The U.S. Dollar's appreciation value in 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 The U.S. Dollar's appreciation value in 2022/Carlos Pueblo

It's very interesting of the U.S. Dollar's appreciation in 2022 under the current inflation. Amy tells me that all items are marked up nowadays everywhere. I don't do very much shopping and I only pay her monthly for our grocery needs. I always have an idea that the U.S. Dollar is diminishing gradually. People yet are talking that the U.S. Dollar is a strong currency that I am puzzled.

I understand that both the White House and the Federal Reserve agree that the economic strength is strong in the nation, the employment rate is high as well as the economic growth is sound. In order to reduce the inflation, the Fed has raised the interest rate several times. Yet the stock market is indicated otherwise. All other nations are not following up to the U.S. on the interest rate hike; therefore, there is a demand of the U.S. currency in their nations. Most of the foreign currencies are collapsing. 

First, foreign nations' central banks most exhaust their U.S. Dollars reserves to satisfy their citizens needs, then, they must sell their U.S. Treasury holdings next to get more U.S. Dollars in order to meet the demand of U.S. Dollars domestically. Therefore, the U.S. Dollar is strong for no appearance reasons. I feel good yet I am not in any benefit at all. I pay all my payment for my foreign travel at home and I don't purchase anything abroad. It is cheaper to purchase at home because the foreign goods sold cheaper here in the U.S. I know that we must pay more, 25% more due to the import tax added in Chinese goods. I only pay for tennis balls occasionally.

Stock markets are collapsing due to the worry of the inflation theory, after 14 years growth continually, we are due to have a correction or recession. The Fed hike of interest rate is directed to fight to a economic hard landing, we like to have a soft landing. We hope to have this inflation of 2022 to to be eased off some time soon then we can forget and back to the old day. I don't watch the daily fluctuation of the market. I can just practice my frugal behavior and enjoy my appreciated U.S. Dollar at home.

說美金升值2022／莊峻華

 說美金升值2022／莊峻華

美國正面臨嚴重之通貨膨脹，美國中央銀行和白宮均認為美國應該先控制通膨，抑著物價高升，所以提高貸款利率，現在房屋貸款接近年利率6.75％，因此我在銀行一年定期，可以拿到2.75％，所以美金升值，其他國家中央銀行，尚未跟進長息，卻忙著應付國內擠兌購買美金，先消耗庫存美金，然後賣出外匯美國公債，換取美金，以應付國內美金需求，避免國家貨幣貶值崩潰，上次旅行日本，一美金換一百日元，現在一美金換一百四十四日元，真是不可思議，難怪我的日本汽車股，繼續受壓抑，不僅是缺乏晶片零件而已。

各國都在收購美金，持有美金，就是無息貸款給美國，過去二十年，美國利率低，長期公債幾無利息，現在公債未到期兌現美金，又無息借給美國，難怪各國央行咬牙切齒，美國省下許多利息。

美國面對這次通貨膨脹，何以可以提高利率？抑制經濟繼續擴充？這是央行和白宮同意就業率高，美金流暢無礙，不像2008年之消條景象，2008年的處理經驗，得自於1987年的高利率，政府和民間一起搶資金，因此有2008年之處理結論，降低利率，廣印鈔票使資金流暢，促進14年毫無間斷之成長，這是違反經濟學原理，因此有今年之成長高原期，有今年之通貨膨脹，央行升息是冷卻經濟，待有消條跡象，有稍高利息可以降息操作空間，這是軟著陸，道理很簡單，容易了解，美國經濟體大，國家赤字，讓成長之國家國內總生產額數目來沖淡，美國物產豐富，政治上軌道，只要可負擔利息，本金國債可以永遠不還，這和我們個人家庭經濟稍異，國家有稅收，我們要有工作收入，要節約儲蓄和投資。

