倫敦通行證/莊峻華

倫敦通行證/莊峻華

歐洲行前，購買兩張通行證，一張是10日倫敦通行證；一張是西班

牙九日火車票，倫敦通行證，我以為是10日車票，再加上五座宮殿

城堡參觀卷，車票早就寄來，通行證則需要親自到店領取，我一直十

分納悶，如此我需要先花一張車票，到通行證店面，一直不解到倫敦

機場，機場地下 鐵售票處，買下一張單行車票到城中，領到通行證，

再到地下鐵站，始發現不是車票，再走回通行證店面地下室，都是拖

上一身行李背包，倫敦又下雨，幸好帶了雨傘，店員說我之票，不包

括交通，於是我要求退票，經理曰三日後，可以退到信用卡銀行，此

為我遭到首次挫折。其實，我交通問題，可以在倫敦當地解決，倫敦

地鐵，巴士，和火車，都是政府自行出售。

特拉法格廣場，就在倫敦通行證店附近，旁邊就是英國藝術館，攝影

博物館，清晨，已經有許多人，在廣場結集，這是英國人，懷念其海

軍大英雄，納爾遜大將處，納爾遜小時後，遇大雪仍舊堅持徒步上學，

台灣國小教科書如是說，受其母舅影響，13歲從軍，在特拉法格戰役

陣亡，他在廣場銅像，高聳入天，我在倫敦經過兩次廣場，另外一次，

在格林威治，參觀納爾遜海軍紀念館，是英國舊海軍官校，伊莉莎白

一世，和其姊瑪莉女皇之皇宮。

 倫敦華埠，也在附近，我放下行李後，馬上趕到華埠，觀察一下，地

形地物，華埠和四年前稍異，我以為生意稍差，不若當年熱鬧，可能

是英國人休假去也，也有可能去時，時間不對，我查看菜單標價，又

換算英鎊成美金，從此每日，過午不食，就是每日清晨，在旅社吃吐司

，然後走路逛倫敦，逛到下午，回旅社附近，美國地下鐵三明治店，吃

上一呎素三明治，其中有兩三餐，改成廣東牛腩麵，和雜菜捲，這是一

華埠肉包舖新品，店小姐很驚呀，我一猜她就是福建福清人，因為四年

前，我就問過兩位西點麵包店店員，有許多餐廳，都已經改弦易轍。

女修道院市場，從華埠步行可及，我帶一位台灣留學生前往，因為仍舊

是白晝，夜市未起，遇見一位吹笙老人，我問他四年前，是否在此表演？

他說已經獻藝30年矣，笙是中國古樂器。

United Club/Carlos Pueblo

United Club/Carlos Pueblo

In order to avoid 2 ½ hours bus ride to Houston Airport, I took a ride

with my daughter on early Monday morning. She gave me United

Club tickets to use. Foods, drinks, desks, and even shower facility are

provided. Sever years ago, we were at Tokyo Haneda, used it’s

facility and I was very impressed. I like to drink free domestic beer.

Last year, Citi Bank gave me two Admiral Club tickets from American

Airline and I did not have an opportunity to use them. They are expired

now.

I ran into a Vietnamese lady who traveled to Houston for business. She

Lives in Saigon, currently Hu Chi Ming City, and works for an American

company. She was humorous that she thought I was a Buddhist monk.

Indeed I was, I said. I took off my hat and showed her my back head.

We discussed the Buddhism, culture, and life. She is a widow, devoted

Buddhist, and lives with her mother, a retired pharmacy professor. She

also has a daughter as a pharmacist. I rubbed my first two fingers to show

making a good income and she laughed. She emphasizes frugality and

filial piety which she considers as way of life. She saves money and gives

it to her mother and she believes that her mother will deed the house to

her when she passes away.

I mentioned Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk who defined my

thought of Buddhism. She knows who he is and makes me very pleased.

She says Buddhism and filial piety are related and is still in her community

to exist. I try to avoid the subject of filial piety and change my subject to

Lohan, a travelling monk and his put up for one night in my trip to Europe.

She left for her plane back home. A week later, I actually run into a Thai

monk at the Oxford campus and ask him for two night stays at his temple

at Staffordshire nearby Birmingham, England.

聯美俱樂部/莊峻華

聯美俱樂部/莊峻華

我因想節省兩小時半巴士時程，搭琳兒凌晨專車到機場，然後在

機場等候幾小時，她送我兩張，聯美航空俱樂部招待卷，我可以

在俱樂部等候班機，俱樂部提供簡單食物和飲料，幾年前，我們

在東京成田機場，使用過一次，印象深刻，我最喜歡喝啤酒。去

年，花旗銀行，送我兩張美國航空俱樂部招待卷，海軍上將俱樂

部，我因未搭乘美航，過期尚未知覺。

遇到一位來休士頓出差之，越南女士，她服務於西貢美商，經常

需要出國出差，她以為我是和尚，於是我們談及佛學，民俗，她

已寡居未再婚，女兒是藥劑師，和曾是藥學教授之寡母住一起，

她說收入都交給寡母，我問她何不購屋？她說母親過世後，住宅

將過繼給她，她再三強調越南婦女美德，我相信，休市許多同鄉

都有越南媳婦，關係都很好。

我提到我之，緣覺大法師，釋一行老和尚，她立刻知道，於是她

又根我強調佛家和孝道，在越南之重要性，我就顧左右而言他，

我提到羅漢，提到卦單，一週後，我果然在英國牛津，遇到一位

泰國和尚，準備到他之寶刹掛單。

Houston Prep-Rally for a Taiwanese Presidential Candidate/Carlos Pueblo

Houston Prep-Rally for a Taiwanese Presidential Candidate/Carlos Pueblo

On June 6, 2015, Houston Taiwanese gathered at Humble High School

auditorium for a prep-rally of a Taiwanese presidential candidate, Ms.

