回台北整牙2024／莊峻華

 回台北整牙2024／莊峻華

去年從東京返美，長榮航空幫我繞道桃園機場，我在機場和虎虎的大姊萬里通上電話，於是我決定撥時間返台整牙，因為我在紐約不小心，咬斷一片小牙齒，已經開始發炎，我相信第二具假牙之結構，已經開始有問題，我的牙醫是我的表弟，開業50年，非常精通，於是我買張來回機票，就飛回台北，我現在全球旅行，藝高膽大，先找一家台北火車站前一家客棧，先訂五日，下午住進客棧，櫃台就幫我接通我的牙醫，五點門診，我熟練的搭上捷運，八站就到南港後山崥，診所就在捷運站附近的遠雄新天地，診所承繼我舅父大人之萬華牙醫診所，現在第三代牙醫已經開始接班。

我的大夫，仔細研究我的需要，然後畫了一張簡圖，講解他的策略，照下艾克斯光，拔掉那顆受損小牙，並且準備整勅上下兩顆蛀牙，清理磨平，填上石膏，裝上臨時牙套，然後咬上齒模，他說要費用12萬新台幣，我有準備帶來一顆金牙套落牙，於是他給我表哥和金嘴齒折扣兩萬，我早準備好兩萬新台幣，第二次門診，我就繳清八萬新台幣，在車上帶那麼多鈔票，實在不便，但我給他留下好印象。第二次門診後，他和他的技工師傅討論交貨時間表，因為趕不來，所以他需我再給他兩週時間，於是我馬上電話給邁阿密的郵輪代理，購妥溫哥華到東京之18日遊，然後從東京直奔台北松山機場。他說這位技工師傅，在舅父生前也在診所學藝，連他都是。

我在第一次返美途中，也是搭機飛經日本四國松山機場，不小心安檢時，掉了美麗的奧克莉太陽眼鏡，非常心疼。回程郵輪行非常愉快，這是我半年中之第二次，一次是珠寶號從西雅圖到東京港，是去年11月，這次是五月精神號，兩次都是美麗之韓總經理掌握，非常親切，下船是早上八點半，東京港派上一輛巴士，把遊客送到品川站，御案內教我進車站改搭地鐵，不是日本鐵道，到羽田空港，我排隊托運行李，長榮航空美麗小姐舉牌，將我調出通關，然後要我奔跑到登機口，及時趕上十點四十分飛機到台北松山機場。我來美國是在松山機場搭機，有一年也在松山搭機到金門，非常親切。機場人士建議我搭捷運，需要換車，到了台北車站，我就知道如何到客棧，如此下來，我都是利用公共交通工具，非常愉快。

My summer vacation in 2024/Carlos Pueblo

 My summer vacation in 2024/Carlos Pueblo

Cruising in Alaska has become my summer vacation nowadays to avoid the Texas heatway, of course, it's my life after all. I am on vacation almost everyday and everyday is like summer in Houston. The cruise ship is like a small township in Texas being carried into an ice box in Alaska for a week or two as a back to back trip. Just the same day when I returned from my lovely Alma Mater Summit in Los Angeles, my Miami cruise agent sent me a promotional notice to be back to Alaska and I responded. I am on my way back to my summer vacation even though I haven't finished my previous journals 5 times in the last 12 months.

Usually there are two ports for the ship to embark, either in Seattle, Washington or Vancouver, British Columbia, both are lovely cities in the West of North America. If it is from Vancouver, I would arrange a back to back trip for 14 days; or repeat a seven days itinerary all around Alaska panhandle to Seward, Alaska and through many glaciers.

It's nice to dress warm, i.e. a leather jacket and a wool sweater to meet the need. Alaska is one of the most beautiful scenery in the whole world, the white cap glacier on the mountain tops and late fall foliage before the season ends. It keeps me very busy for hiking on every port, Ketchikan Creek to the fish hatchery; marching to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau; the Lower Dewey Lake at Skagway or taking a shuttle bus to Canadian Boulder; visiting the lovely town of Seward just outside of Anchorage in honor of the famous Secretary of State to make the purchase of Alaska from Russia. Of course, we are going to visit Sitka, the ancient Russian Alaska Capital, Icy Straight or Hunah to visit two American bald eagles. There are several breathtaking glaciers which the ship will slowly sail through each day. Of course, we shall see visiting whales migrating along the inner path.

