初訪安地瓜和巴布達島/莊峻華

初訪安地瓜和巴布達島/莊峻華

安地瓜和巴布達島，都在小安特列群島中，就是郵輪東加勒比海航線，大

安特列群島，指南加勒比海航線，甚至包括北邊之古巴，海地，和多明尼

加共和國，安地瓜為此行第三站，兩島在1981年獨立，但仍屬大英國協，

獨立為大英帝國之大國風度結論，我已經不再詢問，好過於前，抑或惡於

過去，我下船仍舊行軍於老街，參觀英國大公教會，然後就凱旋歸船，至

於美麗沙灘，珊瑚礁海岸，和納爾遜元帥紀念館，均一一錯過。

 老街一切均是老舊，仍然有許多乘客，留在老街徘徊，我依老教堂雙塔，

找到聖約翰大公教主教堂，教堂似在整修，但並無工程進展，是在高崗上

，教堂前墓地上，可以眺望遠處海灣，此島已賴郵輪和觀光業，我懷疑過

去之蔗糖業，琴酒等，尚且存在。我有趣於屋舍建築，老街中住屋，類似

我們休士頓古老社區，社會有變遷，休市老社區，年輕人湧入，老屋拆除

翻新，在此島並不常見，山上富人別墅，則需招車遊覽。

荷瑞秀 納爾遜元帥，早年曾在此島服役三年，娶妻來自附近之娜維斯島地

主寡婦，然後專戰歐美海域，是英帝國海軍英雄人物，我曾三次拜訪他在

格林維治之海軍博物館，倫敦近畿有特拉法格廣場，納爾遜銅像，直聳入

雲霄，他在此服役，主管對美國之禁運，大海戰役中，確是驍勇善戰，我

們小學教科書曰，彼幼年冬日上學，遇大雪而不退，十三歲從軍，四十七

歲戰死海疆，為世人所景仰，，連安地瓜都引以為榮。

Re-visiting St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands/Carlos Pueblo

Re-visiting St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands/Carlos Pueblo

It was in April, 2016 that I visited St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on my way from

Houston across the Atlantic Ocean to Barcelona, Spain. I still remember the town

, shops, and streets of significant. I followed my habit of march toward the right

side of the terminal a nice visitors center was in front of me with familiar flowers.

I walked back to the first row of shops with one particular coffee restaurant at the

end where many tourists gathered for its free WiFi connection. It was very much

different this year with much less guests in compare with last time. At the corner,

there was a Chinese restaurant, Long River I thought the name, where the employee

was beginning for the lunch opening and kitchen chefs were off the vehicle to enter

the restaurant. I checked on the menu posted on the window that the price was high

in compare with Houston’s Chinese restaurants of the same class.

I continued my marching toward the other direction turning left toward the main

highway passing through a 700 ft. sky lift station to a top, Charlotte Amalie. The station

was closed at my time to pass. I turned to that busy high way to visit Pueblo Super

market. The old fruits stand was disappeared and I wondered around several times and

finally asked a lottery lady for the reasons. She said that due to hurricane Harvey and

Maria destroyed the stand and she was not sure the lady owner would come back. I was

hesitated last time due to the high price for a mango. The street passing by several rows

of public housing projects by the foot of hills and I could see there was water still stayed

on the curve that indicated the lack of storm sewer system. Some mango trees were also

disappeared and I was very depressed for not seeing the reminding trees of my childhood.

I kept on moving toward the McDonald’s at the street end. The restaurant closed most part

but a narrow drive in taking out order, of course, no free WiFi connection. I quit internet

while cruising in addition to phone call and television, etc. I have been back to more than

half a century before myself in regard to the communication. I began to turn back toward

the ship by passing by a shopping center with some U.S. chain stores and a local power

company’s service center with long que out to the lobby. A small Chinese Café was there

at the center and I saw several youngsters went in for lunch, obviously from the ship and

I believed were male staff anxiously looking for the oriental food to calm down their stomach.

Later, a Chinese restaurant staff told me that they went to that Long River for a lunch and

Costed them certain U.S. dollars and in exchange to how much in Renmingbi, Chinese currency,

and on my calculation would be the portion of my cruise ticket.

My beloved daughter Lilizerbeth told me that she yelled at me across the street of the Pueblo

and I didn’t notice. I was sorry of myself for my second visiting of the small town after two hurricanes. Most to the lovely scenery like beaches are on the other sides of the mountains.

