Visiting Mainz, Germany

Visiting Mainz, Germany/Carlos Pueblo

On my arrival in Frankfurt Am Main, I did walk to the south bank of

the River Main for a quick visit of a flea market, an old resale open

air market, then I took a train toward west along the river to the

other end to visit Mainz where I missed on my last visit to Wiesbaden.

I have to check the map to understand what it means on the internet

Description, Manz is on the west bank of Rhine while Wiesbaden is

north of Rhine below the confluence of Main. Two cities are across the

waterway to each other. I have read so much about Mainz ever since

I visited Wiesbaden and written about the city in April, 2016. I read again

this time when I prepare my work and I realize that there is so little which

I have seen for an afternoon visit.

I have attempted to walk toward Rhine along the side walk of Main and I

reached to Offenback Am Main, means Offenback on River Main. German

tell me that is not possible to walk to the confluence of Main to Rhine and

need to take a river cruise excursion, further I was on the wrong direction.

Offenback is a lovely German city yet it is on the upstream and east while

Rhine direction is on the west. In addition to that mistake, I also mistaken

the old home gardens were the same as Main toward Offenback which I

passed by. These unique scenery are all over Germany can be view from

train ride.

Mainz is an old historical city of more than 2000 years , it is because of the two rivers

and the plain for the agriculture. I followed the street sign toward the river bank. The

Rhine is very busy with river traffic and Mainz is a major hub of the river cruises ports.

German city decorates its city with flower gardens almost everywhere and I am very

Impressed even in the fall still with roses and varies kinds of blooming. I am not sorry

for my short visit on foot as a matter of fact that is good for my health at my age. Mainz

has all kinds of European glory, castles and churches, classical and new architecture.

Frankfurt area is one of the populated region in Germany. I see one train station between

Frankfurt and Mainz nearby Frankfurt Airport is the head quarter of Opel, a German brand

owned by General Motors for decades. Opel is still quite popular while GM ceased marketing

this vehicle in the U.S. for quite some time. I wonder what if the U.S. government let GM went

bankruptcy in 2008 and the consequence of Opel. Mainz is also very famous for the printing

machinery can be called as the headquarter of world printing, of course, I also learn that

nearby Heidelberg has a world famous newspaper printing shop.

邁茵斯行/莊峻華

邁茵斯行/莊峻華

邁茵斯市在法蘭克福西郊，今春旅行黑斯州府，必斯巴登市，車

過邁茵斯兩次，雙城隔萊茵河相對，許多文章介紹此城，況且火

車經過一美麗花園社區，我道是曾多次散步過之，邁茵河畔，奧

芬巴克市，經過一段時間始弄清楚，東西方向不同，因為手持法

蘭克福圖，南北上下顛倒，邁茵河西向，在邁茵斯和必斯巴登注

入萊茵河，奧芬巴克市在邁茵河東向上游，都是德國美麗城市。

我參觀德國城市，非常簡單，就是老街，城堡，河川，花園，和

教堂，像邁茵斯市，在萊茵河畔，兩千年前，就有人居，羅馬時

代之建築設備，仍有保存，走向萊茵河，就經過老街鬧區，城市

佈置一些花園，陪襯著古典新穎建築，別有特色，我是沿著路標

，因為是週六，萊茵河畔，也有舊貨攤市，我在法蘭克福邁茵河

舊貨市，補上一具小望遠鏡，邁茵斯舊市，不若法蘭克福之規模，

畢竟人口稍弱，但萊茵河之豪華江輪，則是雲集河岸，規模大於

邁茵河，畢竟邁茵河是萊茵河之分支。

我在德國城市，甚至許多歐洲城市街道上，看到許多奧培爾車，此

車標誌仍舊不變，奧培爾之總部，就在黑斯州，火車經過，在法蘭

克福和邁茵斯之間，就在法蘭克福機場隔一兩站，奧培爾車，在歐

洲仍然可見，八年前通用汽車危機，若美國讓通用倒閉，不知如何

處理奧培爾？通用早已買下奧培爾。邁茵斯市著名之企業，是印刷

業，印刷工業之起源地，古老中國之印刷發明，在邁茵斯，脫胎換

骨，我還參觀過一著名之印刷廠，在海德堡市，容後敘述。

Visiting Hochst, Frankfurt AM Main, Germany/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Hochst, Frankfurt AM Main, Germany/Carlos Pueblo