Other than in the summer, Alaska is severely cold; therefore, uninhabitable for human beings. Alaska can maintain the original not like my old hometown Puli, Taiwan, a mountain township in central Taiwan, also a nice place for the summer vacation and regretfully not any more. I learned the word summer vacation when I was a kid to see my cousin who came to visit his aunt, my mother, during his summer vacation. He would ride a bicycle to the rural area to feel something very much different from Taipei. His kid brother is my dentist who installed my new denture.

避暑2024／莊峻華

 避暑2024／莊峻華

昨日邁阿密郵輪代理，送來簡訊有阿拉斯加九日遊特價，我禁不住又訂上船票，郵輪是從西雅圖出發，沿海海岸到蘇握港再回航，夏天休士頓和台北一樣熱氣襲人，郵輪和阿拉斯加是絕配，很多朋友都剛從阿州旅行回來。小時候家住山城埔里，有台北表哥來過暑假，我就不斷憧憬避暑，郵輪阿拉斯加行，讓我美夢成真。

每年，我都旅行阿拉斯加州的手提壺柄海岸線，春天各家郵輪船隊開始結集，從四月底到九月底，這是郵輪季節，過了十月，有船隻需要調往亞洲服務，也需經過阿拉斯加，這時冰山積雪融化，和春初白茫茫一片不一景觀，鯨魚群也是季節遷移，最近兩年，我除季節遊外，更加增添跨越太平洋到日本，今年更是回台北整牙，兩度從溫哥華經阿拉斯加到東京，然後飛台北。

過去郵輪行不勤，我能跟上遊記，如今一年有一半時間旅行在外，無法像幾年前一般勤奮，只好選擇美憶，也希望身體健康，能夠繼續享受夏日避暑。

New circle of friends/Carlos Pueblo

 New circle of friends/Carlos Pueblo

Recently, I have ended my living in isolation and acting myself off from society. It has been a long time since I lost my main job in 2001 when both of my children were ready to enter college. I was busy finding alternative work to make up some of my lost income yet it was very hard. I have kept it all to myself. I didn't ask for any help because I was very frugal and I did save some money. I felt sorry for myself and stayed home and counted on my retirement income. I continue to play my tennis as my morning exercises and I have had my first circle of friends.

After both of my children graduated from college and started to work, I didn't have any burden to bear and I started to travel around the world. It was still very lonely to travel by myself and I didn't make any friends at all. Eventually, I end up taking cruises as much as I can; therefore, I get to know many pretty girls who are working on the ship of one particular cruise liner. They are aware of my present when I board on their ship and we are friends other than regular passengers. This circle of friends is much larger and more interesting than the first group.

Another group of friends on the ship are fellow passengers. We get together on the ship for meals and other entertainment. We also pass on information about a good deal of any kind to satisfy us. It is another form or broader than the first group on the tennis court.

I left Taiwan in 1975 and I did go back to visit some times. I still have some friends from my childhood. All of them are retired now. I selected three of them to visit in order to get some of my good memories of my past. One of them is my kid brother, the second one is my elementary classmate who was a retired bank manager, the third one is a construction company owner. I can catch almost all my fond memories in Taiwan.

I make friends with those innkeepers where I have stayed in Taipei. They are young and hard working like those young daughters and granddaughter on cruises. I am not quite sure if we shall meet again yet we are friends indeed. I also have re-established friendships with my dentist's family. Dr. Chen's father is my uncle, my mother's elder brother and he is my cousin. He arranges for me to meet his sisters in Taipei.