重返維金群島/莊峻華

重返維金群島/莊峻華

初訪聖湯瑪斯鎮，是在2016年春天，從休士頓穿越大西洋，經邁阿密港到

達美屬維金群島，這也是1898年美西戰爭之結局，維金群島一直未退出美

國，美國也一直不知所措，下船後小鎮店面前，有一整潔美麗之庭院設計，

我的習慣逛老街，從右邊開始，沿大街方向，經過村落超市，到麥當勞店折

回，此島美麗之海灘，應該是在山之另邊，我一直不曾拜訪。

海港商店區，我仍憶得，先覓首排咖啡廳，今年生意清淡，連免費使用網路

者渺，轉角一家中國餐廳，員工已經開始準備午餐生意，廚師陸續下車入店

，我看門口菜單價目，心中一震，船上中國青年曰，幾人口饞到此店用餐，

吃下來多少美金，折合多少人民幣，當然，我要算船票之幾分之一。沿大街

走上鎮中心，流龍上山頂觀望台，尚未開張，或是已關閉不可知，附近有一

龍蝦餐廳，中午開張。

走到村落超市廣塲，村落普葉布羅，是我之菲律賓姓，非常親切，我正全神

貫注，尋覓當年廣場前水果菜攤，來回幾次徘徊，終於問到店前一老婦，正

在販賣樂透，彼曰兩次颶風，哈維和瑪麗亞，擊潰攤位，彼懷疑店女主人，

有能力回來，我正在矢神落魄拍照中，不覺愛女呼喚，莉莉莎白宵夜中告知

，在過街呼叫，惟我不覺。

然後，繼續前進，走向麥當勞店方向，依山麓地，有簡易之公寓，路邊有積

水不退，小前院中之芒果株已不見，麥當勞已經關閉，只有開車道訂購，走

回商塲區，幾家連鎖店，有一中國自助餐廳，船員前來用餐，價目表高昂。

旁邊有一電力公司門市部，許多人排龍，我一直有壓迫之感。

沿原路返船，街上許多颶風摧毀痕跡，小鎮正在重建中。

English as the second official language in Taiwan/Carlos Pueblo

English as the second official language in Taiwan/Carlos Pueblo

I say bravo to the policy of putting English as the second official language

in Taiwan. I hope that we can have language classes both equally in the

morning and some other important classes spread to the rest of the day.

I understand that Taiwanese youngster has tremendous disadvantage to

compete with the rest of the world in the job market nowadays. I understand

very well if I have been better in English, I would have been more successful

on my job in insurance in the U.S., of course, some of them as my own of

personality.

We must find quality teachers for the classes and most importantly of

teaching applied English which means after finishing school the student

can utilize what he learns to communicate with the rest of the English

speaking world, their employers and colleagues. We don’t need to get into

classical such as bible reciting and Shakespeare.

I see most of the world nations pay dearly attention to English as an alternative

official language i.e. the British Commonwealth, Caribbean islands of non-British

affiliate, etc. Even the former dominant European power houses, France, Germany

and Netherland fly their school children to London to learn the King’s tone. I ran

into a field day English class at the Hiroshima Castle one lazy afternoon with the

school master and several foreign teachers. Taiwan cannot wait any longer. Don’t

worry about Chinese invasion of Taiwan if Taiwan choose English as the second

official language.   

  

英語為第二國語/莊峻華

英語為第二國語/莊峻華

欣聞台灣蔡政府，著手採用英文為第二國語，真是明智之政策，每年歐洲

非英語系諸國，均需送學童，遠赴英國學習英語，就是我旅行日本廣島城

，也遇見戶外英語教學，許多外國女教師跟隨，各國重視英語教學，主要

是讓國民有跟上時代之能力，連日法徳三工業強國，也不敢掉以輕心，何

況台灣？

英帝國盛世數百年，後有美國跟進，許多就業機會，電腦程式，都以英語

相關設計，英語當第二國語，強勢對強勢，也逼迫北京語質變，讓北京語

改善文法寫作，輿論自由，文學進步，免於退化。台灣人能自如使用英語

後，全世界就業機會高，而且顧主也較尊重員工，比較文明。

過去學習中英文之經驗，台灣學校應求優異英語師資，注重實用，而非不

切實際之復古，要能說寫，以便馬上和世界接軌，不需要背頌聖經，欣賞

莎士比亞，可以等到興趣之到來，無需勉強，英文熟識後，各種科學教科

書，就可直閱。

中國曾說台灣若定英語為第二國語，，則將武力攻打台灣乎？

Visiting Eastern Caribbean Islands/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Eastern Caribbean Islands/Carlos Pueblo

During the winter time, cruise ships from the north hemisphere such as Europe,

Alaska, and Canada, etc. would come back to Florida to join the Caribbean routes

Easter, western, southern, and Panama etc. Last month, I visited the southern route,

the eastern route was early this month, and would visit the western at the end of

this month. I am old and healthy and all is under my budget. Allow me to brief the

history which I concluded after a cruise trip to south America in the spring of 2017.

Queen Isabella of Castile financed Columbus to make an adventure to discover

West Indies in America. Spanish Empire colonized most of America and her wind

Power fleet shipped the loot back to Europe and the beginning of pirate in the

Caribbean. Queen Elizabeth I adopted the pirate to form her Navy and defeated

the Spanish Armada and the Caribbean America was wide open to the rest of European.

