重訪牛津市/莊峻華

重訪牛津市/莊峻華

結束布利斯妥市，搭車東向往牛津市，車經巴斯溫泉鎮，這是

古羅馬遺跡，多人推薦，在一小站換車，看到一發電廠，誤為

核能電廠，其實為天然氣動力，冷卻塔酷似美國核電廠，是奇

異公司建造。抵達牛津，約在中午，客棧就在火車站不遠處。

我報上在布市客棧認識之一位香港小姐小名，經理就非常親切

，許多外國青年，來英國旅行，隨時打工，賺取食宿費用，這

位香港小姐，大學剛畢業，取得兩年工作簽證，準備在英國鍛

鍊英文。

客棧之網路連線，我有困難，經理幫忙輸入新密碼不果，只好

等候一位職員下午三點上班，沒有網路連線，我之旅行，馬上

不方便，於是我先逛牛津市。約是五年前，我曾來過牛津，參

觀牛津大學者，是越來越多，這次我有較為充份之時間，而且

較為輕鬆，無甚壓力。車站開始，就是城中心，大學學院，就

在城中心之角落，學院多半是外人關閉，但可窺視內院，建築

物，則是古點古香，全城中心都是，此大學有近五百年歴史，

追朔到亨利第八時代。

我還是顧慮到網路連接問題，這位客棧職員，三點上班，輸入

密碼，仍就無效，於是他就開始檢查程式，他自己之手提電腦

，可以連接，他比照問題，在其電腦鼓歌搜尋答案，客棧時時

調他回去工作，我使用客棧桌型電腦，查看郵輪廣告郵件，發

現郵輪報價，不減反增，原因是價錢已經是英鎊作單位，英國

物價本高於美國，在英國使用電腦，拿不到美金報價，我猜測

在英國旅行之網路購買，需繳英國地方購買稅，繳英國所有社

會福利成本稅，我現在了解何以在台灣，旅行日本，機票便宜

於美國。

於是我臨時決定，更改旅行計話，提前返美，就是放棄搭郵輪

返美，不等十月初之哥本哈根，十一月之巴塞隆那和羅馬，最

後報價，在九月二十五日，搭今年最後一班廉價班機，返回奧

斯汀。

Peiven/Carlos Pueblo

Peiven/Carlos Pueblo

Peiven is a daughter whom I have adopted during my stay in

Birmingham, England. She has just finished her master degree

In Architecture and at a practical training in the city before

returning to Malaysia. I feel the kinship with her due to her

speaking of Amoy language, my mother tongue. She has an

excellent language training since her childhood, fluent in

Mandarin Chinese and traditional Kanji calligraphy, an under

graduate degree in Japan, English, and Malays, a common

language between the neighboring Indonesia. Not only this

talent, she is young, kind, and pretty most of all. I am very sure

that she and her younger brother will eventually inherit their

father’s construction business.

She recommended me visit several cities in England such as

York and Newcastle, reinforced some visits to the other such

Bristol and Leeds, of course, I still missed sever of her advise

due to tight schedule. I’ll wait for the spring of 2019. I met her

at the kitchen of the hostel at which we prepared our meals.

She would prepare some instant noodles and dumplings, etc.

I invited her and some other fellow guests to share my excess

chicken soups. One day I bought a box of three pompanos from

an indoor fish market which she referred it to me nearby the

train station. I cooked them on a hot pan till the surface turned

brown. We all liked them. After that, I kept on searching for

something to cook when I came back from the station and I bought

three chicken skeletons, very unusual in the U.S. market, for a

British pound. I prepared a whole pot, might be a whole gallon

of chicken vegetable soup for noodle, tomato, potato, cauliflower,

cucumber, carrot, etc. She even knows what we call left over food

in Taiwanese custom. We finished that pot in three meals. I appreciate

her friendship and her like of my cooking.

I also adopted another two lovely daughters after Sheila and Peiven

during my trip, one Chinese and the other Argentine. I shall introduce

to all my readers later. After 10 more days, I am going to visit my

75 plus daughters on board of a cruise ship in the Caribbeans.

愛女佩文/莊峻華

愛女佩文/莊峻華

認識佩文，在伯明罕客棧廚房，每日夜都遇到這位，勤快美麗

之東方姑娘，打點食物，問其來自曰，馬來西亞檳榔市，能言

閩南語，於是我們均以台灣話交談，非常愉快，她剛在伯大建

築碩士畢業，正在實習工作，一週後結束返鄉，在其父大人企

業服務，很有趣者，她在日本讀大學，亦能日語，再加上流利

北京語，馬來語，況且能廚房烹飪，年輕美麗有禮貌，真是好

媳婦人選。我隨後旅行地點，像是伯大校園，布利斯妥，約克

，和新城堡等，均來自其手筆。

伯明罕首日，我在便利商店，購買蔬菜水果，和一小盒雞胸肉

，蔬菜是蕃茄，花椰菜，馬鈴薯，胡蘿蔔，和洋菇，洋蔥爆香

後，煎黃雞肉，放水煮滚，置入上述蔬菜，煮成一大鍋，廚房

有先人留下義大利麵條，煮成雞湯麵，分享旁觀者四位。佩文

建議我逛車站旁肉市，翌日魚市敗市，敗市台語意是打烊，我

買到三尾大白鯧魚，回廚房煎赤撒上醬油，遂成晚餐，也分享

佩文等人，第四日從室外蔬果市場，買到蔬果，又轉到室內肉

市，買到三隻全雞骨架，回廚房處理雞骨肥油，有旁觀南非女

士，索取雞尾肥油肉炸食之，非常有趣，但亦了解。我煮上一

大鍋，連吃三餐，我問佩文菜尾知否？曰知且甚喜，台灣之分

菜尾風俗，可能來自福建。

當一好義父，我就鼓勵她儲蓄，教她如何說服其父，給她好待

遇，避免她出國工作，然後我們就告別，回馬來西亞後，我不

再收到其信，顯然工作已經開始忙碌。

Witness the British health care/Carlos Pueblo

Witness the British health care/Carlos Pueblo

Dorien is a Belgium Flemish who is attending the University of West

England at Bristol, England. I met her parents at the hostel one

Morning and she then moved to our room the next day before her

school started. One day, I ran into her down a street and

accompanied her to find an attending physician for the enrollment

of the British Health Care system. We asked a drug store at a shopping

center and found a good size clinic on the second floor. She was required

to have a resident affidavit from the hostel before her longer stay at

a resident near by the campus. The hostel clerk printed a paper for her

to use.

