Purchasing another house/Carlos Pueblo

Purchasing another house/Carlos Pueblo

Our daughter Michelle wants to purchase another house in Austin, Texas;

therefore, we are summoned to go with her quite often lately. Austin is

about 150 miles away from Houston and is about 2 ½ hours mostly freeway

driving. She saves enough money and loves real estate investment and we

are glad that she asks for our opinion. The house is in the central area of

Austin with a good school district 1800 square  feet built in 1959 and asking

for half of a million. She is a successful business professional and has owned

two small houses in Austin already so I keep my opinion to myself. Luckily

the deal didn’t go through because she loses one of her tenant for a rental

property while she intends to move back. We again accompany her back to

Austin for some cleanup for the house.

I always agree to the idea of purchasing a house is one of the important financial

planning in addition to purchasing the securities. In order to keep the national

economic going, the federal government keeps on printing U.S. dollars to keep

the currency available all the time in a way to diminish the value and all the rest

of the world powerful nations follow this American way. In some parts of Houston,

housing price inflated 4 times during the past 35 years don’t mention the other

hot areas in the nation such as San Jose, California and Boston, Massachusetts.

Any of a house costs more than two millions is very real and reasonable.

Back to another summon we went to Austin again for a house cleaning. I helped to

do the lawn mowing and think of a long term of rebuilding the garden. We talked

about the addition of brick laying to avoid further driveway corrosion, clean the

weeds and junk trees on the yard. I don’t believe the exaggerated house value

without a pretty garden like those of in Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany. Plus, gardening

is my fantasy of old cocooning.

She took us to an outlet center at San Marcos, Texas for furniture shopping. Austin and

San Marcos almost link together as suburban metropolitan area. She purchased 9 items

and managed to find a mover to deliver the merchandises in the same afternoon while

we were waiting on the back side of the furniture store. She knows how to purchase an

inexpensive furniture and sell them when no longer needed. Her mother asks her to

move her belonging stored at our garage to her Austin house, she says that she doesn’t

have the time.

