculty’s office or the old postal office. Anna helped our Houston alumni association very much during those years. Out of the campus, I walked through a familiar street, Long Chuang, where the Old beef noodle stands were. The street is still full of people. I went to visit another Old classmate Yuehli. I chat with her husband Master Koo who was a teacher at our Elementary school. After a dinner with them, she took me back to the East Hoping Road and was very surprised that I still swallowed a whole plate of stinky beancurd.

和平東路訪友/莊峻華

和平東路訪友/莊峻華 一日我從萬華回來，整裝畢再出草和平東路，此為回台北重要路線之一， 此路為我舊日求學出沒處，如今，可拜望兩位小學同學，和師大公關室。 溫醫師診所忙碌，見到我要我稍候，他繼續完成牙診，我在病人等候室， 和一位小男孩，眉來眼去，小孩熟悉後，跑來打招呼，我有牙疾之苦，鼓 勵小孩勤刷牙，不要像媽媽一樣，需要看牙醫，小姐說是阿姑，我連忙道 歉，小孩前來握手道別，我真是受寵若驚，稱讚道有禮貌，長大競選台北 市長，小孩祖母，阿姑，和溫醫師都大樂，下一位病戶已到，溫醫師簡短 和我說淑英夫婦，應該尚在台灣，給我一份同學錄，上有淑英台北手提號 碼，並安慰我凡事看開，說是王金平曰，馬英九是他內心之菩薩，我驚曰 馬非王之對手，世界上充滿智慧者，許多人均在觀察肉食者，溫是我小學 之傑出同窗，在羅斯福路開業幾十年，非常珍重舊情者。 從診所步行到師大校本部，在紅樓門口，遇到兩位漂亮之美國小姐，連忙 上前搭訕，原來是來自芝加哥之學生，詢問北京語中心，四十多年前，是 過馬路圖書館英語系校區，現在蓋滿大廈，我不甚把握，把兩位帶到公關 室，就是校友服務處，師大公關第一線教職員，非常特殊，一位男士馬上 認出我休士頓校友，一位女士馬上處理這兩位美國學生小姐，非常有效，就 是逮住一位女生，請她帶兩位到北京語中心，本校北京語教學，馳名全球。 男職員和我在走道上寒暄後，帶我到三樓找淑媛，淑媛過去承辦校友業務， 幫助我們休市校友會至巨，人也清秀漂亮，說是準備退休，令我驚訝，現在 調到就業組服務。淑媛老闆許可鼓勵下，帶我到學生中心喝桂圓紅茶，我一 直在回憶，此中心是否為樂群堂？或是郵局？或是教官室？ 走出師大，熟練之穿過龍泉街，仍舊是車水馬龍，此為舊日牛肉麵攤中心， 許多難忘回憶，我到泰順街找月里姊，和其夫婿顧老師聊天，在其府上叨 擾一頓晚餐，月里送我出龍泉街，我又吃上一大盤臭豆腐，食量令其驚訝 ，不久在她安排下，我又和小學同窗，有兩次飯局。

Happy New Year 2014/ Charles Chuang

Happy New Year 2014/ Charles Chuang There has been seasonable weather in 2013, neither hurricane nor flood in Houston, even the stock market has been prosperous, the IRA has been appreciated. It happens after we move to the new residence on Del Monte Drive, of course, we miss the old residence on Traviata Drive. It is a new mansion now after a year. Both Michelle and Arthur stay home and yet we don’t have extra expanse. During the year, we have been out on travel twice, one is a cruise to Alaska and another one is to eastern Sierra Nevada; add another two by myself, one is a week to New York City and Washington, D.C. to view the cherry blossom and another one is back to Taiwan for a medical trip with two stop over at Honolulu. Amy has been working in her church very hard this year, after 3 years director And now becomes the chair of the women’s society within the church. She is getting used this stubborn non-believer. Occasionally, there is a discussion of religion. They all give up to save my soul after listening to my religious view. As a matter of fact, there is some who discusses the Buddhism with me quite often nowadays. My mother passed away this past July and with a smooth bury, yet she left two houses at Huwei with difficulty for us to inherit. There is disagreement among us even though three of us give up the right to inherit. For this, I have made a special trip to Sanxia, Taiwan, my father’s hometown, to find my root, my ancestors. I sincerely hope that would help us to resolve this small value property. It is very effective with my vegetarian diet to control my body weight and yet not quite effective to deter my diabetes. This coming new year, I shall increase my exercise, increase hiking at the trip, play more tennis, and find any way to help one unfortunate sibling. I shall continue gardening at home, practice calligraphy, and work harder for my language study. I shall avoid talking nonsense to agitate my wife and make her worry. I wish you all have a very happy new year and keep healthy.

恭賀新禧2014/莊峻華

恭賀新禧2014/莊峻華 今年風調雨順，搬到戴爾蒙特住家後，一切平安，風水好股市飄揚，退 休基金增值，兩位子女都住在家裏，沒有特別大之支出，我們出去旅行 兩次，一次到阿拉斯加郵輪旅行；一次到東內華達雪山脈。我自己又加 了兩次，一次到紐約和華府賞櫻不遇；一次回台灣裝假牙，途中停留壇 香山兩次兩週打網球。 英敏認真教會工作，剛卸任執事職位，即將就任婦女會長，她也習慣我 這位異教徒，偶有宗教討論，有人聽我之謬論後，就自動放棄救我機會 ，倒是有人開始與我談論佛學，我在台灣拍攝一些廟宇相片。 今年七月，先母過世，埋葬順利，但其虎尾房產有爭議，我們子女中， 有三位自動放棄，仍舊無從解決，於是我特地到先父祖籍山峽尋根，希 望對協助處理小遺產，有所助益。 我之素食對體重控制，非常有效，牙齒問題控制後，剩下者唯糖尿病耳 ，今年我需要增加運動量，增加旅行中之健行，多打網球，要開始想辦 法幫助家人。今年要繼續庭院園藝，開始書法習字，加強語言學習，不 講刺激言語，令妻憂慮。 預祝朋友新年快樂，身體健康愉快。

Visiting department of Chemistry at Taiwan Normal/ Charles Chuang

Visiting department of Chemistry at Taiwan Normal/ Charles Chuang I overheard that there were tennis courts at Kuankwan campus of Taiwan Normal University and decided to take a look. I took the subway for one Stop at Kuting station and transferred to Hsindien Line south for one or two stops, between Taiwan Power Building and Kuankwan. Taiwan University Campus is also nearby. I entered to this campus where I had never been, even though I graduated from the same college in 1971. In 1972, the national government granted the old warm silk institute land to Taiwan Normal for expansion. The college of Science has been moved since then. I was in the army, teaching at Huwei and Hsindien and was very busy applying for the graduate study in the United States. I have not had an opportunity to visit the new campus until today. A varsity play explained that in regular school days the courts would be only for teaching and yet after school hour still would be closed to public use. However, there are red clay court are available to the members with a fee. I understand that the land is scarce in Taipei, playing tennis in Taipei is much difficult than at Huwei. Therefore, I decided to walk among several buildings on the campus. There is a library and in no time I arrived at the entrance of the Chemistry department. On the third floor, I ran into a lady who was reading a paper. After knowing my alumnus background, she insisted that I come to the office for a visit. Then she called the former department head, Dr. Ho who I ran into at an alumni party in 2008. He asked the lady to hold me until the new department head’s return to the office. I drank hot tea at a room for guests and chatted with another professor who informed me that Dr. Chen was on his way back from a meeting. I received such favor as with surprise. Dr. Chen graduated in 1983 and also a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania, a prestige Ivy league. He started to show me 4 sets of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance NMR machine. We only carried an IR in the 60’s and could not even touch It, even in the 70’s at Auburn, Alabama, I still not had an opportunity to use NMR because only those with the research interest could operate it. I believe That the department can offer a Ph.D. to certain graduate students with sufficient instruments and faculty. Every faculty has his or her laboratory to do research. I notice that the department has changed toward the applied field of chemistry. It’s good for the students to find jobs after graduation; however, I had had a dinner with two Ph.D. candidates at the chemical engineering at the University of Houston. Both of them were in theoretical science major undergraduate, physics and chemistry, from the Chinese University of Science and Technology at Hefei, Anhuei. It’s very difficult for me to imagine that so much change in the scientific field. I asked Dr. Chen to give me some of his name cards for distribution at our Lunch gathering at Hsinchu. I was short of it then I checked internet for e-mail address. There is a Kunming Yeh from our class who is very successful in China. I told him that Dr. Chen would like to meet him.

