Visiting Dr. Laow at Wat Mahathat Temple/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Dr. Laow at Wat Mahathat Temple/Carlos Pueblo

Dr. Laow is the head monk of Wat Mahathat Temple at Burton Upon

Trent, Staffordshire, England just south of Birmingham. I met him about

4 ½ years ago at the campus of Oxford University and would like to continue

our conversation in regard to the Buddhism. Finally, I was getting very closed

to his temple and made up my mind to pay him a visit. I took a train from

Birmingham and after 5 stops reached Burton Upon Trent station. I walked

and passing by a Coors-Molson Beers plant on my way to the city center to

take a bus to advance more to the Temple. Burton has been in brewing

beers business since 1777 and Coors has merged Molson in 2006. I didn’t get

a sample testing at this plant like the one at Golden, Colorado.

Another bus continued to take me further more in to the farm land. I saw

village after village, lamb farm one after one. I was out a stop away from the

Temple; therefore, I marched again to my final destination. The Temple has

been converted from an old mansion with acreage deep in the village; therefore,

the location is lonely and far away from the city. Dr. Laow had had some visitors

from nearby Birmingham, from Ireland, several monks from Thailand, of course

myself from Texas.

I was invited to a lunch with fellow visitors after those monks finished their

mid-day meal according to the Buddhist discipline. A Birmingham family provided

the food for that day. The couple invited me to get a ride back to Birmingham;

however, Dr. Laow had arranged an afternoon visit to a Cathedral nearby at a

township called Lichfield. It was raining that day.

Lichfield Cathedral have served the community for more than 1,300 years and the

Cathedral, a huge one, has been built for nearly 1,000 years. A new Icon, a portrait

of Jesus and His Mother Maria, was ready to be installed by a group of artists from

Greece. Dr. Laow introduced us to the head artist and he introduced us their work.

I am very impressed that a small city like Lichfield can host such a huge church

with a red Cardinal’s office.

Dr. Laow had his driver sent me to the train station of Lichfield and advised me come

through that station and he would send a driver to pick me up next time. He also indicates

that he does have room for me to stay for up to two days.   

