Wednesday, June 29, 2016

艾蓮諾大姊/莊峻華

艾蓮諾大姊/莊峻華

啟程翌日清晨,我在花園餐廳,遇見前長老教會許牧師夫婦,和艾蓮
諾夫婦同桌,趨近和牧師打招呼,結果開始和兩夫婦,談起船價,兩
夫婦均是郵輪旅行老手,很不相信我報出之價格,我說要領有三,等
到最後一分鐘,住內部無窗房間,購買預先折扣訂金,當然不購買任
何郵輪推出之產品,我有困難解釋折扣訂金之好處,郵輪首日回答,
訂金之前例一百元美金,並未包括,所以我未當場購買,雖曰班門弄
虎,但也認識這對日爾曼老夫婦。第三日清晨,我又在餐廳遇見艾蓮
諾夫婦,一起用餐,他們來過麥阿密市多次,不準備下船,於是推薦
我搭乘市公車,免費遊覽老城中區,在第12層甲板餐廳,指著碼頭路
過之巴士,我們談話非常投機,她76歲,我大姊萬里之歲數,夫婿席
80高庚,兩位均甚硬朗。

第二日中餐,餐廳就推出烤乳豬,我要了豬頭,正和三位同伴,喝酒
啃豬頭皮,引起多人側目,西洋女士深覺噁心,東方旅客,抿嘴而過,
我們四人,仍舊我行我素,漸漸的有人,前來搭訕,要榮兄將豬頭相
片,電郵傳給她,讓她展示給重病之夫婿。只見艾蓮諾從餐盤處走回,
說是又有一新豬,問我要否?我擔心大廚不給,她說沒問題,她替我
要來,於是我有兩豬頭在桌上,榮祥手機拍攝為證。

於是我們成為餐廳桌友,無所不談,艾蓮諾也注意美國總統大選,對希
拉蕊講話費,很是不滿,我說如此須責備加拿大商人,為興建油管,對
美國政要,打通關節,我稱讚希拉蕊為智慧者,拿金鐘罩,扣著克林頓
,不使夫婿,縱虎歸山,放牛吃草,於是我講一節,蘇珊‧馬克都苟的
故事,就是阿肯色州白河開發案,席德馬上說出,蘇珊為克林頓坐牢,
我在家裡,英語說服元兒,末投桑德斯,所以故事有節奏,後來在船上
,又描述一遍,給一對稍年輕之荷蘭夫婦姊妹,而且加上西遊記,因為
這位妹妹,曾習佛法,但有困惑,聽說過三藏取經之故事。

 一日路過12層甲板游泳池,艾蓮諾正在游泳,要我加入,我道是她可
以,我應無礙,但是一碰冰冷池水,我就想退縮,她說已經游一小時矣
,於是我咬緊牙關,深水游了幾圈,直呼吃不消,四月裡大西洋水面,
仍舊冰冷不已,她要我到三溫暖池,回來報告心得,原來池中有一金髮
美女,高大苗條身材,胸圍44吋,旁邊有一男伴,我直呼水冷,問美女
她說達塔琳娜,烏克蘭人,我說俄羅斯普丁,現在對烏克蘭好乎?美女
笑而不語,於是我又道別,回游泳池報告。艾蓮諾曰,其雙乳當真?剛
才一位華人老太太,說是隆乳來的,我回說我之雙手太小,無法掌握,本
當認命,艾蓮諾笑曰在池中太久,就要離去,要我回去三溫暖池。男伴已
離去,於是我坐在美女正對面,目不轉睛,不久來一位老龐大壯漢,將我
擠近美女座旁,老人也是雙眼色迷迷,我無墨鏡掩護,不便側視,只好離
去,艾蓮諾聞後,將故事當笑話,描述給多人欣賞。

 我算是一癡情呆人,所以我將心事傾訴給這位日爾曼大姊,她說認識這位
克莉斯汀娜小姐,曾經幫她忙,而且在巴塞隆納港,下船後,回菲律賓故鄉
休假兩個月,有天克莉斯汀娜在花園餐廳當職,我請她來拜見大姑媽,於是
艾蓮諾解釋,終戰後,德國親父母,無法養活子女,幸好卡羅素之父母,在
台灣收養她,我到德國被領養之故事,剛好被淹沒。艾蓮諾建議我,點唱
琳‧安德森之紅曲,我不曾許諾妳一座玫瑰花園,後來這位唱遊鋼琴者,連
續表演,給曼德琳之巴蕾曲,我將永遠等妳,阿根廷末為我哭泣,夏日最後
玫瑰,是道別之時刻矣,下船後,我們分道揚镳,也未留下通訊。



Proposal to three beauty/Carlos Pueblo After

Proposal to three beauty/Carlos Pueblo

After embarking with the ship, I have proposed to three pretty girls,
of course, all three have rejected with different reasons, one is employment
and the other two are the issue of age difference. It is no hard feeling and
before the debarkation, I have had two adopted daughters, an elder sister
and my secret admiring beauty.