I was out of a coffee shop with Eugenia at Frankfurt old town street,

she liked to visit an art museum and I went on to Willy Brandt station

to catch on a train to the central station. The train which I was on was

toward west of the city, Frankfurt Hochst. Suddenly, I decided to visit

the township which brought back some memory of the early 70’s at my

one year hometown stay at Huwei, Taiwan. I went to a job interview with

a German company called Hoechst Chemical in Taipei for a position as a

sales person for its dye stuff in the leather industry. The interview was very

nice and the firm paid a round trip train tickets. I did not get the job and I

learned it after some 20 years later at Hersey Park near my old house. A

German couple came to Houston to visit their son’s family and mentioned

that he was the head of Hoechst Asia Operation and was familiar with

Kaohsiung. I mentioned that interview of mine, he laughed and indicated

that the plants was not built due to the objection of Dow Chemical in the

U.S. He could identify the young man who interviewed me at that time.

In April this year, I went to Viesbaden for the thermos experience and noticed

that I missed Hochst by 10 miles and decided to make it up on my next trip.

Hochst has been merged into Frankfurt AM Main since 1928 and is famous for

Hoechst Chemical and now is called Sanofi-Aventis still a huge chemical power

house in the industrial park of the city. The city itself is not as dramatic as

Frankfurt yet is well organized city planning. I saw some immigrant population.

Hochst reminds me Pasadena of the Houston east side industrial area except

Pasadena is a huge petroleum refinery while Hochst is a huge chemical factory

while I can still see some chimneys along the River Main.

I continued to finish my second year teaching obligation in Taiwan before I was

eligible to postpone the duty and study abroad one year later. I have never thought

that I would have this opportunity to run into Hochst and Hoechst later in my life.

I have thought of environment pollution in Taiwan for quite some time especially

pollution of waterway in Taiwan. Before the migration of factory to China, Taiwan

had had many severe protests for water and air pollution due to industrial expansion.

I closely observe German rivers in compare with Japanese and I want to know what

the people must pay the cost for the current life style for all the products.

郝斯特行/莊峻華

郝斯特行/莊峻華

我在法蘭克福市，布朗德車站上車，準備回法蘭克福中央車站，

結果法現火車開往法蘭克福-郝斯特，於是我決定郝斯特行，今

年春天，我在法蘭克福市，停留十日，到過州府碧斯巴頓市，發

郝斯特就在附近，沒想到真有機會，看到郝斯特之，廬山真面目。

剛好早上散步緬因河，和尤琴妮雅，談起郝斯特之緣起。我在

1976年冬天，從虎尾搭夜車北上，參加郝斯特公司業務員面試，

當年該公司，準備在台，推銷皮革染料，也準備在台設廠，口試

僅有一次，我未錄取，後來德國麥爾廠，也在台北招考紡織染料

業務員，我也應徵，火車北上應試，也未錄取，十幾年後，我在

休市遇見一位，當年也應徵者，提到誰獲錄取麥爾廠，但不若郝斯

特廠之傳奇。

約是西元2000年前，我已經開始在住家附近，荷西公園散步，一日

我和一對經常碰面之老夫婦認識，他獲知我來自台灣，立刻說到他在

郝斯特廠退休，這是來美探親，長子在休市工作。我提到當年應徵故

事，他也記得此事，我著實無法憶起面試主考姓名，只知這位青年，

高大英俊瀟灑，彬彬有禮，他立刻說出一名字，他是當年郝斯特亞洲

總裁，經常出入高雄，他說起皮革染料計劃，胎死腹中，因為美國反

對，就是美國道化學廠反對，國務院施壓力。

我在阿拉巴馬州讀書，一位無機先生，也曾經在郝斯特上班過，履歷

表明列，郝斯特後來，與法國公司合併，許多研究和生產，仍舊留在

郝斯特，郝斯特在1928年，就併入法蘭克福˙緬因市，人口高達十二

萬，是一工業城市，就像法蘭克福一般，是一工作城市，城市中很明顯

，許多土耳其移民。

Visiting the University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting the University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany/ Carlos Pueblo