Ying Wen Tsai, the chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party.

Almost 1,000 attendants participate this meeting and is the second time

In four years for her second attempt for the presidency. All believe that

2016 is the year for her to take the election. As usual she is very careful

on her speech in regard to the future of Taiwan to avoid agitating China

, while on the contrary her side kicks, especially former city councilman

from Tainan Din Yu Wang delivers an excellent warm up speech. I did ask

his favor to have a picture with him before the meeting for my own

collection.

Chairperson doesn’t say very much neither as four years before. She says

to maintain the current status which has no need to explain the reasons.

Current status means current status which has established for 66 years

ever since 1949. Taiwan is still not a part of China and Taiwan is not a

renegate province of China. The so called 92 Consensus promoted between

both Chinese across the Formosa Straight confuses even the most

intelligent person in Taiwan, Mayor Dr. Wen Jer Ko of Taipei City. He can not

understand the definition which defined by Chinese, neither do I.

In November, 2014, during the local election, Democratic Progressive Party

under the help of Dr. Ko, severely destructed the Nationalist Party, Kuo Ming

Dong. The opposition force in Taiwan, Democratic Progressive Party or not,

yield the right to challenge the incumbent Nationalist. We believe that 2016

is the year for her, a beginning of the new hope for Taiwan. We wish her

well to grasp this opportunity to serve Taiwan. The Nationalists are collapsed

, Taiwanese voters must abandon the Nationalists, voting for the Nationalists

is a vote to the evil Ying Jeo Ma, incumbent president.

休士頓台灣總統造勢會/莊峻華

休士頓台灣總統造勢會/莊峻華

六月六日，休市同鄉在機場附近，安頗高中禮堂，舉辦蔡英文主席

，競選台灣總統，造勢大會，將近千人聚會。蔡主席是目前，擁有

勝算局面者，在造勢會中，一如平素風格，慎言節行，倒是幾位助

講者，越來越登峰造極，我指的是王定宇，將來之立法委員，我特

別請他合照，自己留念。

蔡主席沒有講甚麼，四年前，她也未講甚麼，她說維持現狀，也不需

要說明甚麼，維持現狀，就是現狀，台灣還不是中國的領土，台灣不

是中國背叛之一省，所以兩岸之中國政治人物，均提九二共識，最聰

明之台北市長，柯文哲醫生，均不知所云？

去年十一月，台灣地方選舉，民進黨在柯市長協助下，重創國民黨，

在野各界，民進黨和非民進黨人，全部禮讓蔡主席，2016年是蔡主

席之年，是台灣希望之開始，蔡主席好自為之。國民黨已經崩潰，台

灣選民，必須唾棄國民黨，投票給國民黨人，就等於支持馬英九。

Health Preventive Service/Carlos Pueblo

Health Preventive Service/Carlos Pueblo

One of the phone messages  while I was away was an appointment from

my physician’s office. I was not quite sure that I had had any before I left

Houston. Actually, there is a new activity from the clinic to hold a medical

fair to screen several tests for the patients. I call it a health preventive

service from both the insurer and the clinic. I have had a chronic disease

, diabetics, for 20 years and I welcome this aggressive approach of health

care.

Medical fair just likes a regular medical examination, after weight high

Measurement, follows blood pressure, then, I go to my first interview

with a pharmacist. She encourages me to switch my drugstore to the

clinic’s new established pharmacy. The second step is drawing some blood

, taking urine sample, and a pneumonia shot. A young physician comes in

for additional questions and checkup. She recommends me take baby

aspirin one tablet a day. They all have read the questions which I have

answered when I come in.

Final examination is eye examination. The eye doctor, Ophthalmology,

gives me a good recommendation for my left eye’s cataract removal.

I have my right eye cataract removed. Cataract is very common for aging

people.

Disease prevention is much better than treatment and this is why I like

the medical fair. All personal take part in this are from both outside and

inside of the clinic. The insurance group, health spring, sponsor the fair

and I believe eventually the activity will be benefit both the patients and

the insurance company, in my case is the medicare.

健保未雨綢繆/莊峻華

健保未雨綢繆/莊峻華

旅行回家，有些留言，其中一則，來自家庭醫生辦公室，說是週六

有約體檢，我甚好奇，原來是門診中心新節目，有一體檢展覽會，

邀請客戶參加，於是我臨時加入早上10點約會，週六甚忙，早上

網球局，再者健保約會，下午再趕一局，台灣選舉造勢會。原來

我之老人健保公司，協助舉辦此展覽會，追蹤糖尿病患，未雨綢繆

，因為糖尿病者，容易衍生併發症，保險公司，接到如此病患，一

直積極面對，積極控制。

展覽會和一般體檢相同，身高體重血壓後，第一關是藥局，門診中

心，新增藥局，我服三種糖尿病藥品，他們有興趣，於是我同意更

換。再來是抽血驗尿，打肺炎預防針，說是準備作肛門鏡檢，內科

醫生，從外調來年輕大夫，很仔細聽肺部雜音，建議我開始服用，

嬰兒阿斯匹靈片，然後送我到眼科，眼科大夫，簡單檢察左眼，建

議我到其診所，進一步討論白內障手術，我問好手術費，而且也應

該做例行檢察。

最後一關，就是再約下週二，糖尿病教育課，大概是講食物和運動

，我欣然同意，我正想過午不食，每天減少一餐。