My year end greeting 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 My year end greeting 2023/Carlos Pueblo

It's been a week since coming back from a Transatlantic cruise. The itinerary is the reverse from a trip of 2022 with the same ship between Civitavecchia, Italy and New York City. It's very interesting to write about it. I flew from Houston to Istanbul and transferred to Rome, after a 10 hours wait to pick up a friend we took trains to the port city and marched to the gate of the port in order to get a free ride to the ship. On my way back, we took a straight route from Ponta Delgada, Portugal directly to Manhattan Port to avoid a hurricane in Bermuda. Finally, I caught three late or final buses at midnight to reach home. It has been an exciting year of travel including 11 cruises and two 3 weeks high speed rail trips in Japan. I even got a chance to call my elder sister Mary at TPE airport, which made me decide to visit Formosa next year.

Amy negotiates a big contract to renovate our house foundation and the waste sewer plumbing system. A 42 piers will be installed around the sinking area while a total replacement of the PVC pipes is required simultaneously. I was on my cross Atlantic Ocean trip and had no argument but agreed to pay. The work is going to begin today. Owning a house must also face the cost of the real estate taxes and the maintenance.

Michelle is changing her job again. This time it is a healthcare company. Arthur is still with his original supermarket company. Amy is quite busy at home. I feel aging yet still like to avoid loneliness. I write about my senior life and travelling. 

Happy New Year.

歲末問安2023／莊峻華

歲末問安2023／莊峻華

今年過得真快，一眨眼又是歲末，好不容易塵埃落定，靜下心來寫信問候親朋好友。我剛從歐洲搭乘郵輪回家，甚是疲倦，家裡又需整修地基和破裂污水管道，心神未定，琳兒從高維斯敦釣魚回家，取回其舊日手機，我正手忙腳亂，翻箱倒櫃，找出另支三星舊手機，重新設定網站，以便出外旅行，買賣股票，也設定連線，繼續清晨網球局，還有一處台灣老友電話機會。

今年我搭乘11班郵輪行，另加兩次3週之日本新幹線行，非常忙祿，有一次甚至在桃園機場轉機，和萬里姊連絡上，姊已近84歲，講話精神抖擻，我決定明年回台灣訪問。

我們全家均安，琳兒新換工作，準備蓋一新居，舊屋已拆除，正待奧斯汀政府批准設計圖，元兒仍在超市工作，英敏亦甚忙碌，這老屋翻修工程等，都是她一身抗下，比較上我較不若當年逞能，如此避免爭執，我僅承擔我的金錢部份，我在船上也訂購一打肖像，以為後事備。

敬祝聖誕節快樂，新年愉快。

Coming back from a Transatlantic cruise in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Coming back from a Transatlantic cruise in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

Three days ago, I was coming back from a Transatlantic cruise in 2023 embark at Civitavecchia Port on north of Rome, Italy. It's was a long trip hard on both flights from Houston to Rome and Newark to Houston while quite comfortable on a 15 days cross Atlantic Ocean cruise. I was tired and required a three days rest at home.

I was taking a credit card promoting points to purchase one way airplane tickets; therefore, I was routed to a long distance and an odd hour flights in order to get cheap plane tickets. First, I flied form IAH to Istanbul, Turkey and wait 3 hours to transfer another flight to Rome. While landing at Rome airport, I waited 10 hours to my specialty restaurants dinner partner to land and accompany her to take trains to the cruise terminal. In order to save 6 Euros, we walked along a busy traffic streets to the gate of the cruise port.

On my way back to Houston in the Manhattan cruise terminal, I was lucky to caught a shuttle bus to Newark Airport in New Jersey. Waiting for 10 hours to catch a night flight back to Houston; yet I didn't realize my luggage was arrived early than myself. Finally, I was lucky to catch my third bus after the midnight to be home.

Many house chores are awaiting for me to settle. There are two major house improvement awaiting for me, a foundation repair and a plumbing replacement with a grand cost of $40,000. Amy has already packed and removed some furniture and staff in order for the sticks 42 of them in and out of the house to be established. What I need is to get my share of money to be ready when the jobs are completed.

It will be costed more if I let the house sinking more and tear down the house and rebuild a new one while we can do some renovation and live here until the end of our life because we love the house and the neighborhood.

自歐洲返美郵輪行2023／莊峻華

 自歐洲返美郵輪行2023／莊峻華

三日前甫自歐洲搭乘郵輪返美，正值歲末，諸事纏身，心神稍定後，再寫報告。我是在十二月二日晚，搭乘土耳其航空，經伊斯坦堡機場，抵羅馬機場，然後搭火車到羅馬北郊之一外港上船，經馬賽港，巴瑟隆那，卡迪斯，里斯本，碰達德拉卡達，閃避颶風百慕達，直奔紐約港，一共在船上15日，旅途順暢，本無驚訝，但因節省，引來一些緊張。

我使用銀行卡優待點數，購買機票，以便節省支出，所以機票是免費，但時間冗長，需要長期候機，但我早已習慣，我又想省錢搭公車，又拖笨重行李，非常吃力，一直到船上房間開放，始得換洗休息，真正開始享受郵輪旅行，曼哈頓港下船，還好搭上專車抵內華克機場，然後搭夜機回休士頓，趕到半夜三班公車，抵家門已是翌日清晨二時。