拜望泰國高僧/莊峻華

拜望泰國高僧/莊峻華

四年半前牛津校園行，巧遇勞博士，相約再見，彼為泰國高僧，

為一寺廟住持，寺座落於伯明罕附近鄉下，幾次倫敦行，均無法

靠近，這次飛抵曼徹斯特，已經非常接近，我們在網路上連絡，

我必需在他離開講學前抵達。我在谷歌搜尋，終於下定決心，搭

火車到其寺廟隸屬郡鎮，然後換巴士，下車後步行抵達。

此鎮名，波頓在特安河，是屬史塔福特協爾郡，這是英格蘭內陸

，伯明罕上車後五站抵達，波頓為釀製啤酒出名，這摩森啤酒在

2006年為科羅拉多州之庫爾啤酒所合併，我曾參觀歌登酒廠多次

，但此路過酒廠，並無免費品嚐之政策，即使有，我之背包相機

等攜帶物，均不符合歌登廠參觀規定，必需置放於車上，不准攜

帶入廠參觀。

我一路問路到巴士站，這是波頓之老街，問妥司機，買上來回票

，上車一路欣賞英格蘭農村景色，這些農村，也有社區間插其中

，很像退休住宅區，約一小時後，在一村莊角落下車，因下車太

早，有行軍一站，約有一哩餘路，此時需要打開雨傘。

寺廟應是一修道院，是一古豪宅改裝，約有四畝地，植有花園果

株，庭院中有活動設備，有法台有座場，甚至有固定食攤，以備

活動使用。我報上姓名，知客僧報上名後，就安排我到勞博士辦

公室等候，他有幾路訪客，泰國來訪高僧，當地善男信女，還有

前來掛單之愛爾蘭信徒等，十分忙碌，我是有備而來，準備與勞

博士參機，但他實在忙碌不堪，而我又無法住下，因緣錯過。

勞博士非常親切，領我拜見來訪泰國高僧，約有三位，翌日勞博

士將領他們，跨海峽到阿姆斯特丹，泰國寺廟講學，彼曰荷蘭寺

廟成立稍晚，但香火鼎盛，已超越其廟。他和我提到與當今泰皇

有交情一事。我們俗家午餐在僧人之後，我知其守過午不食之紀

律，我們之食物為一來自伯明罕家庭所提供，這家庭很友善，願

意載我回伯明罕，但勞博士有其他安排。

下午二時整，廟內司機，載我們三人到附近利其費爾特鎮，參觀

該鎮之天主教大教堂，非常壯觀，此教堂有一千三百年歴史，我

真是肅然起敬，小小村鎮，居然有紅衣樞機主教，有專車來送我

到利其費爾特車站，搭車回伯明罕。

Visiting Birmingham, England/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Birmingham, England/Carlos Pueblo

Birmingham is located on the east of Manchester at the heartland

of England. Several years ago, I met Dr. Laow of the head monk of

a Thai Buddhist Temple at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire at the

campus of the Oxford and very like to visit him. Birmingham is very

closed to his temple. Finally, after several e-mails exchange, I did

make my visit and he even took me to visit a Catholic Cathedral at

nearby Lichfield township. I also made to trip to visit to the township

of Rugby famous of the origin of Rugby sport and the Eton and Rugby

rivalry of ancient time. I also visited the campus of the University of

Birmingham. I have been very impressed of the city for its traditional

and contemporary set up city center.

During this trip in England, I decided to take train as my major needs

of transportation. It’s different from what I am used to travel among

Germany, Spain , or Japan. I need to purchase the pass outside of the

prospective nations in order to get the discount for foreigners. I bought

a senior pass good for one year because I am coming back in the spring

of 2019. Rail systems in U.K. are sublet to individual companies; therefore

the fares are various, expansive or cheap according to the time of travel

or advanced reservation. Because of my longer stay at one place and

the closer distance travel, I might come out a better cost overall.

Rural England is green and pretty. Because of fall season, I couldn’t see

clearly what the farmers grow but lambs, cattle, and horses, etc. I saw

hay rolls piled up on farms to save farming labor that I assumed. The

small train stations split out the field among cities. I had had ride between

Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Burton Upon Trent, etc. seeing some

factories still in operation. The train business is still very popular in

England.

Every morning, I would walk quite a distance from my hostel to the main

station passing by the Cathedral Park at the city center and coming back

from the train station then bought my grocery at markets closed by the

station. I could cook a meal at the kitchen and then met a young lady from

Malaysia who spoke Amoy language better than my adult children at home.

Pei-ven is an architect freshly graduated from Birmingham University and

going back to Ping Nang to work for her dad who owns a good size of a

construction business.   

伯明罕行/莊峻華

伯明罕行/莊峻華

伯明罕市是原定訪問城市，原因是接近一泰國寺廟，我想在該

寺掛單，續與住持勞博士清談，結果在網路資料搜尋中，找到

勞格比鎮，舊日響往城市，也看到里治市，伯市五日居停，收

穫豐富，更認識到佩文，我將一一介紹。

我鄰居查克，石油業者，愛犬亨利克主人曰，伯明罕位近北海

油田，外海探勘挖井，以伯市為中心，蓋其不若愛丁堡之寒冷

，倫敦地價之昂貴也，所以休市與伯明罕有密切生易關係。勞

博市方丈與我有緣，自當年牛津校園一別，總想有深緣，再度

請益，我們保持連絡，他之寶殿就在伯市附近，我在抵英前後

，已經開始連絡，查看他之行程，這是最接近之時刻，我終於

成行，而且非常愉快。

勞格比鎮也在伯明罕附近，我將專文描述，這是超過半世紀以

上之因緣，我終於訪問到英式橄欖球之發緣地，勞格比學校之

校園，我曾拜訪伊頓市，和伊頓學校，就在溫莎堡，泰晤士河

畔，緣起為小時家中保存一勞格比銅牌，和高中正中版英文教

科書中一課，提到兩校橄欖球對抗之故事。

認識從馬來西亞檳榔市之佩文，她是位建築師，剛畢業於伯大

。佩文能言台語，非常親切，於是我認收為義女，她建議我如

何訪問英國，訪問那些城市，是位優秀美麗之女孩，我預助她

在其父營造廠，事業順利。

我也訪問著名之伯明罕大學，校園整潔美觀，一看就是一令人

驕傲之學府。伯市有趣，車站前就是露天菜市，和室內魚肉市

場，場外就是小型唐人街，許多波霸冷飲店。

Visiting daughters on board/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting daughters on board/Carlos Pueblo