訪問母校化學系/莊峻華

訪問母校化學系/莊峻華 聽說師大公館校區，有網球場，於是我決定去探測，乘捷運一站在古亭 轉新店線，就是台電大樓和公館之間，台大亦在此附近，走入這素昧生 平之校園，但又是我出身科系，約是1972年政府提供舊蠶絲研究所，給 師大擴充，理學從和平東路，遷到公館新校區，70年代，在小金門當兵 ，退役後在虎中教書，在文山教書，申請美國研究所，一直無緣拜望，直 到今日。 有位校隊選手解釋，平日硬地球場，約有兩座，是體育課用，平常清晨也 不開放給校外球友，倒是校區之紅土砂地球場，可加入會員使用，台北土 地昂貴，打網球不若虎尾方便，於是我就散步到理學院幾座系大樓，理學 院亦有一圖書館。我一晃蕩就晃到化學系大樓，在三樓尾端，遇見一位女 士在讀文件，她知我是系友後，堅持我到辦公室坐，然後電話找前系主任 何教授，我在2008年回師大有一面之緣，何主任要女士留下我，並且交待 尋找系主任陳教授，陳主任正在主持系務會議，於是我在一會客室喝茶，不 久一位教授從會議室出來，說是主任馬上來，於是先陪我聊天，我真是受 寵若驚。 陳主任也是系友1983級，是賓大博士，這是長春藤學校，他開始介紹我四 座核磁共振儀，當年我們只有紅外線儀，而且只能看，就是在奧本讀書， 如此儀器，也不是輕易讓無關者使用，我以為師大已經有資格發放博士學 位，然後帶我參觀兩樓實驗室，每一教授均有一個人實驗室研究。我發現 化學系已經開始重視應用化學，當然，我再仔細想來，理論化學，仍舊非 常重要，一個月後回美，在休市和兩位休大化工系博士班學生飯局，兩人 均是合肥中國科技大，物理系和化學系出身，我這種不務正業者，真難想 像，大約是與材料科學有關，都是高科技，都是電腦。 我向主任多要幾張名片，結果在新竹就發完，只好在網路上翻看網址連絡， 我們班有位葉昆明兄，在中國有事業，我特別轉告主任想認識他。

Visiting Kingsan, Taipei/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Kingsan, Taipei/ Charles Chuang While I was visiting Cary’s home at Shihpai, Taipei, I called Wanfang in Kaoshiang. She just retired from her bank, managed her father’s funeral, and prepared to come up to Taipei to visit her best friend, Meihsiu. Meishiu is the eldest sister of our old classmate, Rongchung. We were all growing up in the neighborhood at a sugar plant. In 2008, Meishiu and her husband came to Cary’s welcome dinner party to meet us, yet did not have dinner with us, later her husband drove us back to Chunghe City hotel and got lost on a long avenue which I still remembered. This time Hornkuo, his name, arranged to take us to visit Kingsan, meaned Golden Mountain in Taiwanese, New Taipei city. We would visit a nuclear power plant, Kingsan old town, and a villa facing a portion of the north shore. It was a rainy day, he tried to avoid the morning traffic. We entered the North Freeway #1 toward north. There are many beautiful villages and townships where are located on the rim of Taipei Basin. Even though it was in the winter, yet it was green everywhere. It is the unique part of Taiwan scenery. We passed through a township Wanli and entered the nuclear power plant #2 operated by Taiwan Power Corporation which was the former employer of Hornkuo and Meishiu. Because of his recommendation, two of her younger brothers entered the service, one was retired and one would be retired very soon. After sugar industry diminished, many of the children of the employee left the subdivision to work somewhere all over the island. Out of power plant, we visited Old Kingsan street. Let me again praise how pretty My home country is. Even in the rain, I still feel the beautiful scene of foggy like Stay in distance to view a pretty lady. With an umbrella, I had passed many bath houses of hot spring. It’s quite amazing that I got it easily without any effort to search for it. I asked the hot spring bath house owner how much for a bath. The hot spring establishment here and western U.S. do not look like in Japan; however, it’s better than I ran into in California and Colorado. I am going to bring my own towel and back before I leave Taiwan. I did have the opportunity yet I did not have the time. It’s very crowed at the old town Kingsan, many gifts shops and restaurants. I walked and chatted with Hornkuo while two girls were together. We had had a lunch in a very busy restaurant in front of a local temple and ate at a nearby room. We paid when we finished and counted the numbers of plates. It’s very unique and very good business. The owner is the current mayor of Kingsan. The villa is one of her younger brother’s. It’s on a hill top facing an old gold mine Township. In a clear day, you can see very far away. If it was not rainy, I would make a mistake that was in Hawaii. I admire very much for this villa where I am informed there are still many in Taiwan. He set up a Kara OK screen and I started singing 20 Japanese songs and the rest of them left to find a quiet place.

台北金山行/莊峻華

台北金山行/莊峻華 拜訪老友阿彬家，電話給高雄之婉芳，她剛從銀行退休，也送走其令尊 大人，準備北上拜望摯友美秀姊，這位美秀是我們小學同窗榮聰之胞姊， 2008年曾來阿彬家與我們相認識，阿彬尚憶得未吃飯，散會後專車送我 們夫妻回中和福朋迷路，我仍記得，大姊夫宏國兄，這次安排帶我們到 金山，參觀核二廠，金山老街，和一濱海別墅。 這一天陰雨，宏國避過上午塞車，從北一高北上，一路上介紹許多聞名之 台北市近郊鄉鎮，台北盆地高處，雖言冬日，仍舊翠綠如昔，台灣鄉村風 景獨特，抵萬里鄉時，已經近海邊，穿過小鎮到核二廠，原諒我年邁，也 未追根究柢，約有經過貢寮，核二廠有一遊客中心，介紹核力發電，我們 是第一隊參觀者，宏國美秀都曾在台電服務過，榮聰和其弟榮居，也均因 其姊夫推荐鼓勵，進入台電服務，榮聰剛退休，榮居等候退休，他也是我 們家峻峰之小學同班，台電變成沒落製糖業，糖廠子弟出路之一，據曰均 需領表報名考試，從基層幹起。 出核二廠後，就到金山老街，再稱讚一次故鄉美貌，雖然是在雨中，仍然 有朦朧之美，難以筆墨形容，撐傘走路經過許多溫泉旅店，我心想真是踏 破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費功夫，連忙詢問店東如何收費？我說要自備浴 巾，旅店似乎沒有我看到日本浴池之氣氛，但絕對比美國西部路過者佳。 我們進入金山老街，我和宏國比肩，兩位小姐同行，老街非常熱鬧，都是 禮品門市，接踵比肩。許多糕餅蜜餞，許多可以帶回美國，於是我準備自 己再來一次，是有一機會，但實在是台灣好玩，真的錯過。我們在一廟口 處選菜，一盤一盤送到隔壁對面餐桌處，食畢後，論盤數結帳，此為我一 生僅見之餐廳，也沒有甚麼氣氛，什麼派頭，找到位置，就是萬幸，聽言 鄉長是餐廳主人，許多有名之台灣料理，連我之素菜，都是秀色可餐。 榮居之別墅濱海，在山丘上之老農屋，宏國幫他加蓋一大棟，天晴可以眺 望九分，若非冬日陰雨，幾可錯認為夏威夷，我非常羨慕，台灣仍舊有許 多美境，只是無人有福罷也，宏國設上卡拉奧開影唱機，我一口氣唱完20 條日本演歌，其他人都散去清靜處。

Dental appointments in Taipei/ Charles Chuang

Dental appointments in Taipei/ Charles Chuang It takes a long distance to travel to Taipei for the dental appointments. It was because that I had had 9 fallen teeth and 4 of them were the wisdom. It is very expanse to have a dental work done in the United States and I cannot afford it; therefore I must outsource the work to Taiwan like many other industry to China. Before leaving Houston, I decided to have the dental work done by my cousin who inherited his dad’s clinic at Wanhua, Taipei. My uncle had made a denture for his sister, my mother, long time ago and was still working when she died in July this year. He inherited a Japanese dentist, Dr. Furui, when the war ended in 1945 and learned the technology to make fake teeth. I have been informed that the fake teeth technology has been in force for more than 100 years. After I arrived my rental flat at Yunghe, I took a bus directly to Longshan Temple and walked to the old dental clinic on Kueiyang Street nearby another temple called Chinshan Temple. It was closed for that day; therefore I walked around the area. This is the first time that I come back since 1966. A young dentist took care of me the next day and diagnosed that he could only install a temporary denture for me because my stay in Taipei would be too short. I agreed and the nurse started to take X-ray at the back of the office. It was a technician’s office to make gold tooth etc. Now they grow some Japanese golden carps. I can see the fish swimming up and down. He started to fill two cavity adjacent to a fallen tooth, #29, at the lower level and extracted badly damaged one on the other side. The nurse scheduled me for the next appoint at the same location with the old dentist. After the old dentist inspected the wound, he was satisfied and decided to Install a permanent one. He set up clay material for me to bite in order to Make the fake teeth. He quickly cleaned the remaining teeth and asked me to go to his new clinic at Nankang, Taipei. After that he filled additional 9 cavity and made them looked pretty. He figured out all the cost and I paid them all on each appointment. There are two parts of fake teeth, one is #4 on the upper level, the other one Is the lower level with 4 fake teeth under a metal bridge and a curved platform. They are very easy to put on and take off, this is called in and out in the U.S. After receiving the new denture, it’s at the end of my time in Taipei. I had had plenty of time to test them, showing off to my friends at the dinner gathering. He is an excellent dentist and he can also do the dental in plant.