置產/莊峻華

置產/莊峻華

我從夏威夷旅行歸來，就為琳兒調到奧斯汀，協助處理出租

房屋，老屋出狀況，野生動物入侵，請專家來捕捉，然後是

置產，她的房產代理，找到一房屋，價錢合理，已經簽約，

藉口父母來看，和估計整修價格，是日開車超速公路遇車禍

，公路堵塞，耗時甚久，又當日往返，和旬日作息迥異，非

常辛苦，翌日有信歐洲來曰，房客決定毀約，立即遷出，於

是我們安慰她，決定幫忙處理空屋內外，以免其憂慮，雖說

自找麻煩，但確是有意義之老年生活。

奧斯汀新興，房價高漲，約是八年前，她在奧斯汀上班，買

下兩棟小屋，翻修自居和出租，一直順利，是一有收入之置

產投資，她又認真工作，和父母住一起，節約儲蓄，省下來

之錢，準備再置產再投資，像其直接上司一般，有二十棟出

租房屋，其中一棟在邁阿密海邊，多年前五十萬買下，如今

是四百萬價格，令人羨慕，我學好沉默不語，我有二十餘年，

置產不賺錢之經驗，年老後乖乖的躲在家裡當員外，像是冬

蠶吐絲作繭。

租屋庭院，野株野草叢生，我就自願打掃整理，艾美就先在

屋內打掃，好在房客是專科學生，僅住幾個月，折損不大，內

部仍舊嶄新，論城中地段，是有高價，惟庭園需要照顧，照顧

到柏林圍牆下之社區花園環境，則有價值，於是艾美答應每月

一次北上幫忙，我也無異議。

第二天，琳兒開車，帶我們到附近參瑪可斯市，購買傢俱，大

賣店專門賣退貨，和過時產品，我就到鞋店買兩雙球鞋，她們

母女詳細研究，於是買下九件傢具，然後臨時叫車接送貨物，

這調車功夫，也是學問，美國人租貨櫃車送貨，在路上開始接

單生意，毫無麻呼之處，我們在店後取貨處候車，當日德州氣

溫華氏八十五度，冬日反常，回奧斯汀又遇公路車禍。

我一直相信，美國幣值，有計劃之貶值，置產似乎可以保值，許

多人購買房屋賺錢，德州無州所得稅，房地產稅率高，而且出租

房屋，依當時買賣房價課稅，我常覺得麻煩，於是不再投資房產。

Visiting Copenhagen University/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Copenhagen University/Carlos Pueblo

I saw Copenhagen University on the map at the old town Copenhagen

and decided to visit this famous institution of Niels Bohr, a physics

professor who was on my text books from high school, college, to

graduate school. He defines some quantum mechanics theory of different

energy level on various electron configuration. Electron can jump around

the atomic orbits all the time by absorbing or releasing energy or radiation.

This was a very basic quantum theory which I fortunately understood it and

helped me to pass all the examinations at schools. I must come to visit him,

of course his statue in front of the main building.

First, I went through a green garden lake park called Orsteds-Parken. It is one

of a series of green garden lake  parks parallel to Sankt Jargens Lake. Above this

park is the Botanic Garden and Rosenborg Castle is the adjacent neighbor.

Another two parks between Osterport Station, one is facing the harbor with a

a statue of the little mermaid, a fairy tale created by Hans Christian Andersen,

now becomes an important tourist point. I have visited Andersen’s Spain home

town Malaga yet I missed this one. I shall visit this park on my next European

cruise disembark at Copenhagen harbor just next to the mermaid statue.

Danes tell me that the University has a new campus out of the old town due to

the expansion and I believe that is the case of most of the famous European

institutions. Almost all the European nations provide free tuition college education;

therefore, most ancient colleges required expansion. Some old colleges at the old

town area are very small and crowded not like the universities in the U.S. with

several hundred acres land yet these institution are the backbone of European

industrial revolution.

拜訪哥本哈根大學/莊峻華

拜訪哥本哈根大學/莊峻華

我在地圖上看到著名之，哥本哈根大學，於是我決定專程拜訪

，哥大也在老街區，我是先經一奧斯鐵帕肯公園，也是一湖畔

花園，問了幾次路，終於來到本校大廈門口，其中經過法學院

，門口有幾座哥大名人雕塑像，很快就找到尼爾˙波爾，這是

一位近代物理學者，哥大因他馳名全球，他解釋原子穩定，和

量子層之關係，他有一方程式，不是大概提一下，像中國道德

經上，稍微一提，就滿足中國人兩千年，不同量子層之電子，無

論是波或是粒子，都有不同能量，越外層能量越高，越不穩定，

一定要落到低量子層，要釋出能量，始得穩定，老子和道德經之

作者，提到這點，用有和無之概念來解釋，十幾年前，我讀過這

本書之解釋，非常有趣，所以特地趕來哥大，謝謝波爾教授，如

不是了解波爾定律，高中後考不上大學，無法排電子層順序，研

究所，過不了量子力學，量子化學。

旅行中，我還是喜歡公園花園，哥本哈根規劃首都，非常用心，

所以城市非常美麗，都是小湖花園，許多博物館，都在湖畔花園

內，哥大北邊，就是植物花園，有兩座博物館，園內有一小湖，

旁邊就是羅森堡宮殿，和國王花園，女王玫瑰花園，在宮殿前。

此兩花園北端，緊鄰另外兩座湖群花園，其中有一座，是著名之

景觀點，有美人魚銅像，安徒生是丹麥人，後來旅居西班牙，我

也經過他在馬拉加市之銅像。我計劃下次郵輪旅行，經過哥本哈

根港，可以參觀此美人魚花園。

許多青年學生，前來哥本哈根旅行，在旅店遇到許多外國旅客，

哥市公安秩序井然，無甚壓力，往北過橋，就是瑞典，歷史上提

到之維金海盜古國，就是當今丹麥人之祖先，1864年，敗給卑斯

麥之普魯士王國後，就一直安份守己，二戰中，為納粹德國所佔

領，戰後兩國關係密切，渡輪跨海鐵道，已經開始建造，資金完

全丹麥提供，非常有趣。

Visiting two Palaces in Copenhagen, Denmark/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting two Palaces in Copenhagen, Denmark/Carlos Pueblo