The most exciting thing is my new large circle of friends with my Alma Mater Taiwan Normal. In a very short time, I got to know very well with the faculty members from the President, Vice Presidents, Deans, Department heads, and alumni from North America by attending the first annual Summit of North America Alumni Associations.

新朋友圈／莊峻華

 新朋友圈／莊峻華

昨日剛從洛杉磯回家，這是我老年結束離群索居後的新生，我有新的朋友圈，而且範圍幾乎包括三代，我不再感到孤獨，幾圈新朋友，添增老年生活情趣，我開始有期待，我期待明年參加我大學母校的校友峰會，重溫半世紀前之美憶，我的求學背景和理想的追求。

我因牙齒脫落，影響假牙結購力，專程返台重建新假牙，我的假牙大夫，是我表弟，有50年開業經驗，其父乃先慈長兄，齒科醫生，追隨舊日日本古井大夫，專攻假牙製作，舅父大人，曾收容我們兄弟在台北市讀高中，我的表姊描述當年先慈沒年攜帶子女到台北，藉探望其母，我的外祖母，實在是懇求長兄幫忙，讓長女有機會來台北讀書，再加上虎尾糖廠人均傳先父母重視子女教育，令我心生感激，一下盡棄前嫌，幾個家庭突然親切起來。

因為要避免孤獨生活，我每日均查郵輪廣告價目，只要廉價我就上船，然後在船上結識美麗船員，認收500位義女和義孫女，於是一上船，就有無數舊識，上船就像回家一般，我一共搭乘48次郵輪，都是同一公司船隊，這是海上朋友，最近更增添旅客朋友圈，互相通風報訊，或在船上相邀飯局。

有了這些交遊經驗，熟能生巧，隨時組成新朋友圈，這次整牙過程，我有四個月住台北車站前之廉價客棧，結識多位勤奮工作之年輕貌美小姐，還有客棧主人，我還鼓勵兩位郵輪朋友，基隆下船後直奔台北，享受國都氣氛，廉價高品質之遊覽台灣。

我喜歡結交有成就之同窗，這次我找到兩位，一位是小學女同學，銀行經理退休，在高雄市讓她破費，於是我畫了一大餅給她，邀請她來休市旅行，住我們家琳兒房間。另外一位是高中同窗，他是營造廠老闆，仍舊在工作中，我們相識一甲子，就是60年，他是位古道熱腸者，對母校有特殊之感情，臨別時尚提醒我宜蘭行，這都是十餘年前之往事矣。

我在三月裡，再訪師大和平東路校園，巧遇台中膠彩畫家陳玉美老師，她贈送我一套精緻茶墊鑲有其高跟鞋作品，非常獨特，我到她在成功嶺之畫廊參觀，其實是領取贈品，她贈送我96具茶墊，還有兩具陶瓷茶杯，我很有效的分贈給師大新朋友圈，客棧圈，牙醫圈，傑出高中同窗圈，帶回休市僅剩14具，早為妻屬教會親戚訂罄。

最興奮者，莫過於台師大校友峰會，難得好氣氛，認識到事業成功之傑出校友，真是金錢難購，我一生節約儲蓄，奪得小康家庭，因無孫輩繼承，雖無厭世之念，但確有活夠矣之心，如今新覓朋友圈，激起壽欲，再活十年。

Attending Taiwan Normal University Alumni Summit 2024/Carlos Pueblo

 Attending Taiwan Normal University Alumni Summit 2024/Carlos Pueblo

The summit was held between 6/14/24 to 6/16/24 at the Courtyard Hotel by Marriott at Monterey Park, Los Angeles, U.S.A after a delay of four years due to the outbreak of Wuhan Coronavirus in 2020. I arranged myself to attend such a wonderful summit on my way back home from my new denture installation in Taipei. Taiwan Normal is my Alma Mater originally for middle school teachers in Taiwan and now for a much more general purpose university in Taiwan with more than 10 colleges with 15,000 enrollment and 18 thousand alumni throughout the 102 years school history.