今年，出外搭船旅行多次，全部是舊途重訪，郵輪算法是11次，另外還加上一次陸地旅行到日本，當然我跟不上兩年遊記，這次旅行我也將描述，就是加入回憶。

我們家開始整修地基換地下漏水管等，這是大工程，我們已經準備好經費，工程進度迅速，約四日內完成，然後換木板起居廳，應該是明年初，還有很多老屋翻新工程，均需一一克服，我也需要暫時中斷出外旅行。

The cost of a house remodeling/Carlos Pueblo

 The cost of a house remodeling/Carlos Pueblo

Owning a house to live is a life time achievement, yet we almost forget the cost of maintaining the house. I am leaving for my next cruise tomorrow; however, I need to face an additional cost to fix our house foundation issue to replace the waste sewer lines in addition to the 42 piers to support the shift foundation. The cost of both reach $40,000. I am aware that there are more to come such as the interior painting after fixing the crack on walls, replace the hardwood floor, replace the lawn front and back yard, and furthermore, replace a new roof, etc.

We have moved to this house of 1982 in 2012 and now all issues are appearing. I thought that after we paid cash for our purchase, the only expanse would be just the local taxes and the homeowner association fee. These kinds of maintenance won't happen, yet it is true. The earth underneath is shifting and the plastic pipes, the Polyvinyl chloride PVC, are corroded. The waste sewer are leaking that the mechanic can't fill up the tube to check on the leak. He recommends to replace the whole lines. The PVC is almost 43 years old. I can't do anything but agree. They will come in to dig the underground replace all PVC tubes and fill up muds to spaces. Piers work will be done in one day and sewer lines will take 4 days.

I don't think that I can go to cruise trips that often as this year. Lucky me, the cost of cruise trip is more to meet the inflation pressure. I don't think that I can go to visit abroad like before. I must be frugal again to meet these additional costs.

仍舊是碎事／莊峻華

 仍舊是碎事／莊峻華

明日我又要遠行，赴羅馬外港搭船回紐約共18日，行前仍舊是碎事，修理地基打50支地磚，仍舊需要換污水道塑膠管，兩項工程需耗四萬美金，完工後，仍需要換新木地板，全室內修葺粉刷，我真想離家出走，雖然我們已無房貸，但是房屋稅所得稅等，仍舊令我喘息不已，我仍舊不是富裕人也。

我們社區房屋，都有地基下陷問題，房屋在1982年初建，原屋主在1996年，整修地基，也修理污水道換塑膠管，但現在已經開始出現結構不支，愛美希望整修，找人來估價，我同意因為整修遠較重建便宜，而且社區環境好鄰居友善，交通方便。

專家從後院污水管口灌水，半小時後仍灌不滿，表示地下有破裂漏水，塑膠管壽命有限，但比鉛管安全，記著要隨時換新，否則屋老就有麻煩，像地基移動，牆壁破裂，門都關不上，很是困擾。

好，修理換新地基水管，這是需要挖掘土地打地洞之工程，當然費用高，再來就是換木地板，室內粉刷，換屋瓦，還有修葺庭院草皮等，居屋費錢，即無房貸，也逃不過這些維護費用，我真想離家出走。

Re-visiting Kyoto, Japan in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Re-visiting Kyoto, Japan in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

It is about an hour ride on express train from Osaka to Kyoto. That day was a cloudy day and was not that promising; however, I decided to go ahead to re-visit this lovely ancient capital of Japan. there were some places which I missed in he spring this year. I bought a day of the city bus pass and started with the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple and the Gion Area, then I took the same bus 206 to visit Kyoto University main campus, then the Ginkakuji, then across the central part of the city to the Kinkakuji Temple. On my way back, I even made it to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

First, the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple which I visited in March this year is still very attractive to tourists who fill up both Gion area and the Temple. The Temple is over a thousand years old. Tokugawa Ieyasu used to stay here to do his military business against the Osaka Castle. Gion area is a narrow street where the classical movies are taken place. It is still very popular where you can see beautiful ladies dressed the kimono walking on the street. You can rent the kimono dress and the shop would help you to make up.

The same bus 206 took me to visit the Kyoto University campus. I have had a special interest in the Japanese Imperial Universities system. Before the War, Taiwan was under Imperial Japanese rule and Japanese built the schools system according to Japanese system. Kyoto Koto Gakko merged to Kyoto University after the War while Taihoku Koto Gakko in Taipei becomes Taiwan Normal University when Chiang Kai-sek's army occupied Taiwan in 1945.One of my Chemistry department head went to this University to study and that's why I always have a dream to visit this campus.

The Ginkakuji Temple is located north of the Kyoto University campus. It was built in 1482 by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as his office. It is a Zen Temple now. I did go through a road called the Philosophy Road of 1.8 Km by a ditch of the Lake Biwa.

After Ginkakuji Temple, I took 206 again to Kinkakuji Temple which I had visited more than 15 years before. Ginkakuji is Silver Pavilion while Kikakuji is Golden Pavilion which was built by Shogun Ashikaka Yoshmitsu in 1408. Both are still well maintain and beautiful, world treasury.

On my way back to the Kyoto Station, I found the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It was closed to the public yet you can still see the large garden and some building inside the high wall. Emperor Meiji didn't like the battle damage in Kyoto before the end of Tokugawa Shogun by one of his supporter army. He decided to move his palace to current day Tokyo. Once he came back to visit this old deteriorated

Palace, he ordered the city to preserve it.