It all started in a 24 hours restaurant called, Blue Lagoon. On the first night,
My roommate and brother in law Yong came back late and mentioned about
the restaurant and its Buffalo Wings and fish chips. On the second night, we
all went to the restaurant for a night snack, beer and red wine. I greeted the
host, the first beauty with a black suit no golden stripe on sleeves, in my
twisted Spanish, Buenos Nachos instead of proper Buenos Noches. She was
so shy and could not cover her smiling mouth, I don’t know the language, then
I switched to Konmanwa, Japanese say good evening. She and her co-worker
laughed. He went back to the kitchen and got a very shy young worker out with
a Japanese surname, Miyaco which means big city or the capital. I was very
surprised for the encounter. I switched my tone in full Japanese expression and
he apologized for not known the language, his grandfather was a Japanese.

There were four of us, three of them already had some drink, host, three assistant
waiters with total 8 of us chuckling in the front of the pretty restaurant. Night
customers kept on coming in and Aiza, the host, went to greet them, a young couple
who had been on the ship for one cruise already. This gentleman, Shelton, indicated
that he did not wish to sit next to us because we spoke Japanese. I asked him, por
que? then he answered in some homemade Spanish. After they sit down, we exchanged
some more mixed in English and broken Spanish. They are nephew and aunt, he is
from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and she is from Arkansas near Bentenville. With the help of the
drinking package, everybody seemed to have a wonderful time.

When we finished 10 pieces of the chicken wings, I proposed Aiza to marry me and she did
not know how to respond it and I had to remind it to her on the next day. Yong was worry
that I might create a sexual harassment to her because he was an executive  in New York City
Metro system with some personnel experience, of course, she did not think that was possible.
On the next day, at the same restaurant, I proposed to her manager, Christina and she rejected
It right away because of age difference, later when I reminded her again, she explained that
she wished to marry an older man yet not this old. I told the instance to a German couple from
Toronto, Canada. Eleanor, my future elder sister, recommended me request the pianist to play
a Lynn Anderson’s hit song, I never promise you a rose garden. Christina was in charge of the
Blue Lagoon and the Moderno above deck 7 atrium bar right below both restaurants. Finally, she called me daddy and ordered me to behave or the ship jail was on deck 4.
That lady from Arkansas was proposed by me one night. She rejected it right away because
her husband would not be unemployed, he should be working all the time which I did not even have a chance. She is a professor at one of the University of Arkansas campus and no wonder she write excellent English in E-mail.



Wednesday, June 8, 2016

向美女求婚/莊峻華

向美女求婚/莊峻華

上船不久,我就向三位美女求婚,當然都被拒絕,行為帶來許多話題,
而且拉近我們之間之距離,許多乘客,也當作幽默笑話,因此,郵輪
抵達巴塞隆納港,我有一群朋友,其中包括一位日爾曼大姊,兩位女
兒,一位單戀愛人,還有許多有緣再見之朋友。

啟航首夜,我提早休息,榮兄回來告知,寢室同甲板有一餐廳曰籃海灣
,每日開放24小時,菜單上有餛飩湯,也有炸雞翅膀,於是翌日半夜,
我們四人到餐廳宵夜,餐廳無門,只有一小櫃台,可以接電話,櫃台帶
位小姐,含羞微笑,詢問幾位,我回西班牙語,誇特羅,手指比四,有
位年輕男侍,日本語問後,於是我流利回覆三招,順便日語讚美帶位小
皎潔綺麗,小姐羞怯回曰不識此語文,說此時那時快,日語男侍,從廚
房推出一位羞怯男侍,咪呀摳,都君,爾後我就稱呼他為都先生,都君
祖父為日本皇軍,滯留菲律賓,但不識日語,我剛從日本旅行回來不久
,日語尚未完全忘記,於是賣弄不斷,中間參插西班牙語,非常熱鬧。