我剛好賣掉所石油股票，留住一些現金，來熬過股市之暴跌套牢，我賠錢政府也減少我的所得稅收入，我相信拜登總統站在同一陣線，我們要共渡難關。

Enjoying the Tibetan folk dance/Carlos Pueblo

 Enjoying the Tibetan folk dance/Carlos Pueblo

There is a video appeared on my You Tube named the Gouchuang Dance of Tibet in Chengdu, China, a kind of folk dance quite similar to many folk dances in the world such as our Taiwanese aboriginal folk dance yet more hands wave movement with lively songs. I have been attracted for days and study about it in details. There are only about seven millions Tibetans in the world and most of them live in current day China, 6.3 millions in Tibet and some spread around the adjacent provinces such as Yunnan, Sichuan, Chinghai, and Sikang etc. They come down from the highland to Chengdu, Sichuan for work and the dance party are gathered under a highway bridge in the south part of the city regularly.

The foot steps are slow and discipline while hands move like waves to symbolize hills, lakes, seas and flowers, etc. accompanied with popular songs quick and touching with romantic words. Dancers are line up sometimes with pairs who are showing symmetrically. Ladies are moving gracefully while young males are moving legs more freely like Buddhas statues. There are always some dancers dressing up with Tibetan colorful and lovely dresses. I am very fond of the young charming lady dancers.

Amy recommends me following the You Tube video to dance like her on a note book computer; therefore, I can have my shoulder exercises. Actually I am more impressed to the attractive lady dancers of Tibetans. I adore their slender appearance even though some mid age ladies look like Mexican Indians yet still good looking. I check on Google search about the city of Chengdu which is the provincial capital of Sichuan, China. It is also called the city of the Hibiscus. We grow the beautiful flower at home. I am aware of two charming Chinese ladies, Ning Sing of the old anchor lady of the Radio of America and Cherry Yang from Taiwan. In the early 1980's, Cherry used to trade business in Chengdu where her parents were from. 

I hope that one day the Tibetan will have their our nation. Historically they are not Chinese as well as culturally and religiously. I don't see any kinds of dance in Chinese culture and their unique cloths both man gentlemen and ladies. They are not Chinese.

西藏鍋庒舞／莊峻華

 西藏鍋庒舞／莊峻華

這兩日我將網誌裡介紹的西藏鍋庒舞，仔細欣賞一遍，約有幾十影集，非常有趣，我年輕時代就喜歡跳交際舞，雖然有身短腳短缺陷，但不阻礙我興致，後來還擔任高中學生課外活動，土風舞指導老師，許多美憶。這西藏鍋庒舞是中國蓉城成都一位睿軒吉祥製作，他在成都府南一羅馬假日廣場，就是一公路高架橋下，開辦一西藏鍋庒舞會，例假日許多藏人俊男美女，結集表演鍋庒舞，也帶動許多青年老少前來學習活動，我被吸引主要是這些西藏美女，她們的傳統盛裝，鍋庒舞採用之韻律節奏，我一共觀看兩整天，已經有很多心得。

全球西藏人口約六百五十萬人，西藏幅員約臺灣之47倍大，許多藏人除住西藏外，自古散佈於中國青康，雲南，四川等地，印度，尼泊爾，美國等都有一些西藏難民，西藏自古不屬中國，他們有自己的王國，文成公主合番到吐番，吐番就是圖博，西藏之英語名。西藏比鄰四川，因此藏人到成都謀生，有鍋庒舞之氣候。成都又稱芙蓉城，蓋中國五代十國成都主孟昶遍植芙蓉而得美名。這鍋庒舞腳步外，尚重手臂揮動舞姿，我們臺灣山地舞之橫行前後，以色列猶太舞姿等均包括，這製作人睿軒提供之舞星男女，都有規律節奏，若併肩則見一致，顯然有很長之訓練，我看一段基本舞步，舞肩手臂腳步，一共有五招，然後就是重複。