After the European Industrial Revolution, the steam power ship replaced the wind sail

power ship, Dutch and France joined the frenzy to grasp the Caribbean Islands. They

engaged the lucrative slave trade to move African to the Caribbean and sold them to

the north America. This is the reason why there are the majority of Caribbean population

nowadays. Previously, I was curiously wondering if there are better off after one hundred

years and now it would be un-important for my trips any longer. U.S. joined the frenzy by

attacking Cuba in 1898 to push down the Spanish Empire.

My trip on this route, we passed by San Juan, Porto Rico; San Thomas, US Virgin Islands;

San John’s, Antiqua; Fort de France, Martinique; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia;

Basseterre, St. Kitts; finally reached the lovely port city of Tampa, Florida. Most of my visit

to the port is limited to a short march to the old city for about two hours more or less. It is

phenomenal especially three huge ships or more disembark simultaneously. The old town

is crowded with cruise visitors. Shops, taxi, and other venture are all soliciting business like

Christmas day and New Year day in the U.S. or the Lunar New Year in my hometown in Taiwan.

People were coming home from the city work place to home for the holiday as I recalled the

Railroad authority even made a special effort to arrange college students in Taipei to move

back to the southern area during the winter break. Most of the ports in Caribbean does remind

me the old day of Taiwan rural area in the 60’s.

It is better off as my conclusion for the case it may be. The entire world is making progress so as

the Caribbean and there is a reason for not as satisfactory as we desire as long as we maintain

peace and there is always a hope. The Caribbean issue is very much different from the U.S. or

Europe, Middle East, or even in Taiwan. I must enjoy this opportunity to visit and enjoy it.

東加勒比海諸島行/莊峻華

東加勒比海諸島行/莊峻華

此行經由波多黎哥之山璜港出發，經過美屬維金群島之聖湯瑪斯港，安地瓜

島之聖約翰港，法屬瑪丁尼克島之法蘭西堡，巴貝多島之橋鎮，法屬聖露西

亞之卡斯萃港，聖啟特之巴瑟帖勒港，非常緊湊，然後就是海上三日夜，趕

回墨西哥灣之加勒比海，佛州西岸之天頗港，非常有趣，於是回家後兩日，

郵輪代理，寄來特價廣告，我又準備週日天頗港上船，遊西加勒比海，這是

墨西哥卡斯邁耳這一海岸線，約有一站是郵輪私有海島。

 郵輪界將加勒比海，分成四航線，東西南與巴拿馬，冬天阿拉斯加，歐洲，

和北加拿大航線，均加入加勒比海，非常熱鬧，乘客來自全球。我再重複我

之簡易歷史背景，西班牙伊薩蓓菈女王，驅逐回教摩爾人後，資助哥倫布到

加勒比海，然後就是西班牙之新美洲，歐洲之海盜船，在此海域和大西洋，

攔截西班牙美洲之擄獲，這是帆船風動力時代，英女皇伊莉莎白一世，收編

歐洲各國海盜，成為英國海軍，在英倫海峽，擊潰西班牙海軍，然後歐洲工

業革命，蒸汽機動力鐵船，取代帆船，西班牙王朝腐敗，無法匹敵歐洲列強

，加勒比海各島，逐漸淪為英法荷等國所有，最後一戰是美西戰爭，連美國

都參入一腳，此行中之波多黎哥，美屬維金群島，女兒之菲律賓等，均歸讓

美國，西班牙王國遂亡。這段期間，歐洲人在此販賣黑奴，加勒比海是奴隸

之島，我對此段歴史，深感興趣，奴隸制度，雖已取消，但奴工現象，仍然

存在。

我之拜訪，主要是各港口之老街，都是幾百年建築，古代老舊教堂，三艘以

上巨大郵輪人潮之湧入，像是舊日台灣鄉村過年，招客計程車，就像斗南車

站，帶來半世紀以上之美憶，我和一印尼青年，談到類似求學中經驗，我描

述台灣鐵路局，特別在寒假開始，安排大專列車，疏散返鄉學生，近代亞洲

幾國，仍舊有此景象，台灣則是青年返鄉投票，選舉總統市長，加勒比海諸

停泊海港，則是應付每日郵輪乘客，遊山玩水。

我注意當地使用之語言，英屬法屬美屬荷屬等，都參雜西班牙語，然後甚至

追溯到非洲和當地印地安人土語，法屬列島居民謙曰，所言者為破碎法語，

然正式教科書詞句則通曉無礙，幸好我有一百零一句法語，將距離拉近，更

覺旅行之有趣，我幾個月前，旅行南加勒比海諸島曰，奴隸之島，好過或是

壞過，都不重要矣，加勒比海物價高昂，此為事實，但耶和華女傳教士曰，

人仍需生活。