Patients were waiting at a waiting room with a number to be called.

I saw a  senior nurse act like an assistant physician like in the States

to pre-screen the patient. Physicians were arranged in separate room

to see their patients. British healthcare system is admired by the

progressive party in the U.S. It is called Pay as you go system, a national

healthcare system. All of the European Union nations have the same kind

practice.  I must admit that the health insurance has given me a headache

after I lost my full time job in the early 21^st century.

After her completion of her requirement, we went to the city library for

Her checking out a book and I used the internet to send an e-mail home.

She went on having a bicycle ride to her campus and met her future landlord.

I missed my opportunity to adopt her as my daughter.

見識英國全民健保/莊峻華

見識英國全民健保/莊峻華

比利時之徳琳，是我客棧之室友，前來就讀西英格蘭大學，一

日在客棧附近街上相遇曰，需要注冊英國全民保險，就是找一

位內科醫生，當守門醫，管理醫事需要，她同意我跟隨，我們

先問路人，如何尋覓醫生診所，結果是在商街之藥局，藥局職

員問明原由後，告知向客棧取得居住證明，再來登記，回客棧

，職員迅速印出證明，其實，她過週末，就搬到學校附近租屋

，英國健保也不干涉太多，我們在門口靜候，等待醫生面談。

我在休士頓賣保險多年，風聞大英全民健保甚多，有好有壞，

可以預測服務之品質，美國人口是英國之四倍有餘，財力不敢

嚐試英國制度，我能想像，也能了解，病人在門口領號碼等候

，門診室至少有兩樓，已經開始使用資深謢士看診，美國醫界

之助理醫生，德琳很快就辦完手續，然後她就帶我到市立圖書

館，此館也在學院花園周圍，和市府，大主教堂，美術館，布

大高樓等一環。她解釋歐盟健保制度，她之學費，還有古教堂

之軍事功能等，非常有趣，人長得高大美麗，工程設計專門，

我在客棧見過其父母，她們不講法語，應是佛萊明近荷蘭語，

她找書我借圖書館電腦，寫封家書。

回客棧後，我就窩居室內，她則取出鐵馬，外出大學校園，約

是拜望房東，一直到傍晚始回客棧，翌日，我就離開布市，前

往牛津鎮，預祝她學業順利。

Passing car inspection/Carlos Pueblo

Passing car inspection/Carlos Pueblo

Before going to the community center for my language class, I took

my 20 years Q45 to the garage for inspection in order to purchase

a n annual tax sticker. It is a current stress issue of my daily life. I

don’t drive so much as my younger year; however, I still like to keep

this vehicle for my tennis games and some other errand. We moved

the vehicle from Arthur’s primary use to work. Moved Michelle’s

07 Camry back home for him, Michelle took 13 Maxima, and Amy got

a brand new Camry to satisfy the car need. I don’t mind to have this

old one instead of waiting on the line to use available one on the

driveway.

The issue is that the old vehicle has an engine light on problem. We

paid money to replace a new starter and the light was off; however,

the owner indicated the knock sensors, connection, and both intake

gaskets needed to be replaced as well. I was advised to watch the

Youtube video to see the complicated job. After 150 miles driving,

the engine light hasn’t been back; therefore, I return to the garage

for exhaust inspection and I pass. I bought the sticker immediately

and put away my stress away one more year.

During the weekend, I noticed the air condition of the vehicle was gone

for the first time. It doesn’t bother me at all because I can still open the

window on the driver’s side for air. I feel more confidence when I march

to the bus stop for my long haul transportation to the airports.

漸入佳境/莊峻華

漸入佳境/莊峻華

昨日攜老車上車行，年檢排氣管廢氣濃度，德州交通安全，規

定甚多，日本製品，廢氣本非問題，主要是顯示盤內，不許紅

燈出現，上次紅燈是，引擎發動器，換新後，紅燈消失，但師

傅告曰，需開120哩後，電池運作，始能恢復正常，若檢示盤

無紅燈始能檢驗，檢驗及格，始能購買一年汽車稅，通行許可

，為此驗氣，急死老人，前日，再攜鋁梯到明雄府採柿，開上

一百二十哩，心想紅燈不亮，應可送車檢驗矣。

其實，老車引擎內，活塞撞擊控制器和連接器，小電腦說有問

題，若要換新修理，整個引擎要拆解，大工程約一千六美元，

連車行老闆皆曰不值，這變成我之焦慮，此車棄之可惜，而且

我也需要開車打網球，家裏每車，均是專人專用，好像載鋁梯

，則需此笨重老車，打開天窗，塞入車內，否則需要小卡車，

家中並無小卡車之需要。

檢查通過前日，老車冷氣機，，告老返鄉，我也無所謂，此車

開不動後，就贈送給有用者，我大概也無需開車，長途者，若

機塲搭機，我可以搭免費巴士，更令我愉快，我之老年生活，

真是漸入佳境，此頭疼老車，可以再拖一年。