牙診/莊峻華

牙診/莊峻華 長途返台之主因為牙診，我有九顆落牙，其中四顆為智齒，美國牙診昂 貴，只好外包台灣牙醫，離美前我突然決定，尋找舊日萬華之親戚診所 ，因為先母過世時，一套假牙，仍舊健在，其長兄，我之母舅為製做者 ，其診所為其子，我之表弟繼承，從日治時代之古井齒科，到現在約有 百年假牙製做歷史。我到達永和後，搭巴士到康定路之龍山寺，沿康定 路走到貴陽街，然後步行到青山宮，診所就在近處。 當日診所工休，我在附近閒逛，翌日上午掛牌門診，有位年輕之牙醫，檢 查口腔後，認為裝永久假牙，惟恐時間不夠，可能可以作臨時假牙，就 是塑膠底盤，我同意後，開始照電光，電光室在診所後邊，過去是假牙 工室，打金牙套等，現在養上兩池錦鯉，群魚在池中翻騰不已。年輕醫 生，熟練補上兩齒，拔下一顆蛀牙，護士安排我下次門診時間，我就約 好老醫師，同樣在貴陽街老診所。 老醫師看到我拔牙傷口，復原迅速，覺定安裝永久假牙，於是開始咬模 型，上下兩層，清洗牙齒，然後約我到其南港後山埤新診所，此次門診 中，他就補平九顆老牙，磨損脫落處，並且將全部費用算出，然後約好 同一週三下午四點門診，都在南港。 假牙兩處，上層只有一顆，就是補上第四號落牙，醫生要我練習，拿上 拿下，然後再補咬一上層模型，大概是配合新製下層假牙。下層假牙， 有一金屬凹板，密貼在下層牙床上，有金屬橋架構，鑲上四顆假牙，也 很容易拿上拿下，我一直到離台週三門診，始取得此套，醫生交待勤加 使用，有問題務必在離台前，回來診所，我回永和住處，連續吃下幾顆 番石榴。 完成安裝假牙後，有許多飯局，後來返美途中，機上機下，威基基網球 場，我有描述不完之話題，老醫師之功力真是不凡，他也在紐約習得植 牙本領。

Medicaid service/ Charles Chuang

Medicaid service/ Charles Chuang At Christmas Eve dinner, a relative who is working with a senior care company describes her work with Medicaid. Her company’s patients are mainly Chinese spoken seniors. She mentioned several elders whose names were recognized during the past 30 some years in the community in Houston. I am so shocked that so many of them become poor and are qualified to Medicaid service. She said because that they got rid of their asset in order to be qualified. Yancy , my brother, discussed the Obamacare with me the other day that even Medicaid recipients were against the new national healthcare and our conclusion was that after joining Obamacare, they might have to pay some premium despite of free Medicaid. In speaking of money people gets disgusted. Some senior gets old and sick, they need help. They are immigrants and never have worked enough time to be qualified for Medicare. It is very expanse to have medical care in the United States; yet the nation provides humanitarian support such as Medicaid; therefore, many senior organize themselves to become poverty. They can also receive some food stamp and some kinds of welfare payments, yet they need to have a shelter, a house of apartment with an address in order to let senior care company to provide service. Otherwise , the homeless I witness at Waikiki cannot receive such welfare benefit. This company will charge $12 an hour from Medicaid, pays $7.5 to the provider , the senior care person; therefore $4.5 an hour is the company’s margin. It’s not high tech computer and is not Apple’s i-phone pay. It’s not huge profit, yet it’s a working opportunity, because of this opportunity, 300 immigrants get jobs. Because of the ethnic background, the providers are Chinese immigrants and I do not hear any from Taiwan. I like her work to help the weak in the community and I record it as a very meaningful way of life.

貧民保險服務/莊峻華

貧民保險服務/莊峻華 昨夜耶誕夜親戚據餐，有一親戚在一照顧老人之公司工作，該公司主要 服務對象是華人年老者，她提到許多位長者客戶，都是幾十年來，家戶 喻曉者，我甚為感觸，當年我所認知，有些都是經濟優於許可者 ，如何 如今均淪為貧戶？親戚曰脫產也，幾日前，峻嚴與我談起貧民反對歐巴 瑪全民健保，我們推論因為當今之貧民保險是免費，不同年收入，不同 程度之健保補助，如金卡等，一旦加入歐巴瑪健保，在聯邦補助額不確 定下，有些人需要交保險費，講到錢，英雄也氣短，也厭棄，嚥氣也。 有些老人有疾，需要人照顧，這些老人泰半是移民，不曾在美國工作，所 以老年後無法加入老人保險，美國醫藥費用高昂，但有人道之貧民保險， 此為有限之社會福利，因此許多人有計劃之改變成貧戶，可以領到貧民補 助金，可以有貧民保險服務，這些服務，仍舊需要居有屋者，否則看護者 ，無法提供服務，我在威基基看到之，無家可歸者，似乎無法享受如此政 府資源。 此看護老人公司，多半照顧華人，每小時申請貧民保險局$12，給看護者 $7.5，所以公司之利潤是$4.5一小時，不是電腦高科技，不是蘋果牌電話 ，不是一本萬利，但確是一工作機會，有三百位合法移民，因此找到工作 ，因為服務對象是華人，所以看護者，多半是來自中國之移民，台灣移民 比較有錢，大概無需吃如此之苦。 我深覺此姻親之工作，幫助社會弱勢，非常有意義，特別記述。

A dinner with two graduate students/ Charles Chuang

A dinner with two graduate students/ Charles Chuang On the plane from Los Angeles back to Houston, I ran into a young pretty girl from Anhui, China. She just arrives to the United States for her Ph.D. program at the chemical engineering, University of Houston. I have my admiration and respect instantly. When I was young, I attempted to change my major to chemical engineering and this particular university was my Waterloo. I regret it all my life. I encourage her to study hard and get her degree and after that most of the company would hire her. Tonight we invited both she and her fellow student to our dinner at a restaurant, I start to realize that current chemical engineering is involving high tech products and is very different from what I have thought of the traditional drafting, units process, and mechanic solid or fluid etc. Mr. Liu, a young man at his third year here, was from Henan, China, also from Chinese University of Science and Technology, explains that the engineering departments anxiously recruit students with scientific majors to their graduate study programs. He is a physics major while this Miss Liu, the girl I ran into, is a chemistry major from the same Chinese University. After 40 or 50 years later, the students of pure chemistry receive such Attention, I am so much impressed. There is a stiff competition in every field of the American business. Every business is looking for a person with ability. You can some time pay a little bit less attention to get along with fellow workers such as pleasing your superiors only if you have done a good job with your work. You can pursue your individual life and build your life time hobby etc. The wealth is within your reach in no time. Both of them are intellectual and should grasp this opportunity by working hard to get the degree as soon as possible. How to get along with people is a virtue and yet is not the step brick to knock on a job or a step stone to get into a job. This Ph.D. program is a rare brick and stone to enter the job market. Also a man with the same surname Liu, Emperor Liu is almighty to have so many children, was my old classmate at college. After finishing his Ph.D., he went back to Taiwan to work. Recently I ran into him at a party, he passed on a name card with a senior vice president title on it. Even in today’s industry, business still looking and keeping for able person. Some time I am wondering if I should work harder to keep my knocking brick opportunity 36 years at the same university.

Bus tour Oahu Island/ Charles Chuang

Bus tour Oahu Island/ Charles Chuang One day I decided to take a bus tour Oahu Island. After tennis I prepared a Little bit myself and took off from the University campus via Waikiki and Ala Moana Shopping Center. There are two routes, 52 and 55, to circle the island. Every route would take about two hours to finish the circle, only certain portion of the island. I the first coming bus,55, toward east and northeast direction. After passing Chinatown, the bus ran directly to Pali Highway, if I were not mistaken, there was a big Taiwanese Government Office on this highway and the director’s residence was just next to it. I have my love to Hawaii, no more the the scenery, looks like the old memory Of Taiwan, especially my home town Puli, Nantou. Pali Highway, 61 Highway at Hawaii Pacific University, turned northwest to 83 Highway. I had driven rental cars five or six times to circle the island on my previous trip. Now I took bus tour for the old memory. 61 Highway separates certain portion of Oahu Island where some buses could reach. There are some pretty villages where I have not had the opportunity to Visit, yet circling 72 Highway and the beach from highway that I was very familiar with. There is a Bellows Air Force Station and nearby luxury homes are difference in structure with another part of the island. After entering 83 Highway, the bus immediately on the north shore. Other Than Waikiki Beach, most of the island beaches scarcely have tourists. Local residence are against the new development, they insist to maintain the old environment with no high rise building. Originally I planned to buy some nuts and coffee at Macadammia and yet I changed my mind. I got off at Matsumoto grocery for a bowl of Azuki Icy, a kind of sweet red bean with honey. I discussed an old sign on the door step with a Japanese tourist family. The old grocery is located at an old sugar plantation near the famous Sunset Beach where many advanced surfers gather. Actually I missed a Philoppino fruits stand near the Turtle Resort Center. There are many stands now. There are some development at the island with the old historical villages. I believe that I can be a good tourist guide. The bus turned south, passing by an old Army barracks where was the story of a film, From here to the eternity, also passing by the Dole Plantation. An old American lady recommended me try another coffee factory on the roadside. I went to that factory for a bag of Hawaiian coffee the next day.