After arriving to Cologne, releasing my luggage at the inn and I turned

right back to the rail road station took a train right back to Bonn to

visit the University of Bonn, an institute brought back a good memory

of my adolescent dream, my elder cousin from my mother’s side went

to have his fellowship at Bonn’s Medical School in the mid-60’s and he

was always as a role model for us in our life, a graduate of Taiwan

University Medical School and a successful gynecologist-obstetrician.

I was very happy to see the famous main building of the University, the

yellow color architecture. It’s all started here in 1819 when King Frederick

William III donated the land and facility to set up the school. The University

Hospital and the school of medicine must be taught here as a German

couple responded to my question, then it was moved to the city center of

the west side, then to Vensuberg of the west of Bonn. The couple told me

that I would have to take a bus to reach there.

My mother always has been very proud of this eldest nephew. She always

had mentioned her relation with him after his mother died of delivery

difficulty for a second child. He had come to visit us in the central part of

Taiwan for summer break from Taipei. His successful schooling has been an

envy of our family. My brother Yancy even attempted to retake the college

entrance examination at the summer of his sophomore year at the engineering

school to get the admission to the famous medical school. Since then, there are

three of our family young generation becoming physicians at the encouragement

of their fathers after the influence of their elder uncle.

Bonn is a lovely city of Germany, used to be the capital of West Germany, thanks

to a distinguished alumnus Konard Adenauer, the premier after the War. It is very

relaxing at the campus especially in front of the yellowing building, it’s told that

the building was heavy damaged during the War and was rebuilt. I was in a hurry

to make the trip and I did tour the old city center and saw the monument of

Beethoven, a famous hometown composer.

訪問波昂大學/莊峻華

訪問波昂大學/莊峻華

車抵科隆市，放下行李，連忙趕回車站，搭車到波昻市，

拜望波昻大學，我們母舅府，有位優秀表哥，台大醫科出

身，60年代，留學波昻大學，一直是吾家小孩模範，峻嚴

一直到大二夏天，仍舊嘗試重考台大醫科不果，此表哥

後來在加州開業，一直到退休。

波昻大學，是一公立學校，現制大學剛好兩百年歷史，為一

普魯士國王佛來迪克˙威廉三世所贈送，普魯士王子，許多

在此校接受教育，德人稱呼為王子大學。醫學院已經不在校

本部，本部在此波昻老街，波昻城市歷史，追朔到兩千一百

年前之，羅馬時代。

黃色大樓背面，就是一大草場，許多球場，許多人躺仰，秋日

仍舊暖和，德人告知，醫學院需搭巴士，於是我放棄尋找。波

昻是西德首都，主要是艾德諾校友，強力推薦，德國統一後，

仍然有許多辦公室，留在波昻。我特地拜望波昻大學，主要是

這位童年時代之典範，人若無典範，若航海不見燈塔，易於迷

航。

子曰樂有賢父兄，這位表哥，高中暑假，常來埔里度假，高中

畢業當年，攜帶兩位同學同來，一日遊畢日月潭，一位同學攔

路移防軍車隊回埔里鎮，令我印象深刻，後來我再與這位表哥

見面，都不忘問起這兩位。先母經常提起表哥，家中子女，有

此能耐者，惟峻嚴兄耳，峻峰弟後來子女，均培養成醫生，峻

嚴一公子也是，算是不負先母期望。

波昻是大作曲家，貝多芬之故鄉。

Butterfly lecture/Carlos Pueblo

Butterfly lecture/Carlos Pueblo

I went to a butterfly lecture at our community center presented

By Dr. Nancy Grieg, the director of butterfly section of Houston

Natural Museum. Grieg has had a big audience varies from elementary

school to senior citizen with  different kinds of interest in butterfly.