During the early 80’s, I got to know a Danish furniture store in Houston

area and fell in love with Danish style furniture, rosewood and teak

veneer desks, cabinets, dining table and bedroom sets etc. I still have them

after some 35 years. The young owner back that time showed me some

palace furniture and explained the contemporary idea of the Scandinavian

taste. It is very different from what I have seen for the style during the

American Revolution before and after, of course, what I am talking is in

the commoners’ possession not at the level of the Palace. I did walk to two

Palaces in Copenhagen, Christiansborg Palace and Rosenborg Castle not far

away from each other.  

The old town is well maintained and not that big for walk. I started from the

Rail central station passing through Tivoli Gardens, a private carnival facility

with unique architecture similar with the Disneyland yet smaller. It was not

open at the time when I passed by. Very soon I could see Christiansborg

Palace not far away by a canal, a kind of waterway surround the castle or

Palace everywhere in Europe or Japan. It connects to the harbor like a ring or

we call it oxbow in Texas., further north away is the cruise terminal. A museum

next to the Palace was not open at that time. The employee were coming to

work at that time and a few vehicles enter to the court yard. I believe that the

Palace is becoming to be a museum or an office of the Kingdom.

I cut through the old town shopping area toward the Sankt Jargens Lake, five

bridges on it and make it look like 6 small lakes. The city makes it to be garden

and wildlife refuge. Many different colors flowers, landscape, white swan, and

cranes etc. At one street, I turned again to visit Rosenborg Castle, an active

Palace for the Queen of the Kingdom. A pair of young Taiwanese lady tourists

were busy reading a tourist guide book about the Castle. One of them told me

that Denmark was a powerful kingdom once before and that is why Greenland

belonged to her. Later, that brought me to check it out from the internet, because

of Norway, Denmark got an opportunity to annex Greenland and Faroe Islands.

Denmark is about 16,000 sq miles with 5.7 million population.

I had watched the Palace guards to have their regular morning practice for some

time until the marching band went out of the Palace Garden to the street. I then

ran into to a group of Taiwanese from Tainan touring the Queen’s Rose Garden.

Both Palaces are very solid and beautiful and are a little bit difference from France.