與兩位研究生飯局/莊峻華

與兩位研究生飯局/莊峻華 我在洛杉磯轉機回休市，巧遇一位美麗之中國安徽小姐，剛來美國攻讀 休大化工博士，令我肅然起敬，我在年輕時曾圖改行化學工程，在休大 翻船，引為終身遺憾。談話中，我鼓勵這位劉小姐，專心讀書，等到完 成學業，美國公司必然爭相聘用，今夜兩位研究生，應我們邀請，前來 飯局，始知其所追究學問，都是電腦產品，高科技範圍，與我想像中之 傳統工科，基本製圖單元操作有異，另一位劉先生，也是合肥中國科技 大物理出身，解釋其研究主題，回答我疑問，提到化工系，令人體會現 在工科，急需有純理科背景者，可以暫時擱置流體和固體力學等，馬上 進入研究，這位劉小姐也是中國科技大化學系出身，四、五十年後，基 本理科學生，終於受到重視，我內心有多少感觸。 美國競爭劇烈，各行各業，講究真材實學，有時候可以稍微忽略作人處 事，可以不用奉承迎迓，只要把份內工作搞定，許多私人生活可追尋， 許多嗜好可以培養，金錢在其中矣。兩位都是聰明才智者，應該打鐵趁 熱，一氣呵成，作人處世為個人修養，可以幫忙事業，但非敲門磚，必 需有得其門而入之機會，此為休大化工研究所，化工博士，只有少數出 類拔粹者，始能脫出。 也姓劉，漢高祖真行，我大學同窗，劉秩齡博士，艾美斯愛阿華州大 博士畢業後，回台灣工作，一直到現在，名片上是副總經理，老當益 壯，近代企業界，仍舊需要如此幹才，我在回想中，我是否把握住，當 年休大化學系，給予我難得之敲門機會？我又夫復何怨？下次將帶家兄 前來飯局，享受長江後浪推前浪之美憶。

搭巴士環遊歐胡島/莊峻華

搭巴士環遊歐胡島/莊峻華 有一天我決定搭巴士，環遊歐胡島，網球後，回旅店稍加準備後，就 從夏大校園出發，經過威基基，到達阿拉‧夢娜購物中心，有52號和 55號兩線環島，每線需要兩小時。55號先到，此為東向北迴，沿路經 過城中唐人街，就直奔巴立公路，如我沒錯，台灣有一大辦公室座落於 此大道上，處長官邸，就在隔壁。夏威夷引得我眷戀，莫過於其風景， 酷似我記憶中之台灣，尤其是山鎮埔里。 61號公路在夏威夷太平洋大學，就西北向83號公路，過去我都是租車 ，每一次旅行歐胡島，都要環島繞上五、六次，現在搭乘巴士，都是回 憶，我是幸運，旅行夏威夷多少次，而且歷久不疲。61號公路將歐胡島 東部，切割出去，有巴士可達，過去我曾駕車過境，聽聞有些小村落，甚 為美麗，只憾未有機會，但繞72號公路，和環海濱公路，則非常熟識， 有一貝落空軍基地附近，有許多每麗豪宅，其設計稍異於其他歐胡島。 83號立即進入北海岸，除威基基海灘外，其他歐胡島海灘，遊客較少， 當地人堅決反對開發，堅持維護原有環境。我原想在馬卡戴彌亞核果店 下車，購買核果和咖啡，但三心兩意錯過，在松本老舖下車吃紅豆挫冰， 和日本老者遊客，談論老店門口幾片標籤，老舖在舊糖廠小鎮，附近就 是最近馳名之日落海灘，許多衝浪高手雲集。 其實，我也錯過龜灣遊憩中心附近，一加菲律賓人水果攤，現在已經有 幾家比鄰，許多景觀點，歐胡島稍有開發，許多老村落，許多新豪華社 區，我從地圖上看出，我實在可以帶人遊覽此島。在南下途中，經過亂 世忠魂影片之兵營，也經過戴爾鳳梨果園，車上有位美國太太，推薦我 到另一家買咖啡，夏威夷也產咖啡，有一日，我真搭52號西北上，到 此咖啡門市部，購買一包咖啡，送給台灣親人，為研磨與否，想了半小 時，結果台灣親戚早有此設備。

Visiting an old acquaintance at Waikiki War memorial/ Charles Chuang

Visiting an old acquaintance at Waikiki War memorial/ Charles Chuang Every time when I travel to Waikiki, I would go to the front of the Waikiki War Memorial to visit an old acquaintance. This man is very unique, every Morning before the day break, he would swipe clean the vine yard in front of the War Memorial. I could not help to ask while I passed by; therefore, I came to visit him every time when I traveled to Waikiki. Roland had served In the Army in Oahu Island when he was young and has lived in the island ever since. I checked my record, it should be two and half years ago when I visited him. He was semi-retired from swiping the ground and now, he only drops by on Thursday and Friday morning. Another person called Nelson is taking care of the duty, he is a homeless person. One Thursday morning, I came to the bench early to wait, Doug was there as well. He is a retired nurse who is a Chinese American. Two and half years ago, he showed up here quite often with his aging mother. He sometimes helping Roland to swipe the ground. I saw him once when he helped his mother to sip the fountain water, Roland explained to me his background. Now, Doug is liberated, his mother died, he even brings his wife, Michelle, to come along with him. Both of them dressed a little better than the homeless. There are many wild pigeons in front of the Memorial, one of them is Mona Lisa who was injured by a wheel one day and Doug helped to cure the injury. The bird answers to his call and can fly down from the top of a palm tree. He feeds the pigeons with the cat food which he claims with high protein. I recognized Doug right away and he was surprised that I knew so much about him and his mother. His wife sometimes grills chicken to treat the homeless. He introduces me to many passersby. One of them courted a young Taiwanese graduate student without success. I was not quite comfortable among so many people and left thereafter. Doug and his wife obviously so choose to avoid something, no fight with the rest of the world. All their equipment is in their 4 wheels Range Over. He should have a handsome pension. Michelle looks Like a Hawaii native. It is very difficult for me to imagine this kind of life. One day I went to a hospital to check on my blood pressure. The upper one level was a little bit higher than before. My wife asks the reason why, I believe that I have run into so much feeling, meet so many people, and too much excitement.

探望舊識/莊峻華

探望舊識/莊峻華 每次旅行威基基，必到戰爭紀念館前座凳，探望舊識，此人特殊，清晨天 未破曉，就將紀念館前小藤庭，掃得乾乾淨淨，幾次散步經過，我忍不著 ，詢問此老人，於是每次旅行威基基海灘，必來探望，羅蘭德來自丹佛市 ，曾經在歐胡島服兵役，以後就留在紀念館前掃地，一掃幾十年。我查記 錄，應該是兩年半前，來過威基基，曾經拜訪他，當時他已經半退休，一 週只掃幾次，最近是一週只來兩日，是週四與週五，小藤庭是有一位名曰 那爾遜者取代打掃，那爾遜是位無家可歸者。 一週四清晨，我先到紀念館前等候，有位退休華裔美人護士亦在，兩年半 前他已經在此地出沒，因為照顧其老母，攜帶母親來館附近看海，有時候 代替老人掃地，老人如是解說，這次此兄，道格，已經解脫，亦退休，打 扮就像一無家可歸者，連妻蜜雪兒亦帶來，館前有許多野鴿，其中有一隻 為汽車輾傷斷翅，道格將它療養復元，呼之為蒙娜麗莎，可以從高椰樹稍 ，應呼叫飛落，他以貓飼料餵野鴿，說是高蛋白質。 我一下就認出道格，詢起其母，原來已往生，道格亦打網球，有時候其妻 在館前烤雞肉，招待這些無家可歸者，道格幫我介紹許多路過者，其中有 位青年，也是像無家可歸者，跟我吹擂結交一位台灣小姐不果，我因群集 於眾人中，頗感不適，稍後就離去，道格顯然是選擇避世，與世無爭，所 有道具都在一四輪帶動車上，應該有優厚之退休金，其妻貌似夏威夷土著 ，亦無大志。 此為我甚難想像之生活，有一天我在新店慈濟醫院量血壓，高血壓稍高， 回家後賢妻追究，我想可能是多種感觸，人生際會，令我興奮。