Before attending the lecture, I pulled out two articles which I wrote in

1999, my only visit on her butterfly room at the museum. I describes

my old memory of catching butterfly in my old mountain home town

of Puli at the central mountains area of Taiwan and my fascination of

butterfly after the pupa or chrysalis breaking out of the cocoon and flying

out of the world. She did not have time enough to touch this part of

philosophy yet I did remind her current description of human behavior

which appears on my second article. People like me become very shy

in the aging stage living in a lonely environment called cocooning in

inset world which she hears about it and is not adequate to talk about it

in front of the youngster audience full of energy in front of their life.

There are two citrus on our back yard, one California lemon and one

tangerine, with blossom in the spring. I am always waiting for a kind

of butterfly to drop by we call it the pomelo moth, either male or female.

Taiwanese kids name the butterfly based on its color and where it appears.

This pomelo moth appears on the pomelo blossom in front of our front

yard every year. This has been almost 60 years since I moved away from

that township and been back several times without having back that old

sweet memory. I think and the good doctor agrees that the pomelo moth

is swallow tail butterfly, black base with two tails or I call it the two ear

rings.

Butterfly has its life span, egg, caterpillar, pupa, cocoon, butterfly and

repeat it. Chinese Daoist Chuang Tsu did mention that he dreamed of

butterfly yet his dream was not very much to pass on due to the first

Emperor’s burning of all books before the unification of China. It’s

under Daoism yet we don’t know what it is very much. After him, there

has been none of Chinese philosophers ever think of such philosophy

any longer.

蝴蝶講座/莊峻華

蝴蝶講座/莊峻華

同鄉會在週六中午，舉辦蝴蝶講座，邀請休市自然博物館蝴蝶館

主任，萳西˙格萊柏博士主講，我對蝴蝶有特殊喜愛，又曾參觀

該館，於是將17年前舊文取出，和元兒溫習一遍，吐絲作繭之簡

單概念，格萊柏主任講解中，描述蝴蝶之作繭，和絲蠶之吐絲作繭

有異，蝴蝶之蠋，並未吐絲，或僅吐出一小部份，然後將全身包裹

成繭狀。聽眾興趣不同，我興趣所在，迥異於他人，主任講解清楚

，幾位小女孩，對蝴蝶有硏究，對達如流，講座結束後，仍有許多

問題，繼續討論。

我在山鎮埔里出生，一直到十歲始遷居虎尾，虎尾蝴蝶，不若埔里

之普遍，鄰居小孩，也無捕蝶風氣，所以對蝴蝶之印象不深，就是

到成年時，讀中國古哲學，莊周之夢蝴蝶，也僅翱翔於天際之間，

蝴蝶之美，完全根據外觀，而且有時間性，台語中規劃蝴蝶名，根

據色澤，外觀，和出現果樹，加上蛾名，我指出主任帶來之標本曰，

此類蝴蝶出現在橘科花朵中，就是柚蛾公，主任同意，時間不許可，

否則我可以再指出，幾種台灣蝴蝶俗稱。

內院一株加州邁爾檸檬，和一株蜜柑，春天開花，引來蜜蜂，偶見

蝴蝶，四年來遇見幾次柚蛾公，主任居家，培植蝴蝶花園，此為古老

社區，近城中心，平房已漸漸拆除，興建大廈，也有環保者死守，培

植花園，世界人口増加，許多熱帶雨林，幅員減少，壓迫昆蟲空間，

所以博物館鼓勵中南美洲，保護雨林，收集蝴蝶繭外銷美國，台灣也

曾是該館，蝴蝶蘭繭來源之一，惟今日已中斷。