Yesterday, there was a promotional rate appeared on the daily e-mail

sent to me from the cruise liner. A route from Yokohama, Japan to

Singapore 16 days including one night stay at Keelung, Taiwan attracted

me very much. However, it’s closed and after I called and checked

on the website of the carrier, it’s sold out immediately. Instead, I made

up my mind to book two route on Dawn for a 23 days at sea cruise,

from Boston via Eastern Caribbean back to Boston and Boston repositioned

to San Juan, Porto Rico. To avoid higher airfare, I choose to stay 4 additional

night at Jan Juan beach. I don’t mind to the repeat of the Caribbean tour

because that I can visit my adopted daughters on board.

I regret it very much for my attempt to book a cruise back to the U.S. while

I was in Europe due to various reasons such as fully booked ship, more

expansive quote, caught a cold, and longtime journey in Europe, etc. I feel

more comfortable on a cruise trip than the regular land tour which I have

to manage the transportation, room and board every day. I am good at the

numbers and I am OK with the last minute deal in addition to my purchase of

the cruise next discount program. Michelle also gives me a $500 certificate to

purchase tickets for her appreciation of my mowing her yard at Austin.

My life has been changed a little bit after my return from England. I add Ping

Pong as my second weekly exercises because I like to be better prepared next

time if I meet Sheila in Spain especially her back had stoke. My brother Yancy

also enrolls me to his Japanese class after Thursday’s Ping Pong; therefore,

I shall be very much occupied from now on.

再次遠行/莊峻華

再次遠行/莊峻華

下午查閱來信，發現郵輪公司有新廣告，這是東京航線特價，兩

日內成行，目標是日本東南亞，一共十六日，待我行動時，船票

已售罊，於是我轉戰加勒比海航線，訂下黎明號兩路線，從波士

頓啟航，回波士頓，再行波多黎哥，因避免機票高價，省下費用

，在珊璜市停留四日，再回休市。

我因為在英國停留期間，無法等候廉價船票，只好提前返美，也

剛好及時處理一些事務，這次旅行可以用掉兩張折扣票，如此剩

下三張，壓力頓減，而且我也可以藉此探望船上愛女，人生一樂

也。

加勒比海風光，與我已經不是很重要，我想比較者為，不同國家

之青年，在不同時代之奮鬥，比起我之青年時代，出國帶來之希

望，都是半世紀之往事矣。

Pick’em 2018/Carlos Pueblo

Pick’em 2018/Carlos Pueblo

My friend M.S. Lee went on vacation and before he left, he called

Amy to invite me to pick’em, his persimmon. Recently I learn that

my annual pick’em host, Wu’s family, have sold their house and moved

to California in order to be closed to their adult children and my favorite

childhood activity will be decreased from now on. Lee’s persimmon is

in the heart shape like one of the Wu’s tree. They are not the Fuyu type

and needed to be treated and soft then eatable. Persimmon is one of

my favorite fruits and I love to pick’em like mango, peaches, oranges,

etc.

I was lost when I turned to the old avenue of Cypresswood because

the entire section of Austin Freeway is under reconstruction. Streets

have been messed around without any signs and also I have been out

of touch for years on the newly development of Houston suburban north

of 1960. Amy was very patient for my struggle out of various subdivisions.

It was such a hustle and I ignored the fact that might be better waiting for

another week. I got more than a half of the fruits from the tree.

I had to treat the damaged fruits to make dry persimmons and hanging

with the poles. The mosquitos just won’t leave me alone and finally I found

a small bottle grass oil with strong fragrant to spell them away. Next morning

, I carried my wash up backpack to deliver several bags of persimmons to

my friends in the neighbor to thank them for their fruits gift during the year.