Visiting Cambridge, England/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Cambridge, England/ Carlos Pueblo

At the final day in London, I decided to visit Cambridge, again, I returned

to Victoria Station and also another two hours bus ride. I ran into three

young Chinese girls students, Cheng Ru Shea, Pan Tang , and Ya Wen Hsiao,

all came from Singapore yet their Mandarin Chinese is perfect. Then I learned

that they were from southern province of Fuchien. I attempted my Amoy and

gave up when one told me that they were from Fuchou area and not quite

comfortable of speaking Fuchou dialect. They agreed to me for following them

at Cambridge, so, we walked toward the city center and stopped for lunch in

a busy market. I ordered the same vegetable falahal and they were for Thai noodle.

Two of them are studying in London, one at the Royal College of Economic at

Regent Park; the other one is at Trinity University, the third one who comes to visit

London is studying at Singapore.

The architecture between City of Cambridge and Oxford is slightly different, I

Think that Cambridge is not so luxury as Oxford, yet there is a pretty canal

inside the campus. This is a so called the shadow upside down at Cambridge

in early spoken Chinese literature to describe Cambridge. They were prepared

to have a punting tour on the canal which was hiring a small boat for one hour.

A punt is a flat boat with a long pool stick to the bottom of the canal to move

the boat. Three ladies were in the front and took turn to stick the pool while

I sat at the end to control the direction with a plastic raft. Only me has some

Row boat and canoe experience; however, we did manage to finish one hour

period. When the punt was more stable and in control, one lady started playing

a banjo like instrument which was very romantic. None of them were music

major. We walked along the bank of unfinished canal, I did find a small grove

of blooming  Akebono cherry, this was the fourth place this year that I saw this

kind of flowering cherry.

I said farewell to them because of returned bus schedule. I was lost on my way

back to downtown in a big cathedral due to a closed alley. I followed the incoming

route out. Cambridge is famous for science and Darwin is one of the famous

alumni. I always like to visit universities and Cambridge and Oxford are a surprise

during this trip to London.

The return bus went through a different route to London. I did not see the new

Modern building, instead, several old townships, then, following the Thames,

London Castle, entering Westminster.

劍橋行/莊峻華

劍橋行/莊峻華

倫敦行最後一日，我決定劍橋行，再回維多莉亞車站，也是兩小時

，巴士車程，下車時遇到三位，中國小姐，薛倩茹，湯泮，和蕭雅

文，都是新加坡人，但北京語，卻是字正腔圓，原來是來自福建，我

又引閩南語，就是台灣話，小姐說是福州人，我始作罷，三小姐同意

我跟隨，於是我們走向城中心，在一小市場午餐，她們吃泰國湯麵，

我又買下一中東素手捲，和她們同桌，原來兩位已經在倫敦讀書，一

位在攝政王公園內之，皇家經濟學院；一位就讀三一大學；第三位是

來訪之新加坡學生，當晚須搭機回家。

劍橋市和牛津市有別，我覺得劍橋建築，不若牛津之毫華，但劍橋有

一美麗之運河，就是中國白話文中之，劍橋倒影，小姐們有研究，準

備撐船，就是租一小時小船，自己撐，一根鋁竿和一塑膠筏，塑膠筏

應該是方向用，鋁竿是動力用，三位小姐，輪流船前撐竿，我就在船

尾掌筏，協助方向，小姐們未有划船經驗，我在碧潭划過船，在休士頓

，也划過獨木舟，又能游泳，有恃無恐，其時運河上有很多商家，隨時

可來解救困難，不久一切就序，讀皇家學院，這位小姐，就拿出背包裡

之樂器，班鳩，然後開始彈情歌，我因怕翻船，不敢胡思亂想，只知道

三位，都不是音樂專門。好不容易，完成一小時租程，下船後，再走一

段未完成之運河，看到一片曙櫻花林，以經有綠葉矣。

在運河橋上，和小姐們道別，因為我回程時早，再經過城中，和購物中心

，在一大教堂，困入死巷，再沿原路走出，我因為不放心電腦，隨身攜帶

，非常笨重，連行動都不便。劍橋是以理科馳名，達爾文曾在此教學研究

。我一生最喜歡參觀學府，每次都有心得報告，像這次牛津和劍橋，是意

外收穫，我在攝政王公園，也經過一皇家醫學院。

回倫敦途中，並未見到新穎大廈建築，倒是經過幾處小城市，就是倫敦近

郊，然後巴士沿著泰晤士河，倫敦塔，進入西敏市。

Visiting Oxford, England/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Oxford, England/ Carlos Pueblo

One day morning, William Su and I took a bus of National Express at

Victoria Station to Oxford, England, north of London, to visit Oxford

University, an old and famous college of the world. We can see the

beautiful English field on the way. Yellow Rapeseed flowers look like

our Texas mustard green and are all over. Farmers gather the seed

product for oil for food, canola, and some commercial use like biodiesel.