The homeless/ Charles Chuang

The homeless/ Charles Chuang Every morning I passed by Honolulu Zoo, several sheet wrapped bodies lying under a small bus pavilion. They were the homeless at Waikiki Beach. The U.S. is so rich and yet, there are still starving poor. The nation and society attempt exhaustively to resolve the issue and yet, without very much success. The homeless cannot find time to pray and beg the almighty for help; they cannot burn the insane to seek any help from the Buddha, how can they hold the Buddha’s feet when they are in desperation? I also ran into many homeless people at Chinatown at downtown Honolulu. One morning before daybreak, a young father with a little kid girl asked and asked for a pardon, I encouraged him. He asked where was the soup kitchen hanging out free breakfast for the homeless. I swallowed my chilly breath and pointed at a right direction. I had seen an open ground nearby the tennis courts where the soup kitchen was. While on his way out of his city kingdom, Prince Siddhartha ran into the starving and sickness. He had had an insight and decided to give up his kingdom and became a monk to discipline himself. He encourage the donation to help the poor, in Buddhism called, Bodhisattva wheel or way. This is very much difference from the final step to help all live to sail to the eternity free of transmigration. This idea is too far away from helping the homeless, we cannot wait that long. It must be done by the help of a nation, a society and a family. A nation must increase tax revenue, of course the national budget must have a priority, F-35 fighter jet or the food stamps; a society must consult with the church and temple; there is a consciousness within a family, we should not let anyone in the family behind. I can only notice that the phenomenon of the homeless. I can judge the politician’s attitude, measure the desire of the religious leaders, and also my own decision. I must appreciate that my parents give me an able body to make this trip of the human life.

無家可歸者/莊峻華

無家可歸者/莊峻華 每日清晨，經過談香山動物園，公車涼亭下，有幾堆人體，包裹在一件 被單中，這些均是無家可歸者，美國國家富有，仍舊有許多途有餓莩者 ，國家和社會均竭力搶救，仍舊無法挽救，這些人無法覓時禱告懇求萬 能者，平素也無法燒香，臨時如何抱佛腳？我在檀香山城中唐人街，到 處遇見無家可歸者，有一日未破曉，一青年父親，攜帶一小女孩詢 曰， 對不住先生，又抱歉收回問句，我鼓勵他，曰先生何處發放免費早餐給 無家可歸者？我嚥下悽涼一口氣曰，就是此方向，就在網球場旁邊一空 曠草地，有熱心善人，提供飯包。 悉達多太子出城，遇見餓莩，心有所觸，放棄王位家室，出家修行，鼓 勵佈施，解救苦難者，佛家曰菩薩乘，和普渡眾生稍異，普渡眾生是講 發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，漢譯為渡達彼岸，實在是遠水救不了近火，但 是也需要馬上救，必需經過國力，社會力，和家庭力等來協助。 國力需要增加稅收，國家預算，先後有序，F-35戰機和糧票有別；社會 力需要經過教會寺廟等宗教人士；家庭力則屬良知，我需要敦策自己，注 意周遭家人，然後推及及人。 我只能注意到，無家可歸者之，社會現象，來評論政治肉食者之態度， 衡量教會寺廟之毅力，還有我個人之決心，我要感激父母親給我如此機 會，走了一趟人生，不曾墮落於無家可歸者。

Allen and his coffee/ Charles Chuang

Allen and his coffee/ Charles Chuang I played tennis at Queen Kapiolani park, Waikiki Beach. Every morning, I drank coffee which Allen brought in to the tennis courts. He is an old gentleman staying in both Seattle, Washington and Honolulu, Hawaii. He dresses casual with a soft hat with an age above 70. He also brought in cops and some dessert. There is an middle age Japanese American friend around who speaks fluent both in English and Japanese. After one set of tennis, several old people sit on the bench, drinking coffee and chatting about something in the front of light wave and breeze from Waikiki. I am very sure that is a good life. There was this old Taiwanese lady immigrated from Brazil running into me at the Courts. She was very excited and introducing me the matter what around the courts. Many of them are from the local while many are from outside as tourists. Some More players approached and explained the players’ skill etc. I believe that the Players playing here are those of the well to doers, otherwise, there is no way that They can afford to stay here. Hawaii is a very expanse place to live. There are several old gentlemen like Allen here at the courts, one Charlie from Seattle As well about the same age; there is one from Spokane, Washington, who is in steel business of which products included the drilling bit for the Canadian oil sands and steel barrel for wine industry etc, of course, there is always someone stays at the office while he is here in Hawaii. There are many who come here for a longer time such as April, 2014 and I guess that is on the military contract. Hawaii has a huge military installation which the U>S. is depended on. The most interested are Japanese immigrants and Japanese tourists. They both maintain very good manners and speak to the foreigners in the respected form of Japanese. I have had a plenty of opportunity to practice my Japanese at Waikiki. I did have some progress in learning of that language.

亞倫和他之咖啡/莊峻華

亞倫和他之咖啡/莊峻華 我在卡畢歐蘭尼公園打網球，每天均喝亞倫帶來之熱咖啡，亞倫是位老紳 士，西雅圖和威基基兩地跑，每個月來回幾次，美國確實有如此富貴者， 但他穿著樸實，頭帶輕便扁帽，年紀七十許，旁邊跟著一位日裔美人，英 日語流利，亞倫尚且攜帶茶杯和點心，非常週到，清晨打過一局網球，幾 位老人，坐在板凳上，飲用熱咖啡，面對威基基海灘，微浪清風徐來，談 論者均為喜悅事，此非人生一樂乎？ 有位巴西移民來之台灣女同鄉，見我甚喜，連忙介紹我球場人物，許多是 當地球友，許多是外來遊客，漸漸的有人開始分析球友球路特點，當然，能 在此地出入者，必需是注意身體健康，無經濟生活壓力者，夏威夷物價昂貴 ，居民非常忍耐。 像亞倫這類老者，球場上有幾位，一位查理也來自西雅圖，也是經常出入 威基基；有幾位是常客，稍微年輕於亞倫等人，是事業生意主人，辦公室 顯然有人照顧，其中一位是羅伯特，住東華盛頓州之史波肯市，鋼鐵工廠， 製造加拿大油砂之擊碎鑽，同時也有釀酒用之大鋼桶。有些人來檀香山工 作，工作到明年四月，顯然是軍方契約，夏威夷肩擔美國國安前哨，歐胡 島三軍均有巨大基地。 最有趣者為日本移民，和日本遊客，日本人有特殊之禮貌，和外語者交談 ，有許多敬語，我在夏威夷有練習日語會話之機會，稍有進步，非常高興 ，回台灣後，伺機溫習帶行之兩本教科書，一直覺得此行有收穫。

Roaming at Waikiki Beach/ Charles Chuang

Roaming at Waikiki Beach/ Charles Chuang I have had two stop over at Oahu Island while on my dental trip to and back from Taiwan. Every morning I would take a bus from my hostel nearby the University of Hawaii campus to the Kapiolani Park for tennis, then take a long walk on the Kalakaua Avenue to an Apple Computer store for an internet usage to write an e-mail home and also check the stock market, planning inside the tent and fight thousand miles away from the old story of History. Afterward, I would walk through the International Market and across the Kuhio Avenue to the Marukame Restaurant waiting on line for a Japanese Udon noodle. After the lunch, I would take the same bus downtown to China- town for some papaya. I had seen some movies about Waikiki beach while I was in Taiwan and would not realize one day I could have roamed in the area for so many times. Waikiki is a place so busy from daybreak to midnight or after. Many tourists spend too much money while people like to budget carefully to spend limited resource yet come back to visit frequently. Many tourists from the west coast of the US and Canada come here to visit regularly for vacation. My most favorite is viewing so many pretty ladies, either slander or well-develop, always show off the bikini with minimum reservation. Even the co-ed of the University, expresses very well during the worm weather in the bus. Many tourists come to Waikiki for surfing. You wait on the sea surface patiently , then stand up with the wave and balance yourself on your way to the shore. I believe that I would learn the skill if I would had the opportunity to visit here when I was younger in age. There are the surfside everywhere in Hawaii Islands where several places with certain difficulty. Oahu North Shore, the Sunset Beach, is one of the more advanced surfside. Matsumoto Grocery is located nearby the Sunset Beach, Waimea township. The red bean Azuki icy and several old phoenix trees reminds me my hometown Huwei Sugar Factory. One afternoon after a nap, I went out to have some yogart . I overheard a band performance nearby. Shilo Pa leaded by Shar Carillo was singing at the Monoa Garden Restaurant filled with the students. The music is light and fast and the students were happy that the semester was almost over. They drank beer and were dancing. Some times Carillo would join them. She is very pretty like a student.