參觀哥本哈根老街/莊峻華

參觀哥本哈根老街/莊峻華

我住在火車站附近，走出旅店，就是哥本哈根老街，非常熱鬧，

先是一座商業區遊憩中心曰，提波里花園，需要購票進入，有一

鮮豔俊秀高塔，就像迪斯尼樂園，為一美麗宮殿建築所吸引，這

就是克利欣堡皇宮，前有內外庭院，在一運河圍繞內，運河約是

大型城河，如今有划船，有遊艇，清晨路過，稀少路人，旁邊雄

偉之博物館，仍未開放。

中古歐洲城市，留下許多教堂，這些教堂，建築宏偉，古色古香，

我常為教堂所吸引，不知不覺，來到羅森堡城堡，這是當今仍在使

用之皇宮，非常平易近人，有兩位自由行台灣女士們，正在皇宮前

拍照，研讀旅遊專書，一位告訴我，丹麥過去必是有實力之國家，

否則如何仍然擁有格林蘭？格林蘭在北美洲，加拿大之北，接近北

極，說的也是，於是回旅社後，連忙查網路詞典，果然帶來許多有

趣之歷史。我獨自留下，觀望禁衛軍操練，丹麥禁衛軍當日出操，制

服類似英國皇家禁衛軍，但顏色墨綠，不像英軍之赤紅鮮豔，出操時

短，不久解散，軍樂隊敲敲打打，經過觀閱台，走出國王花園。

於是我繞到宮殿旁，玫瑰花園，玫瑰花仍然怒放，吸引許多遊客，其中

有一隊是台灣台南來之觀光團，由教會牧師帶隊，也有另外一團華人。

華園內有一女皇塑像，並非當今女皇，城堡外就是國王花園，已經是一

般公園，但仍舊維持皇家規格，許多美麗花朵，還有一種小蘋果般之小

樹群，長滿幾種顏色之果實，我不知如何稱呼，也無人採食，長滿整株。

老街地圖清楚，像是很大，其實算小，穿過鬧區店面，問路一兩次，就

到火車站，於是我再走另一方向，走向一花園湖，這是哥本哈根市公園，

一共有六座花園湖，湖畔是各種花園，湖內有天鵝棲息，非常悠閒美麗。

走完三段，我就想插入鬧區，拜訪哥本哈根大學，結果沒找到，第三天

再專程拜訪。

丹麥本土面積，約是台灣之一倍半，一萬六平方哩，台灣是一萬一，丹

麥人口五百七十萬，台灣逼近兩千四百萬，台灣很累之道理也。丹麥王

國在過去，一度和瑞典挪威合併，瑞典先離去，和挪威合併期間，有助

於格林蘭之控制權，三國語言互通，丹麥在1864年，敗給普魯士，二

戰期間，為德國佔領，丹麥養豬獨步全球，台灣養殖業前來取經。

Visiting Copenhagen, Denmark/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Copenhagen, Denmark/Carlos Pueblo

I took DB Bahn train to Copenhagen, Denmark from Berlin, Germany

one morning through Hamburg, Germany which was quite an experience

for my tour. Berlin to Hamburg is operated by DB itself has no problem

what so ever yet Hamburg to Copenhagen is operated by Danish Rail and

is across the border line which runs into problem. The conductor hesitated

yet let me pass like the one in Belgium. I read the German Rail Pass again

and again, there is indeed a highlight orange line shown that this pass can

be used between international cities only on a DB operated IC Bus with an

additional 5 Euro fee with two exceptional routes, Brussels and Venice,

called ICE and DB-OeBB Eurocity. I understand ICE means, International Cities

Express while I still don’t know the other one means. It was full between

Hamburg and Copenhagen many passengers including were forced to sit on

the floor because the pass was the most economic ticket without a seat

assigned. The express passes through Lubeck, Germany and from Puttgarden,

Germany enters a ferry to across a straight between these two nations.

I was not aware that the entire trains enter and stay at the bottom deck along

with buses and regular vehicles at upper decks while all passengers stay at the

top deck full of restaurants, gifts shops and casinos etc. The surrounding water

is the famous Baltic Sea. I was viewing the sea with my new purchase of a used

pairs of binocular. 45 minutes later the ferry landed and every one took the

elevators down to their designated deck. I went down to a wrong deck and had

to go back to the upper deck to ask for help and I was in panic. A young staff of

the port asked me to follow him to his office and passed through another gate

to a platform, the train was across the rails on the other side seemed to be waiting

for me. A family of the oriental was stopped to enter the train by an officer of

immigration who checked my passport and the train soon departed. I was in panic

because if I missed that rain, I would have to pay additional expense and it was a

money matter. I was lucky indeed.

The hostel is an automate check in style, no clerk involved. I began to walk around

the surrounding blocks following to a city map. I knew that I could not go very far

on foot. Copenhagen is another lovely city nice and clean. Danes speak English well

however Denmark uses her own currency not Euro. I did make it in three days on my

credit card for all the purchase. The inn provides a nice kitchen for its customers to

use.