It takes two hours bus ride to reach Oxford.

Visiting Oxford is identical to visit Harvard, both are famous for their

schools and both are college towns, both are rich in religious atmosphere,

especially Oxford. Right off the bus stop, there is a small town square with

several food stand restaurants some with seats on the square. I chose the

first one for Falahal, a middle east vegetable soft taco with various chopped

vegetable and cheese. I see falahal in Houston and yet do not know what

that means. It’s a roll of salad green. William tells me that it is very popular

in Europe due to many Turkish immigrants. This stand owner was from

Beirut, Lebanon, and he kept on asking me if the falahal he made was good.

Co-instantly, there were a small group of Turkish students around. They were

students  from Istanbul, Turkey.

William has an i-phone; therefore, I just followed him around. Oxford downtown

is not big at all yet very clean and streets  are organized. There are many churches

and colleges. Walking among them, we stopped in front of a clock tower waiting

for the clock to strike, then we entered the campus. On an edge of a soccer field,

I found an Akebono flowering cherry at its blooming. It’s almost two weeks later

than the same Akebono at Tidal Basin, Washington, D.C. It is a late blossom in

D.C. this year and also late in London, Oxford, and Cambridge. Akebono is a

derivative of famous Tokyo Yoshino Cherry. Passing through St. Mary and the library,

we ran into a couple from Dallas, Texas. We had had a good chat for the trip. They

were just off the Cruise at South Hampton and hired a car to travel England. I

admire his courage to drive on the right side of the vehicle and left side on the street.

She says that she would help him all the time. We turned around at a museum with

certain number of heads on a wall, the kings head, toward the bus stop to end this

visit.

My impression of Oxford is a rich city and the University is a noble academy with no

doubt at all. Students with special temperament by walking down the street, I can

see the difference from current day college students. Oxford is famous for arts, literature

, philosophy and law, yet you can feel the unique character of the campus. I am very

Impressed. On the way back to London, I saw one large area of new beautiful modern

architectures  very different from the classical of Westminster and very beautiful. I

am anxious to know where and the name of that area. I should come back for a

third visit of London.