這時候有乘客,陸續前來,其中一對年輕男女乘客,站在小櫃台前,跟
帶位小姐說是,不願意和這些講日語者同座,於是轟堂大笑,原來年輕
人從奧克拉荷馬來,女伴是阿姑,父親之幼妹,稍不便於行,於是我們
開始聊天,原來他們已經上船一週,到巴塞隆納後,續航威尼斯十日。
餛飩兩粒一小碗湯,六支雞翅膀,辛辣可口,我們均喝啤酒。

吃完宵夜,不須結帳,因是免費餐廳,包括在郵輪費用內,經過小櫃台,
我再請問小姐芳名,然後很慎重之英文讚美她,說是希望娶她,小姐一
時不知所措,未當場拒絕,但也未答應,所以等同巨絕,沒有答應,我
仍舊是自由之身。

與藍海灣餐廳同甲板層,有一須繳費之巴西餐廳曰,莫德諾,每人$25,我
心慕愛人,是管理此兩餐廳之經理,是位高大姣潔麗人,有海兵軍官制服,
她說不願嫁給老人,願嫁給年長者,但非如此之老,說的也是,我日後參拜
之日爾曼大姊聞之,指導我在七層大廳,點歌給她,歌曰我未答應妳一玫瑰
花園,這位唱遊鋼琴家,反覆彈吟古今情歌,若我永遠等候著你,阿根廷末
未我哭泣,待經理小姐感動拜我為父後,泰勒先生續彈鋼琴名曲,給愛德蘭
之芭蕾舞曲,愛德蘭是作曲家之愛女;是告別之時刻矣。

第三位是前述之姑媽,她說先生一定要有工作,此為我之深憾事也,後來終

不再有求婚之事。

Diligent workers on board/Carlos Pueblo

Diligent workers on board/Carlos Pueblo

When I take the cruise trip, I always feel as an important person, I have
been treating even better than at home. It is because the diligent workers
on board. The ship has about 1,500 employees on board and carried about
2,000 passengers like a good size of the U.S. town. Everything is very
organized and everything is very clean. Almost all of them are foreign workers
because the employers can bypass the U.S. minimum wage requirement;
however, this will never deter their motivation and attitude towards work.
Most of them whom I run into are waiters, housekeeping, chefs etc. They
Are from Philippine, Indonesia, Peru, India, and some eastern European nations.
I remember a washy washy girl from Jewel. She would stay in front of the Garden
Café and greeted you washy washy happy happy in order to remind you the sanitary
necessity. Last year I missed her at the Western Caribbean and several workers
told me that she was retired and back to Indonesia. I thought that I lost something
good in memory. Even on this trip after I mentioning her, one old Jewel customer
remembers her and knows her retirement.

I get up very early and climb up to deck 12 to watch the sun rises. Male workers
Have already up and running, prepare the beach chairs around the pools, mob
the floors outside and inside the café, they are busy to prepare for the breakfast.
On the rear, the morning coffee is ready.  Maintenance workers keep the ship in
top shape like a discipline navy vessel. Waiters are very polite and quick to response
upon the customer’s needs. You start from the bottom, like folding utensil, assistant
waiter, waiter, front desk, etc. A manager position takes more than 10 years. a
contract lasts about 9-10 months, then requires a new contract to continue. Other
cruise experience is generally ignored.

This trip, I got no limit to express my admiration towards these group of youngsters.
Some time I would surprise the Spanish native speakers in my broken Spanish. I wish
I could work harder in that language. I have acquainted many workers in this trip.



Monday, June 6, 2016

勤奮向上之郵輪員工/莊峻華

勤奮向上之郵輪員工/莊峻華
每次上郵輪,最深刻之印象,莫過於勤奮向上之郵輪員工,令我想起我
幼年之美夢,我也一直想在美國工作,而且也經過一段磨鍊。這些年輕
員工,過去多半來自菲律賓,現在幾乎來自全球,而且偶爾遇上中年人。
我在珠寶號,遇到一位印尼小姐,站在花園餐廳門口,噴淨水讓乘客洗手
,再進餐廳用餐,去年第四次搭乘珠寶號,已不見其倩影,老同事云哇西
哇西小姐,已經退休,哇西就是英語之洗手,然後再補一句,快樂快樂,
嗨皮嗨皮,其中有壓韻,最近之花園餐廳哇西小姐,已經輪流擔職,而且
不限女性員工。