鍋庒舞的音樂是流行歌曲，例如拉薩夜語，草原，格瑪等，都是輕快旋律，約是西藏解放後之作品，若是歌頌共產黨毛澤東之歌曲，觀眾人數就減少。

我對中國成都有些美憶，剛才想找出一位楊太太舊識，這是一位台灣嘉義空軍子弟，嘉女畢業，台大機械系畢業，曾經兼職房地產，主要是對中國成都貿易，十分成功，在我們紀念區大道有一辦公室，是位美女。另一位是美國之音之寧馨，時事論談，現在看不到她的主持，也是位成都美女，當然這兩位都非藏族。

藏族鍋庒舞是一難得之民族舞蹈，西藏獨立前，中國必需努力維護，中國漢人沒有如此文化，其實整個世界都難覓，何況這些西藏美女？我猜印度東北幾省中國人面孔者，也是藏族，他們自己投票加入印度，和西藏命運迥然不同。

Re-visiting Cannes, France 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Re-visiting Cannes, France 2022/Carlos Pueblo

Cannes, France is famous for the annual movies shows outside of the Oscar in the world. One year, 05/24/2015, I was on my Mediterranean cruise trip and passed by this city port with a very fond memory. I marched into a a part of the city center and then up to a small hill of a lovely residential area with many luxury homes. A lovely flower shop with a lovely nursery on the side was impressive. I didn't go up to a hill top cathedral and was regret very much to miss the peony garden where I did see on the flower shop. This time was about the same and I anticipated to finish the un-finished trip.

I love the peony which is one of my favorite flowers. I have mentioned that 2015 Cannes trip to many of my friends. The late Dr. Innad Hussani was one of them. He was a French trained physician. He mentioned his story at Cannes. Once he lived here for his medical practice. A Lebanese Banker friend referred him a deal of a small motel for sale. He was read to make the purchase yet his mother and wife were all against it because he shouldn't be distracted from his job as an eyes surgeon. At the end, he gave it up for about a $200,000 U.S. deal and later, after the new owner's effort, it was turned to worth more than 1.5 millions. He went back to his home town in Syria for his practice and then upon the request of his wife, immigrated to Houston, Texas. I knew him because he became my tennis partner, a gentleman. Once he described to me of his high RPM life in the U.S. RPM is the meter on the car board, the revolution per minute. He passed away of a stroke a couple years ago after his young son's  immature death. He told me the property was at the old port.

I didn't pay too much attention of where we disembark this time. I asked people where was the Cathedral and walked straight to the direction. I found the church yet it was very much different from what my memory was. I participated a family kids baptize ceremony. I believed that parents were from the Eastern Europe. One of the kids was still a baby, both of them behaved very well. I took some photos yet I couldn't find them, the entire stay at the city.

I didn't give up that easy. I tried again from the seacoast beach toward the sign of a cross up in the hill. I tried to cut in to the entrance toward the Cathedral yet there were no such sighs at all. I found a nice International Pacific University campus and turned back out. There were two or three women naked and bathed on the almost empty beach due to the weather.

I sat in front of an hotel to use its free WiFi connection for the rest of time. Later I realized that I was on a wrong section of the city and I actually missed the right turn to my wanted place.

重返法國坎城2022／莊峻華

 重返法國坎城2022／莊峻華

這次橫跨大西洋終站是南羅馬，因此順便繞道地中海，法國影城坎尼斯其一，也是我喜愛城市之一，郵輪停靠異處碼頭，下船後我想找一處上次未盡之山端教堂，結果迷路，找到的是近山麓之另一大教堂，其實也無需過份失望，我想找的是當年錯過之牡丹花開，這次也未見街道旁花店，無法證實是否值牡丹花季？我在德國法蘭克福市和柏林均遇見庭院牡丹花開，也遺憾未遇傳聞之牡丹花展競賽，只要我繼續努力，繼續旅行，我將終究遇見，我也看過中國洛陽市牡丹花園之盛況，中國若非共匪統治，對台灣有領土野心，著實有傳說中之花朵美景。