牛津行/莊峻華

 牛津行/莊峻華

一日清晨，士維和我，在維多莉亞站換巴士，到倫敦北部之牛津市

拜訪，牛津大學，這是一著名，且古老之學院，沿途經過美麗之英

國農田，黃色花作物，就是油菜花，從車上觀看，乍視下若德州原

野之芥末黃花，油菜子榨油，提供多種用途。兩小時後，抵達牛津。

參觀牛津大學，有些相似於哈佛大學，兩者均是古老名校，兩鎮都是

大學城，都有濃厚之宗教氣氛，尤其是牛津市。車站旁就是一小市鎮

中心，幾家路邊攤，我選第一家，阿拉伯素手捲曰，法拉黑，黎巴嫩

店主一直問我味道如何？我因為物價，選擇地下跌素三明治多日，頓

覺新奇，此素手捲，像是沙拉包捲，材料新鮮，同行士維說，許多土

耳其人在歐洲，如此手捲店，非常普遍，果然旁邊就有一群土耳其學

生，來自出名之，伊斯坦堡。

士維有智慧型手機，於是我跟隨他逛街，牛津市中心不甚大，但非常整

潔，許多教堂，牛津學院，散步其間，我們在一鐘樓，等候敲鐘，然後

開始散步校園。 我在一廣大操場邊緣，看到一株日本曙櫻，這是今年在

華府追櫻行收穫，牛津劍橋曙櫻，開花稍遲華府兩週，此櫻花為東京染

井吉野櫻之改良種，一般開花稍早於吉野，今年華府晚開，連倫敦，牛

津，和劍橋都晚。從操場穿入校園，上千年之大教堂，有規模之圖書館，

我們在一學院入口處，遇見一對達拉斯來遊客剛從郵輪下來，然後就租

車，逛到牛津，我稱讚他好技術，右側駕車，開路左邊，太太在旁答曰

須要幫忙看路。我們在一館旁牆上，有幾尊國王人頭像前，就回車站。

牛津市讓人印象，是一富裕之城市，牛津大學，毫無疑問，是一貴族學

校，學生穿著，街道行走，令人深覺不同氣氛，牛津以文法科著名，顯

然友獨特校風，令我留下深刻感觸。回程車進倫敦市區，看到許多新穎

大建築物，和西敏是之古典建築物迴異，非常美麗，我一直想知道為何

處？但時間緊迫，只好等待下次機會。

Watching Guards change at Buckingham Palace/ Carlos Pueblo

Watching Guards change at Buckingham Palace/ Carlos Pueblo

 I met a young student, William Su of Taiwan, at a hostel in London.

He studies at a Plaque University in Czech Republic and travels around

Europe before his return to Taipei. I recommended Buckingham Palace

for a visit. At the subway station, we ran into another two young ladies

from Tainan, Taiwan, Ying Chen Hsu and Jean Ting Wang; therefore, we

went together as a small group. These three youngsters all possess

i-phones with GPS function which are very handy to monitor the direction

 all the time. Both ladies are working at an orchid company and one of

 them looks exactly like one of my nieces ,Wen Wei of Vancouver, Canada.

They had been here a few days before and yet still not quite satisfied;

in a result, arranged an early morning to come back again. We followed them

to stand right in front of the gate and waited for the guards to come by.

Finally, after more than an hour’s waiting, we did see two companies guard

maneuvered inside and outside of the gate. More and more visitors gathered

and looking for a place to stand and watch, I would say more than ten thousands.

We arrived early; therefore, we were not worried at all.

The first Guards change at 11:00 A.M. Two companies of Guards involved plus a

big marching band. I believe the size is smaller at Windsor Castle, one section

plus a smaller marching band. Inside the court yard, the Guards on duty gather

and practice marching continuously while outside the taking over Guards are

marching toward he gate from the barracks. A group of the mounted Guards

ride through the edge of the Palace with a big sound of house kicks. Mounted

Guards with shining helmet carry a curved sward, big and tall. Grenadier Guards

dress emerald green uniform with a leather hat and automatic rifle.  At 11 o’clock,

the gate is open, the Guard company outside, under the guidance of the red coat

marching band, enter the Palace through us, right in front of us. Two companies

face to face and begin the process of change, first to replace the guard at the guard

house and some inside the Palace. British Guards change involves some kinds of kicks

which are very different from the American army. I believe that more dramatic and

colorful guards change between India and Pakistan army are originated from the

British army. The marching band plays the popular musical pieces and one of them

Is the Gold Finger, an 007 movie title piece.

The Band guides the off duty Guard Company out to their Barracks and also a group

of Gurkhas Guard, a Royal Gurkhas brigade. Gurkhas are from North India near

current Nepal, and have served to the British Crown for century.

Two ladies took us to Wellington Arch, Westminster Abbey and the Parliament,  

the Household Cavalry Barracks, and the premier’s residence, 10 Downing St.