清晨早起,圖觀望日出,12層甲板露天冷暖泳池附近,男員工已經默默地,將
躺椅繫繩解開,併排於泳池畔,有專任維護鋼管除銹,紀律不佳之海軍,惟恐
無法吃如此之苦。餐廳侍者,都是笑容滿面,郵輪有一套升遷制度,而且非常
本位,其他公司郵輪經驗,並不重要,我發現在郵輪工作,需要有堅忍毅力,
需要忍辱釋重,此為年輕人之美德。

這次旅行,我就比較熟識,大方搭訕美麗小姐,這些小姐,有害羞者,有見過大
場面,落落大方者,許多都是大餐廳經理級,有海軍制服,此中有些故事,容我

後述。

Embark for Barcelona/Carlos Pueblo

Embark for Barcelona/Carlos Pueblo
Three guests came from Denver and New York City in an afternoon
at Hobby Airport. I sympathized with them for their additional cost;
therefore, I arranged a route to serve them from the airport to the ship;
I went to pick up the first one arrived from Denver, then waited at the
Lobby till the arrival of the second group from NYC. We all went to a
Chinese seafood buffet dinner including that special request of craw
fish. On the morning, I took my son Arthur and my brother-in-law to
the cruise terminal and then went to the hotel to get the other two
to the terminal. Arthur drove the vehicle home. In the fall of 2015, my
in law, Yong, retired from Metro NYC, I recommended the Transatlantic
cruise to him and he took it also added two of his fellow Malaysia Chinese
to come along.

 At 11 am the cruise allowed new passengers enter the ship. I took my
fellow roommates to deck 12, Garden Café, for a brunch. enjoying the
excitement of being on board. When the ship embarked at 4:00 pm, they
were already mixed in on vacation mood. Yong is my brother-in-law, we
have married two sisters; Peter is a former classmate of Yong’s elder brother
in Canadian University while Seng is a good friend of Peter. All of them are
more than 10 years younger than me yet with good sense of humor which
has made this 16 days at sea very interesting.

The Cruise provides the schedule for everyday activity. This is what I have been
Doing all the time, I wake up early for the sun rises and have my morning walk
done, then breakfast at the Garden Café. Walking around and chatting with
fellow passengers ditto in the p.m. At night we go to the show together and
then separate for different musical programs and these will last till midnight.
They found a 24 hours free restaurant called Blue Lagoon where we could have

the spice buffalo wings and where we ran into several of our future friends.

啟航/莊峻華

啟航/莊峻華
去年秋天,紐約親戚榮兄退休,我邀他搭乘郵輪,橫越大西洋,
於是我開始注意旅行社廣告,終於在今年三月初旬搞定,兩人從紐
約飛來休士頓,我先到哈比機場接下第四位從丹佛市飛來之阿生兄,
兩人在旅館等待,接下紐約兩位後,我就帶客人,到旅館附近中餐廳
晚餐,事先我曾觀察地形地物。翌晨我先攜帶元兒和榮兄到郵輪碼頭,
然後放下兩位,再回哈比機場旅館,接下另外兩位到碼頭,然後元兒
開車回家,一切順利,連榮兄之小龍蝦晚餐,和清晨可口韓亞龍法國
麵包都包括在內。

約是上午11時,船開始讓休士頓乘客進入,後來始知有乘客,已上一
節七日之西加勒比海行,續航歐洲,甚至在巴塞隆納港後,續航威尼斯。
郵輪下午4準時起航,我們已經吃飽午餐,榮兄和彼得兄,已經開始品嚐
船上酒吧美酒,彼得是榮兄長兄之同學,阿生是比得之好友,都是馬來西
亞華僑,年輕有為,非常風趣,難得之旅行經驗,16日船上生活,飛馳而
過。

16日航程中,只停靠3港口,所以有13日夜,海上航行,郵輪每夜,均送
來翌日節目表,便於乘客期待和安排,我是第6次,三位都是初次郵輪旅行,
許多期待,因為興趣不同,船靠岸,三位一組陸地遊覽,我就是港口附近散步
,晚上就欣賞音樂節目,他們當夜就發現,有一免費餐廳,24小時開放,第二

日就攜帶我前往吃雞翅膀,於是我開始遇見許多新朋友。

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Traveling eastward 47 day

Traveling eastward 47 days/ Carlos Pueblo
On April 16, 2016, we took Norwegian Jade cruise liner from Houston
across Atlantic Ocean to Barcelona for 16 days, after that I continue myself
for a land tour in part of Europe until June 2, 2016 with a total of 47 days
traveling eastward. There are several stop during this trip which covering
many cities, Miami, St. Tomas, Funchal , and Barcelona; after 3 nights in
Barcelona, we went to London in separate way for one and two nights, I
went to Dublin for 5 nights, Paris 12 nights and Frankfurt for 9 nights. I
plan to write my journey for 200 pieces each in Chinese and English to
describe my feeling toward this trip.