威基基逍遙行/莊峻華

威基基逍遙行/莊峻華 此番返台治牙，兩次停留夏威夷歐胡島，每天從夏大附近旅舍，搭乘巴士 ，到威基基公園打網球，然後散步威基基海灘公園，到卡拉卡哇大道上之 蘋果電腦門市店，免費使用網路，寫信回家，順便了解紐約股市，說是運 籌帷幄中，決戰千哩外，穿過國際商場，到枯西歐大道之，丸龜製麵店， 排隊吃素烏動麵，有時候再搭車到城中唐人街，買便宜過時之木瓜，然後 再搭原13號巴士回旅舍，沿途有許多夏大學生，從威基基上車，又一窩 風在校區下車，非常熱鬧有朝氣。 小時候在台灣，看過幾遍威基基海灘影片，不想老年後，許多機會旅行夏 威夷，從凌晨到半夜，威基基一直熱鬧非凡，許多人一擲千金，許多人節 儉如我者，小心謹慎，步步為營，寧可運用有限資源，多來幾次，許多遊 客，每年從美加西海岸，到威基基渡假。我最喜歡威基基之各地美女雲集 ，環肥燕瘦，比基尼泳衣，就是在巴士上，夏大女生，輕襲熱褲，不吝展 示，我真是老目轉睛，幾位小姐羞怯，坐到旁座，有膽大者，在空位上翹 起雙腿，變成我害羞注目。 許多人到威基基衝浪，就是在海面上等候，海浪到來時，需要會迎浪站起 ，隨波逐流，我若年輕時有機會，必有此技，夏威夷群島，到處有衝浪海 灘，歐胡島北海岸，日落海灘浪大，引來許多技高膽大者，松本老舖之剉 冰，就在日落海灘附近之，外迷雅老鎮，有幾株鳳凰老樹，鐵橋流水，令 人思起虎尾糖廠。 有日午睡起，到大學街買冰吃，聽到校園內傳來歌唱聲，原來有樂隊駐校 表演，就在一門諾阿餐廳前院，女主唱像是位女學生年齡，清秀美麗，歌 曲輕快，娓娓道來，擠滿喝啤酒之男女學生，幾處有跳舞者，有時女歌手 亦興起，走出舞台，隨半奏起舞，周圍有夏大校警四五位，原來學期快結 束，學生均準備回家過節。

An old man ran into a pretty lady/ Charles Chuang

An old man ran into a pretty lady/ Charles Chuang I stepped outside an elevator from a Dingshi subway station at Yunghe District ,Taipei, Taiwan with three big and small luggage plus a tennis racket. It did not Proceed smoothly, a young lady came forward to help me and I received favor as with surprise. She dressed elegantly with a light overcoat and just came back from China. She was from Tsindao, Santong, China and had been in Taiwan for the past 12 years. I admitted that I like people from Santong because I was in the 58th Army Division stationed at the old frontier, Little Kinmen, 42 years ago. I mentioned two places, Gimo and Entai, she stopped to chat with me. Santong people are straight forward by reputation. Because I did not prepare a cell phone in Taiwan; therefore Miss Hsu left her cell numbers for me to call her. Also because I was passed age 65, no fantasy in my mind, and I did not believe that it was an old man running into a pretty woman. After several days I could not resist on calling her, sometimes she answered and sometimes she did not. I had passed Taichung and could not visit her. She explained to me that she was working for a bio-tech company hired her to do the advertisement for Chinese tourists in Taiwan. She was concerned the truth of the advertisement and did not want to get the trouble involved. Even though I had much guess in her, yet there were quite difference from younger age. Was it the Platonic love or admiration toward her? I appreciated this opportunity to know her. One day, we both knew that I was leaving in a few days and she decided to come up to Shipai, Taipei for a dinner with me. After a cup of coffee, she left for Taichung in a hurry because of her new job to take care of an old man. She has divorced for a long time with a son aged 24 studying in Italy. While stepping out of the subway at Taipei Mail Rail Station, she reminded me call her.

老人豔遇/莊峻華

老人豔遇/莊峻華 我在永和頂溪捷運站，攜三件大小行李和一網球拍，走出電梯，不甚順 利，有一妙齡女士，前來幫忙，令我受寵若驚，女士時裝高雅，外披風 衣，剛來自中國，是山東青島市人，已經在台灣12年，我說是與山東有 緣，提到即墨和煙台兩地，小姐停下，好奇與我聊天，我提起42年前， 在小金門服兵役之往事，58師是來自山東之部隊，我對中國山東人，特 別親切，山東人個性直爽，見義勇為。 因我在台灣，不曾準備手機，所以徐小姐留下她之電話號碼，要我有機會 打電話給她，因為我已過耳順，心無遐思，不覺此為老人豔遇，幾日後忍 不住電話給她，有時候她接電話，有時候電話未有人接，兩次經過台中， 均無機會拜望，據她解釋，她在台北找不到住處，只好投奔台中之表姊， 在台工作是廣告，替一家生物科技公司，招來中國生意，但她憂慮廣告之 真實性，不願輕惹麻煩。 雖然對徐小姐有許多猜測，但均非年輕時之想法，柏拉圖式之兩性純情， 應該是指此段，我只不過是珍惜如此機會，有一天，我們均注意到我離 台之日，於是決定由她北上，在石牌捷運站見面，喝完一杯咖啡後，她 又匆匆忙忙之趕回台中，原來她正在照顧一位老人，她已經離婚多時， 有一長子24歲，留學義大利，捷運臨別時，交待打電話。

The person recognizes merit and with courage to help someone in need/ Charles Chuang

The person recognizes merit and with courage to help someone in need/ Charles Chuang On the street of Taipei, I ran into a person recognizes merit and with courage to help me in need. I have discussed this matter so many times with great pleasure, brought back several talking subjects during the dinners etc. This is the story. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, I took an Ever- green Bus to a subway station Chung Hsiao Hsin Shen, in order to catch a subway train to my rental house at Yunghe District Dingshi Station. The bus arrived at the station, yet the driver took off before I got my second trunk out of the bus. It was raining and I didn’t know what to do next. Suddenly I overheard a young lady’s yelling, it’s too much exaggerated. I understood what she meant was the driver was out of his guideline. She went ahead to chase the bus till the first traffic light still couldn’t get the driver’s attention. I followed to the turn and failed as well. She was touch- ing her handheld i-phone to reach Evergreen office. She said that the driver should help me to get the luggage out of the bus safely and then took off. Very soon, the office clerk called her back asked the bus driver to wait at the next bus stop for me to bring back my luggage. She is a pretty lady. She just came back from visiting her husband in San Francisco, California and she knew that I look like someone came back to Taiwan from the United States, so casual dressed almost liked a fool. Upon seeing her, reminded me Michelle, my daughter, full of confidence and energy, nothing in this world would bother her at all. Ms. Ong was from a nearby county from me. Her father is four years younger than me and still working that I admire very much. She said that I should not worry about my daughter’s marriage because she didn’t get married till age 35. Most of the female nowadays works and can live independently by herself. I had had a plenty of time in Taipei and I liked to by her and her baby lunch one day. She said that was not necessary because it’s nothing and also the baby was not very reasonable at her age, then we said farewell in a hurry. After 30 minutes, again I was struggling with my luggage at the other end of the subway station, I ran into a Chinese lady with a good deed.

見義勇為者/莊峻華

見義勇為者/莊峻華 我在台北市街頭，遇見一位見義勇為者，我津津樂道無數處 ，帶來幾次 飯局話題，事情本末如是，我在桃園下機後，搭上長榮巴士，準備到台 北忠孝新生捷運站，搭捷運到永和頂溪站，車抵忠孝新生，司機未等我 取下第二件行李，就逕自開走巴士，我正束手無策，外面下雨，只聽見 一位小姐叫道，此太過誇張了，只見她跨步追趕巴士，此時約是上午十 點，我跟著追上到一紅綠燈，此時已經有三輛長榮巴士，我們肯定是一 位李姓駕駛，我再追一段，仍舊無法引得駕駛注意，小姐正在使用其手 提電腦型電話，她認為此司機過於誇張，應該下車，幫我取下行李，肯 定無誤後，始可驅車離去，她很快找到長榮辦公室，辦公室小姐，立刻 找到此司機，要司機在忠孝新生下一站，行天宮等候，小姐人長得漂亮 ，剛從美國舊金山探親回台，早晨剛送小孩到托兒所，有時間帶我到行 天宮站領回行李，她大約一看就知我是從美國回台之惣者，慫者土包子 也。 看到她，我就想起我們家之琳兒，落落大方，又是精明幹練，充滿自信 ，翁小姐是彰化員林人，其父小我四歲，仍舊上班，令我欽佩不已，小 姐說是不用掛慮女兒婚事，她也是到三十五歲始結婚，現在女孩均能獨 立謀生，寧缺勿濫，結婚後再離婚，更是痛苦。 我在台北時間甚長，受施甚勿忘，我想邀她帶小孩吃飯，她說不必，小 孩在此年紀，非常不講道理，於是匆匆告別，幾十分鐘後，我在永和頂 溪站，與電梯門行李掙扎，遇到一位好心之中國小姐。