目睹白金漢宮衛兵交接/莊峻華

目睹白金漢宮衛兵交接/莊峻華

我在旅社認識一位，在捷克布拉格市留學，台灣學生，相約翌日參觀

白金漢宮，目睹女皇禁衛兵交接，我們在車站下車後，又遇到兩位自

由行之台灣小姐，北科大之蘇士維同學，和台南蘭花公司之，徐瑩倩

和王珍婷，三人均持智慧型手機，均可隨時查觀地圖，兩小姐中，一

位面貌，酷似我們家玟瑋，萬里姊大女兒。兩小姐幾天前來晚，又是

跟團，意猶未盡，這次提早來，指點我們，佔好位置，就在正門口，

等上一小時餘，終於看到兩連衛兵，在宮內外結集，觀眾越來越多，

我們早到，有恃無恐。

交接衛兵在上午11時第一場，交接衛兵各一連，樂隊包括在內，溫莎

城堡，衛兵交接，約是一排兵力。先是宮內廣場，執勤衛兵結集，不斷

出操，樂隊不斷演奏，接班衛兵連，從營房步行，到達宮外廣場，也是

敲打鑼鼓，女皇羽林軍，就是騎兵一隊，從近處呼嘯而過，羽林軍持刀

亮光金盔，高頭大馬。禁衛兵墨綠軍服，持自動步槍，但宮內真正荷槍

實彈者，著警察服帽。時間一到，接勤衛兵連，由紅外套羽帽樂隊，開

路飲導，宮內警衛，連忙啟開大門，也有幾道門檻，兩連面對面，先是

一一更換崗哨衛兵，又是一陣踢腿，我猜印度和巴基斯坦兩國陸軍交接

禮衛兵踢腿跳躍，緣起於英軍。樂隊開始演奏，流行音樂，這次是007

電影金手指中之主題曲。演奏完畢，樂隊將下勤衛兵，帶出宮外，還包

括一排稍矮東方人衛兵，這就是英帝國，頂頂大名，驍勇善戰之，廓爾

喀步兵旅。廓爾喀兵褲皮帶後，繫上一把著名之彎刀。

兩小姐就帶我們逛街，逛過許多歷史景點，像是威靈頓拱門，在海德公

園角落，這是陸軍之凱旋門，像是特拉法格廣場之於海軍；再走過羽林

軍營，這是女皇出輦聚集處，有兩崗哨，兩位少年騎兵，馬背上讓遊客

合照留念。再繼續走，就經過首相官邸，唐寧街10號。走到底，就是

西敏寺和西敏宮，一是皇家大教堂，一是英國國會，都在泰晤士河畔。

兩小姐當夜飛機回台灣，我們告別後，我就帶士維到，倫敦華埠吃飯。

我也帶他參觀，女修道院市場，因為尚未入夜，未甚多活動，後來，他

自己晚上再去一次，四年前，首次旅行倫敦，走過倫敦歌劇院，問道達

女修道院區，晚上確是熱鬧，有位中國吹笙藝人仍在，已經在倫敦賣藝

30年，笙是中國北方樂器，

Visiting British Museum/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting British Museum/ Carlos Pueblo

British Museum is free to visit, as a matter of fact, almost all Museum is

free in London. Ten O’clock in the morning, visitors are line up in front of

the gate for security checking, I deposit my valuable belonging in the

entrance. This Museum is famous for its first class collection, I notice on

Chinese lacquer, the Buddhist Monk; In Japanese collection, weapons

and uniforms exhibit, calligraphy and classical painting.

Chinese lacquer collection in the western museums are abundant. I always

forget to check on the meaning of such English vocabulary, lacquer, fortunately

, there is a Chinese visitor answering my question. The artist apply the natural

paint on the woodwork, silk clothes, bamboo, and metal etc. He says that all of

such art works should be the articles tribute- of the best quality. Through out

the war and civil turmoil, the art works leak out of the palace and therefore,

end up in the foreign museums. Japanese learned the technology and produced

many advanced lacquer products. I saw one cloth cabinet exhibit at Teddy

Roosevelt’s old house, a national historical park now at Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY

, with a Tokugawa logo on it. No doubt that is a Japanese lacquer.

British Museum defines Buddha the best and clearest of all. Buddha is a man who

knows. Knows  what? I read a basic definition of a Buddha that A Buddha is a

Bodhisattva who enters Nirvana. A Bodhisattva is a person who has a devoted

spirit. What is a devoted spirit? Devoted spirit is to help the needed, the weak,

to live in a meaningful way of daily life. It is so abstract; therefore, the great

Buddhism says drop the butcher’s knife- repent and become a Buddha. Furthermore,

Everyone has placid, everyone is undisturbed and everyone can be a Buddha. Most of

the south and central Asia collection are Buddhist work; however, I pay more attention

on Lohan, the Arhans,  a disciple of Buddha. There are two or three Lohan statue in the

exhibit with English description. Lohan is a primary devoted person. In Chinese classical

martial art novel, Lohan usually travel around in and out of China. Put up a night for

such travel is quite famous among the travelers.

Japanese exhibition includes samurai’s uniforms, weapons, and some classical calligraphy

and painting, also includes some fine china.

In the Museum, there are rich in all European, Middle Eastern, and African collection.

England in the era of Roman Empire, the ancient nations of the middle east, these

treasury under the British rule has transferred from all over the world to London.

Some of the Greek collection, I was told, has been returned to Greece and I wonder

If they are safe for the time being.