Norwegian is the only cruise line which I have had experience, 6 times
total so far, Jewel 4 ,Epic 1, and this time with Jade, in a week, I’ll take
Sun twice in Alaska. In Miami, I took a free city bus.to tour certain portion
of the city; walking at St. Thomas, the capital city of Virgin Islands; walking
in Funchal, a Portuguese island city. A pretty city garden with spring flowers
started my late spring flower journey in Europe.

This European trip began in Barcelona, a city which I had visited last year.
I was on my way to the hotel via walking and train while the rest of our group
joined with another group of 3 took taxi to the hotel and left their luggage and
went out for city tour. I ran into a kind of Catalonians couple to help me getting
to the subway, there is a story behind it and allow me to describe it later in details.
Then, it was London one day in two Royal Parks and a nice dinner with a friend from
Tokyo. Following by Dublin, Paris, and Frankfurt, due to cold weather this year, the
spring blossom came out late and I enjoyed so much with cherry blossom, turnip ,
peony , roses, and rhododendron, etc., that is a surprise to the trip for me.

After visiting several major cities, I am filled with deep emotion. It is 71 years after
the end of World War II yet I still can see the marks of war damage especially in
Frankfurt, Germany. Paris is better off due to quick surrender while Hitler’s Germany
dragged on, of course it had been rebuilt since 1945 while German paid the price and

the human civilization pulled back and might not be recovered.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

東行47日/莊峻華

東行47/莊峻華
四月中旬,我從休士頓,搭乘挪威人郵輪翡翠號,東行橫越大西
洋,途經邁阿密港,美屬佛今島之聖湯姆士港,葡萄牙之芳雀爾
港,繞行直布羅陀,抵達西班牙之巴塞隆納港,船行16日,有四
人同行,巴市停留三日後,我們分行,經英國倫敦市,三友飛返紐
約市,我則續行愛爾蘭都柏林市5日,法國巴黎市12日,德國法蘭
克福市10日,總共東行47日。我準備作文200篇,來描述旅行心得。

我坐過挪威人郵輪6次,珠寶號4次,史詩號1次,還有此次翡翠號,
馬上下週阿拉斯加之太陽號2次,非常親切。經過邁阿密幾次,均未出
機場,這次下船,搭乘免費巴士,逛邁阿密老街,體會古巴人經營市區
環境,非常有趣。聖湯姆士港,比較樸素,已經開始有富裕者,前來開
發。芳雀爾,是一美麗城市,市區中就有很漂亮之花園,掀開我之追春
賞花續行,行前一週,我才華府賞櫻歸來。

我在巴塞隆納市三日,每日都有精彩遭遇,首日遇見一對善心老夫婦,帶
我搭電車上旅社,翌日上芒特舍落山,第三日參觀巴塞隆納奧運會場,巧
遇中國江西于小姐,小姐健談,與我們四位男士,在旅社餐廳自費用餐,有
一席妙論,容我後述。今年西歐寒冷,春天稍延,在倫敦和都柏林公園,仍
舊是櫻花怒放,非常美麗,到了巴黎和法蘭克佛,輪到玫瑰和牡丹,當然許
多其他春花爭豔,若石楠,鬱金香等,此行之意外收穫。

參觀幾國城市中,我不覺感慨萬千,終戰後71年,我仍然深深體會到,戰爭
破壞之巨,比較巴黎市容,之於法蘭克佛,法蘭克佛之於近郊州府,外斯貝登
市,古典古香之建設,和近代建設之差異,我可以解釋法國,挫手不及,讓希
特勒攻入,投降後保持古典建築物,德國不然,於是遭受聯軍之痛擊,我尚
未到達首都柏林,已經體會獨裁政治,終將帶來國家之災難,如果希特勒早日
投降,像塞比亞一般,損害必然減少甚多,古典建築,必然稍易保存,許多旅
行顧問,推薦拜訪東歐,見識小規模之破壞,和長期共產黨專政下,對文明發展

之怠惰,我會去,而且是迅速,三個月後。