Playing tennis at Waikiki Courts/ Charles Chuang

Playing tennis at Waikiki Courts/ Charles Chuang Before taking off, I had reserved two separate weeks stay at a hostel nearby the University of Hawaii campus. Every morning, I would take the city bus #13 to the Kapiolani Park at Waikiki Beach to play tennis. There are four courts at this park light provided at dark throughout the night for the travelers. Known players would carry their own rackets or some hotels would provide them to play. Every morning before day break, people come. It lasts until afternoon. The breeze comes from Waikiki Beach and makes the players forget the bright Hawaii sunshine. Several years ago, I passed by this park and borrowed a racket From a lady afterward I carried a racket back to Huwei, Taiwan for tennis. Some Waikii courts players are Japanese American, this attracts many Japanese tourists. On my way back to the United States, I ran into Honolulu Marathon. Many Japanese runners stayed at Waikiki to play tennis, then went back to Japan separately; many American and Canadian from the west coast constantly are wondering at this park for tennis. There is an aged Taiwanese lay from Brazil explaining the story to me, who is who, at the courts. Due to her physical Condition, she is over 80 years old, just completed a cataract surgery and not Seeing well, I suggested her quit tennis and start walking for exercise in order to be safe. I did not see her since then. There are some 340 photos showing tennis players passed by this park in a year. My tennis skill is slightly different from the regular players. My old Japanese robber ball tennis held a different grip and also a different method to hit the ball. No proper professional to train me to hit the ground stroke and top spin ; therefore, I use slice or cut the ball in order to make a tennis game. I return All the incoming balls back to the opponents make them to consider hitting to a wall. This attracts many American players, one of them is Diane Kinder- water, a television producer from Santa Fe, New Mexico. We become good friends. One morning Diane brought her friend Rocky who would be a 4.5 player with a good looking and very strong ground stroke. I was afraid of playing him, yet we played together versus another good team with a very good memory. A retired tennis pro called Ricky, a Philippino American with a Japanese wife , Yoko. Yoko plays tennis very hard with a grunt. I yelled on the sideline in Japanese, Yoko San is Kauai mo tennis mo jozu desu, means Yoko is pretty and plays good tennis. Her husband was very pleased and discussing fishing and tennis to me. He recommends me play at the Diamond Head courts that there are more good players and some Taiwanese immigrants.

在威基基打網球/莊峻華

在威基基打網球/莊峻華 我在網路上訂好夏威夷旅店，是在夏威夷大學附近，每日清晨，我從大 學路搭13號巴士，到威基基之卡畢歐蘭尼公園打網球，此公園有四座 硬地球場，有夜燈提供球友使用，旅客有識者，均攜帶球具前來，有的 旅店甚至提供球拍，清晨天未亮，就有人來，一直到午後，威基基海灘 ，清風徐來，令人忘卻烈日威力。幾年前，我經過此球場，借用一女士 球拍，後來回虎尾，就自攜球拍，以便使用。 威基基網球場，有些當地男女球友，多半是日裔美人，因此引來許多日 本遊客，回美國這一週，剛好遇見檀香山馬拉松賽，許多日本來之選手 ，留下來打網球，然後分梯次回日本；許多來自西海岸之美國加拿大人 ，定期流連網球場，有位巴西來之台灣老婦人，幫我介紹幾位常客，因 她已經年過八十，眼睛開過白內障，行動不便，我勸她改行散步，以策 安全，回美時已經不見其影，有紀錄相片，超過三百四十位使用者。 我之網球球路，稍異於常人，舊日軟網擊球姿勢，不適用於硬網，又捨 不得聘請教練，改正擊球姿勢，沒有平地擊球，亦無高轉飛球，通通是 切球，凡球過境，我就依樣切將回去，像是談情說愛似的，非常羅曼蒂 克，美國人形容像球，擊到牆壁，通通打回，於是引來許多好奇者，其 中一位是，來自新墨西哥州珊塔費市之，戴安‧刊得哇特小姐，有一日 帶來其男友拉奇，此人為4.5級，擊球強勁，我怯戰不前，和他一組， 迎戰另一隊高手，戴安是位電視製片人，我們留下通訊地址，保持連絡。 有位退休之網球教練，是菲律賓裔美人，其妻為日本移民，頭髮染成金 黃色，打球認真，有呼叫聲，我在旁日語讚美曰，悠子樣人長得美麗， 網球又是上手，其夫大樂，和我談論釣魚，還有許多網球議是評論，介 紹我到附近另座鑽石頭球場，有更多高手，而且有些台灣移民。

Budgetary travel free style/Charles Chuang

Budgetary travel free style/Charles Chuang Almost every friend asks me why not bring my wife to travel with me? My simple answer is that Amy doesn’t like the way which I travel around, a kind of budgetary travel free style, very economy way. She prefers a complete arrangement including hotels, transportation, and eatery etc. She also likes to travel in a warmer climate and cannot be too tiresome. On the contrary, I like to travel to my favorite places again and again and I don’t pay very much attention on those of her concern. I believe that a man should not emphasize those concern in order to discuss travel, this is what Confucius says. I tried to check in a larger luggage at Houston Airport, my understanding is That there is one free check in luggage for the oversea travel; however, I did have a stopover at Honolulu. Hawaii is domestic, the clerk of American Airline would charge me $50 fee. I disagreed and attempted to appeal. He Asked me to step back to a line and waiting. I began to open the luggage in order to rearrange and send one luggage directly to Taipei which should be counted as oversea and other nation. An American Airline supervisor saw the situation was not good looking and asking me to close that luggage and come forward to check in for free. Upon arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii, I had had two trunks and a tennis racket to move around. It was very difficult and I was not embarrassed. I used a free cart to move to a bus stop and the bus driver won’t allow me get on because one trunk was too large. I did get on to Houston Metro Bus without any pro- blem. I had to resolve the transportation issue, I called Michelle, my daughter, in Miami, Florida. She found a rental car for $26 a day tax included. I walked toward the rental car counter to chat with two lady travelers. Both of them attempted to find a vehicle and yet there was no sign of employee at the office. Sherry Buck told me that they had already resolved the problem and were going to take a shuttle to their Waikiki hotels, the rate was $12. She called the shuttle bus office and found out my rate to the University of Hawaii area was $16. She was from Ft. Worth, TX, and several days later when she came back to Oahu Island from Kauai Island, I treated her to Marukame Restaurant for a curry udon noodle. She was the one encouraging me to write my journal in English in order to let her read. There was at least two issue to move my luggage from Taoyuan Airport to my rental place. The bus driver did not wait until I move my second trunk out of the bus and took off, fortunately, there was a young lady helping me track him done and also helping to get it back. I’ll have a special piece to report this incident. At the final subway station, I was stuck at the elevator and difficult to move around, there was a Chinese pretty lady came to help. She was from Chin Dao city, Santong, who had been working in Taiwan for 12 years. I used to serve in the Army division came from Santong area. It was very closed to this part of Chinese people. We had ha pleasant conversation and two days before I took Off, we met again for a coffee and I wished her well in Taiwan.

經濟自由行/莊峻華

經濟自由行/莊峻華 幾乎每人均問我，何以未攜妻同行？我之簡答為，賢妻不喜我之羅漢腳 旅行，經濟自由行，她較喜歡安排好一切，旅舍，交通，和飲食等，天 氣畢需溫和，不能過於疲倦，我則否，喜歡之處，到過好幾遍，而且士 志於道，而恥惡衣惡食者，未足與議也。我在此番旅行中，確實遇見幾 庄小難題，因為我隻身行，並未構成緊張和不便，反而體會許多人間溫 暖，容我描述。 我在休市機場，托運一件大行李，據我了解，國外旅行，一件托運行李 免費，但因我先在檀香山停留，檀香山是夏威夷州，不算國外，所以美 航櫃台索費美金五十元，我不同意，準備越級申述，櫃台要我退候等待 ，於是我開始在等候線外，打開大小行李，重新整理，準備有一件大行 李，直接托運到桃園機場，桃園是國外，美航上司見我忙碌不堪，有礙 觀瞻，連忙要我收好行李，免費寄送大行李到檀香山，息事寧人。 飛抵檀香山，我有兩件大小行李，行動稍有不便，但檀香山機場提供免費 小行李運車，便於搬運，市公車駕駛見到我，立即搖頭，大行李過大，不 能隨位攜帶，於是我需要想辦法，運送到旅舍，檀香山機場有租車櫃台， 但無人上班，有兩位女士正在安排租車等事，我連忙電話在邁阿密之琳兒 求救，琳兒立即找到一日$26之租車，於是我前去詢問兩位女士，其中一 位曰，已經解決，有廂 車專送到威基基旅店，$12費用，這位小姐更進一 步手機詢問車行，到夏威夷大學之價格，結果是$16，於是我就電話通告 琳兒，這位小姐就是歇麗‧巴克，來自德州霍福市，她從可愛島旅行回來 ，我請她到丸龜麵廠吃珈哩屋動麵，她鼓勵我英文寫遊記，以便容她閱讀 ，我已經開始實行。 從桃園機場，運送兩三件行李，到永和頂溪捷運站，也有差錯，我之長榮 巴士司機，在忠孝新生站下車時，不及讓我提下第二件行李，就逕行開車 ，當時台北下雨，有位年輕小姐，見義勇為，直乎此太誇張也，連續追巴 士兩紅綠燈不果，很自信之安慰我，要幫我追回，於是她使用高科技之電 話，通知長榮，公司要司機在行天宮等候，翁小姐曰，剛送小孩到托兒所 沒事，願意陪我到行天宮，我將有專文描述。 在頂溪站下捷運，仍舊不很順利於行，在電梯出口，有困難行動，有位美 麗之中國小姐，前來幫忙，我真是受寵若驚，小姐來自山東青島市，我曾 經在山東師服兵役，談話時亦感親切，回美時徐小姐趕到石牌，與我道別 ，她已經來台灣12年。