The summit consisted of four major parts, the introduction of Taiwan Normal and the current day higher education in Taiwan presented by the University President Dr. Cheng Chi Wu, 1980 Industrial Education, Ph.D. University of Texas-Austin; the University fundraising Foundation North America keynoted by Chairman of the Board Chin Chang Lin, 1974 Physics; World Cafe Round Table Discussion Of four subjects, How alumni can help the University to progress in the future; the Alumni Association's management and operation; the platform of each Alumni Association and the volunteer; the future Global Alumni meeting.

Attendants of this summit are in the variety of age span of graduates from 1956 to 2002. I thought that I was old, a 1971 graduate actually I am not. It's very nice to meet so many friends with similar backgrounds at the time. Most of us were from a very humble background and worked hard to achieve today's establishment which I credit to the University.

Before the end of our Summit, I suddenly has an idea of promoting the spirit of Taiwan Normal. I thought of the unique fighting song of UT-Austin, Eyes of Texas. Of course, Taiwan is not like the USA with an annual football season with a huge audience yet it wouldn't hurt to have someone either with such composing talent to compose a fighting song for our University. Of course, it's easy to dream that there is only Texas with Eyes of Texas and the Yellow Roses of Texas.

台師大北美校友峰會記2024／莊峻華

 台師大北美校友峰會記2024／莊峻華

三月裡台北市整牙旅次，接到休市台師大校友會怡之姊通知，邀請參加六月裡北美校友峰會，我在當日拜訪母校行程中，立即報名參加，兩段整牙過程中，順利抵達南加州洛杉磯市，恭逢盛會。這北美校友峰會，蘊釀四年，因武漢肺炎肆虐，延宕四年，經吳正己校長之鼓勵，終於圓滿舉行落幕，明年將在亞洲舉行，我很久未曾恭逢如此盛會，特此一記。

台師大是改變我一生最巨之學府，我們家人有三位出身於此校，若論姻親則有五位，當年考上台師大，先父喘一口大氣，蓋台師大系公費生制，先父告知台師大前身為台北高等學校，為日本統治台灣時之高等學府，若東京一高，仙台之二高，京都之三高等，高等學校畢業生，由天皇授佩劍，可到中等學校教書，而且可以直升東京帝國大學外所有之帝大，包括台北帝大，最近台灣之中華民國始承認此段歷史，因此台師大有102年之歷史。因學校放暑假，校長帶領十七位行政幹部，前來開會，我們北美七處校友分會也前來支持，校友中從1956畢業，到2018半世紀間之範圍校友，非常壯觀也。

主辦單位是，台師大全國校友總會，許勝雄理事長財力支持；吳正己校長指派公關中心康敏平主任，簡任秘書鄧麗君，國際專員金佩貞，和校友中心專員楊雅雯等人親自主持，有條有理，非常令人注目，而且南加州校友會是人才濟濟，當仁不讓，令人刮目相看，很不像師範生溫文儒雅之形象。

台師大歷屆畢業生人數，已經超過18萬名，我最喜歡知道歷屆著名之校友，與會校友群中，許多人可以提供第一手資料，非常實際親切，也是口述歷史，像我這次巧遇化學系之方泰山學長，恩師，教授，系主任，他有退休師長聯宜餐局，邀請我們班黃瑞耀班長加入飯局，我們都可以獲知師長近況，非常難能可貴。剛才我忘提居停主人，就是萬怡大飯店老闆，也是校友，請吃最後午餐，豐盛之飲茶，我相信也特價招待和贈送外地與會校友。

大會有議題，如何增進台師大之永續發展，就是如何使台師大更有名氣，大會經過討論，是有結論，也有許多可行細節，我深覺我們個人校友畢業後，要努力以赴，成功建立我們的家庭，要像這些成功的校友，沒有經濟之困難，這是目標，想了一夜，我建議鼓勵作曲家，創作台師大戰歌，像吳校長研究所母校，我們德州大學奧斯汀本校的德克薩斯之眼睛，在體育競賽中吹吹打打，激勵士氣。