我的前網球摯友，敘利亞籍美國醫生，伊那德。胡珊尼兄，曾語我彼曾居法國坎城，當年他甚年輕，在坎城當醫生，手上也有一筆資金，有一黎巴嫩銀行家告知一坎城客棧在拍賣，約是20萬美金之譜，他有興趣，而且也進行購買手續，但終究未能完成，若干年後，客棧整修翻新，就在一碼頭附近，價格已翻十餘倍，他是法國醫學院出身，其父曾服役法國空軍，所以他有法國淵源，再加上歐洲有許多阿拉伯商人，很是有趣，他原回敘利亞故鄉開業，經不起愛妻懇求，移民到休市，工作努力過度，比我年輕五，六歲，最近過世，獨子亦早一年離世，真是慘劇，他在休市西郊有一200英畝農莊曰德州賀姆鎮，以紀念其敘利亞故鄉賀姆市，他有30畝農莊，生產西瓜。

我從山麓大教堂下山後，就望山高處，巡登山徑上山，先描述一段教堂兩女孩受洗典禮，這是一年輕東歐移民家庭，我攜兩相機重裝備參觀，主教按受洗禮儀進行，親友群圍觀，小孩們也無異議，一位是襁褓之中。我沿著海岸，走離碼站方向，企圖找到一處登山入口處，詢問路人均不知我問所云，有耐心者，再指山麓處大教堂，我結論是兩次下船碼頭有異，進入之城區不同，難怪我迷路，法語又不甚流利。

尋路中是走到一太平洋國際大學校園住宅區，和我印象中記憶有異，而且住宅區氣氛迥然不同，於是我就放棄尋訪，沿海灘步行回碼頭，這海灘偶見天體女泳客幾位，都是上年紀者，如此也比較安全，碼頭大道旅館前，許多人聚集使用免費網路，我剛好歇下腳，這位斗六女同鄉和其夫婿也在，上船後她說在船上掉了手機，我就幫她報案櫃臺，當夜就找回，船上治安甚好，而且到處攝影。

Re-visiting Barcelona, Spain 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Re-visiting Barcelona, Spain 2022/Carlos Pueblo

After Alicante overnight, we reached to Barcelona, Spain early in the morning. I have lost counts of how many times that I have visited this lovely Spanish city. The shuttle bus took me to the Columbus Center and saw him pointed his finger to the America. I didn't have too much planned to on this visit. I planned to get some Euros from an ATM machine, to visit briefly on the main Boulevard and coming back to the cruise ship. I didn't think that I could cover very much in a few hours of stay in such a huge city.

A nice Spanish high school kid helped me to go through the Spanish language ATM and I got some Euros out of my bank account. As promise, I later gave 200 Euros to Dr. Chu for their convenience spending for the rest of routes. She gave me a handsome exchange in U.S. Dollars. She took her 94 years old mother for an additional tour after the end of this cross Atlantic. She is a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, a very distinguished chemist.

I found my favorite market, a huge and lovely one, nearby the ATM machine. I was very astonished when I first visited the market. The Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano sores are still all over. We can have some of such delicacy on the ship's cafeteria everyday; however, it is amazing to see so many colorful products all over and witness many customers to enjoy them with wines on many small restaurants stands. I am very frugal and calculative. I didn't dare to try and was satisfied with it on the cruise cafe.

There is an live art gallery section on the boulevard where artists are drawing pictures for tourists. Beautiful cities or scenery places all over the world are attracted to artists to earn their living. I am always attracted to such live performance. There were two lovely kids with their parents making their purchases, one done and another one was on the way of drawing. After the aging artist finished, the mother asked the little girl to hand over 200 Euros for both drawings included tips. I admire artists of this kinds always.

In a small square out of the main boulevard, I watched a group of two young powerful men to perform dangerous acrobatics jumps in order to gain some tips from bystanders. They moved from one corner to another to attract more audients. A newly wed couple were taking photos in the square. I assumed that they were Japanese tourist. They hired local young Japanese lady professional to do the job. Our daughter Michelle did the same in Costa Rica for her wedding as well. I was so happy for them for their young experience at young age in such a lovely Spanish city for their honey moon.