An artist from Kauai Island, Hawaii/Charles Chuang

An artist from Kauai Island, Hawaii/Charles Chuang I ran into a mid-age pretty at Los Angeles International Airport, waiting on a seat at the terminal and flipping on a hand held computer. Upon boarding to the aircraft, I was busy placing my tennis racket into the upper cabinet,” Preparing to play tennis in Hawaii?” an oriental lady smiley asked. It’s the pretty lady at the terminal where I ran into. I answered briefly in Japanese. She is Ishikami Kyoko resides at Kauai Island, Hawaii, just coming back from visiting a friend in Southern California. She mentioned several scenery where I did have some experience, and I had visited Kauai Island. We did have some mutual interest for conversation. This old nut scarcely has an opportunity to chat with such a pretty lady. My wife doesn’t like me to speak to stranger ladies while on travelling. She even asks our daughter Michelle to remind me for such respect. Ishikami San’s pretty belongs to elegant but charming. I praise her pretty due to a good marriage that her spouse puts no pressure on her and loves her. She is very pleased and says that is her second marriage. Her husband is an American missionary. She taught English in Japan and Japanese at Kauai Island. She used the same textbook, Japanese for busy people, which I have used for self- study for many years. She showed me about 400 of her art work which were all uploaded into a small notebook type computer. Even though it’s like the art gallery in the museum, I could see her life time work. Her art shows only limit at the island. I mentioned a taro field at Kauai where the scenery liked the old classical Chinese, the peach blossom village, the orderly divided farms. She showed me two of her art work at the same scenery spot where people could overlook the field. I thought of keeping her e-mail address for the future correspondence, yet I saw her busy getting organized her luggage. We didn’t say farewell, I didn’t even have a chance to take her picture for my readers all over the world.

來自可愛島之畫家/莊峻華

來自可愛島之畫家/莊峻華 我在洛杉磯候機，遇見一位中年美女，正在候機座位上，翻看小型手提電 腦。上機後，我正忙著置放網球拍，鄰座一東方女士，微笑曰準備到夏威 夷打網球？原來是候機室上這位美女，我用日語回答幾句，原來是石神京 子，一位居住在夏威夷可愛島，剛從南加州訪友歸來，提到之幾處南加州 風景，我有些經驗，而且我到過可愛島，許多共同話題，老頑童難得有機 會，與美女對話，賢妻不喜歡我和陌生女性談話，說是不尊重她，而且叫 琳兒來訓斥。 石神貌美，屬於高雅，而非艷麗，我讚美她有位好丈夫，不使她有生活壓 力，容貌秀麗，雖然已經高齡六十，但貌似四十許，她甚喜悅我之讚揚曰， 此為第二次婚姻，先生為美國傳教士，待她甚好，沒有生活壓力，在日本 教英文，在可愛島教日文，教科書就是我自修日文之，日文給忙碌者。她 展示我四百幅油畫，全部儲存在小筆記型電腦上，雖然不若美術館大幅畫 展，但可窺伺其一生心血，她之個人畫展，僅限於可愛島，我提到該島某 處竽田，阡陌井然，像是陶淵明之桃花源，她從電腦上，翻出兩張作品， 就是景觀俯瞰眺望處。 下機時，我正想留下電郵號碼，以便將來連絡，我見她忙於收拾攜帶物，也 無暇道別，更遑言留下玉照，給我之讀者分享。

Coming home/ Charles Chuang

Coming home/ Charles Chuang After 40 days out of travelling, I felt homesickness, I was anxious going home. Staying at the dormitory type of hostel, I was wondering around, I had packed all my luggage. The shuttle bus came to pick me up in the early morning to the Honolulu Airport where I had had a two hours waiting; Upon arriving at Los Angeles Airport another four hours waiting for transferring plane to Houston Intercontinental Airport where I had to wait another five hours for Arthur to Pick me up for home. Now a day, I have plenty of time to wait and I have no Complaint. It is very unusual for me to have such opportunity to go away from home, to visit so many places, to meet many new friends, to visit many old friends, to have my fake teeth installed, to play three weeks tennis, to read two text books, to take more than one thousand photos. Actually, on the fourth of last month, I took an early evening city bus to down- town Houston to be transferred to the Airport, that was 12 hours earlier than the scheduled airplane taking off. Airport is very pretty and clean, I read books and take nap with some other travelers as company to wait for the check in. Time fly, the counter opens for business two and half hours before the sched- uled take off. I check in one larger luggage to Hawaii; one week later, I went to HNL five hours early, to check in a luggage to Taoyuan Airport. I always like to wait for the airplane and not the other around. While at HNL to arrange the transportation, I ran into a younger lady with a good deed to help me to take the same shuttle to my hostel nearby the University of Hawaii Monoa campus. She is from Ft.Worth, Texas. Several days later, she came back from Kauai island and we had a nice dinner at Marukame Restaurant on Kuhio Avenue. Sherry encourages me write my Blog in English and promises to read it. At Waikiki tennis courts, I also ran Into a nice lady, a television producer from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and her Boyfriend, both of them had been in Houston and Austin. Diane tried to Help me to get a cheaper shuttle without success. I also ran into two Chinese ladies both in Taiwan and on the plane back to Houston. I’ll describe the conversation with them later on my blog. In Taipei, I quickly arranged in time to have my in and out denture installed. While waiting, I had managed to have many activities which included a visit To a beautiful library at Chusan, Nantou; fly to Kinmen, the old frontier, to Visit the village where I spent two years in the Army; Visit the #2 nuclear Power palnt, Ginsan oldtown, a friend’s villa on the hilltop facing north Taiwan shoreline; several dinners with old friends and a 96 years birth- Day party at Little Ginmen; visit Sanxia where my father’s hometown.

歸家/莊峻華

歸家/莊峻華 外出旅行四十日，歸心似箭，我在檀香山旅店，坐立不安，行李早已整 理妥善，凌晨箱車前來攜客，趕往機場，在檀香山機場，等候兩小時； 飛抵洛杉磯，在機場等候轉機四小時；抵達休市機場後，剛過半夜，等 候琳兒專車到來五小時，我已心平氣和，難得有如此機會遠遊，到過許 多地方，認識許多新友，拜會多少老友，裝好假牙，打上三週網球等， 讀了兩本教科書，拍攝超過一千張相片。 其實，我在上月四日傍晚，即搭休市巴士到城中，換車到機場，就是提 早12小時，到達機場候機，機場美輪美奐，我在候機室讀書睡覺，幾位 轉機旅客為伴，很快就到起飛兩小時半前，將大行李托運到壇香山；一 週後我又提前五小時到機場，奔向桃園機場，我一直喜歡等車等飛機等 船。 在檀香山機場，安排座車到旅店，認識一位好心太太，來自德州霍福市， 幾天後她從可愛島回威基基，我請她到丸龜麵廠，吃珈哩屋動麵，講好 寫英文遊記。威基基網球場上，也認識一位新墨西歌山塔費市女製片人， 答應繼續連絡。我在台灣永和頂溪站，在返休市機上，認識兩位中國女 士，一位在台灣工作12年；一位年輕學生，來休大攻讀化工博士，都有 甚佳之談話，將有記述。我在永和 之房東夫婦，非常幫忙，也有很愉快 之談話經驗。在環島火車行中，認識一位釣魚女士，一位美國小姐，在 嘉義鄉下，當義工英語老師，非常不俗。 我在台北，很迅速之安裝一套假牙，其等候期間，有許多活動，和斗南 宏彥兄到竹山，參觀圖書館；飛到金門小金門；參觀金山老街，核二廠 ，和一濱海別墅；兩次大學同學飯局在新竹；一次初中同學，兩次小學 校友飯局，和一位小學鄰桌同學喝咖啡，甚至讓一位小金門義女父母，招 待晚餐；在小金門過夜，參加一96歲老者生日宴；我到山峽尋根，和大 姊萬里，有很多討論。在台北有機會拜望張秋政教授，許多美憶，多謝其 兄妹招待。