Visiting daughters on board/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting daughters on board/Carlos Pueblo

The purpose of my cruise is not traveling for fun or sightseeing yet visiting

daughters on board of the cruise ship Dawn. I have adored these charming

young ladies of their good manners, hardworking nature, and unique

temperament which I rarely encounter in current day American society.

I asked their permission for adoption and they gladly accepted and we took

pictures together and I mailed them back after returning home. Some of them

have kept the correspondence with me and mostly remember my visit when

I get on board. It was in the spring of 2016 when I took Jade across the Atlantic

Ocean while I had started adoption. Now, I have had more than 150 daughters

from both ships and some of them have been transferred to all Norwegian

fleet. I am not the one who initiate this behavior as I am informed that there

are some guests practice the same procedure to show their admiration of these

young ladies and appreciated their friendship.

Most of them are from nations not as fortunate as the United States where plenty

of jobs are waiting for you. They have to work outside of their homelands and be

separated from their family, a contract lasts on for 8 months and two months

break. Fortunately, the employer provides safety and reasonable  working

environment. Many of them come back to continue their contracts. With their

working experience or training that I believe they are going to be an excellent

housewives once they get married and start a family if the family can maintain

their financial balance. This is another reason why I am so impressed of them

for their sacrifice for their work to their family.

One of my daughters on Jade taught me a few sentences of Tagalog, one of the

major Filipino language. With an increasing numbers of daughters from Cibu City

area, there is a need for me to learn Cibuano language. Based on what I learned,

Cibuano is one major race of the Austronesian, similar to the Taiwanese

Aborigines, either the plane native or mountain trace. If I check on their appearance

and I can see the similarity between both. The spoken Taiwanese native language

has been perished for a long time and I have had no ambition to dig into it. The

world progresses as long as we go.

According to the Chinese literature of which describes the beautiful ladies as

flowers and similar to Jade. I really can be related to such fantasy when I visit

them every time.

郵輪探親/莊峻華

郵輪探親/莊峻華

這次郵輪旅行，旅程都在東加勒比海諸島，就是一年中之第二，

第三次，並非我眷戀這些島國，而是我之郵輪探親，我在此郵輪

旗號下兩艘船，結識認養150位如花似玉之女兒，這些女孩，年

輕貌美，大學出身，工作認真努力，彬彬有禮，認勞認怨，我在

近代美國社會中鮮見，郵輪乘客，好奇詢問者，均同意我之看法

，我搭郵輪旅行，開始於2011年秋天，迄今七年，一共17次，

與這些愛女結緣，應開始於2016年春天，橫跨大西洋之寶玉號，

真正啟飛是在黎明號，如今兩號愛女，有些已經為公司，調離兩

號郵輪，遍佈於歐美兩洲，但我相信主力尚在兩船，平常我注意

郵輪報價，兩號即可，我之郵輪旅行目旳是探親，而非遊山玩水

。

這些船上女孩，多半是年輕貌美，畢竟郵輪是大飯店服務業，外

貌重要，而且工作繁重，非吃苦耐勞不行，郵輪乘客，美加為大

宗，職員必需英語順暢，這些女孩，大部份來自非英語系國家，

如無大學程度，甚難考上職位，因為讀外文，必需到甚高程度，

始能聽講，這次一位愛女，帶領內部參觀，提到職位昇遷，船上

有英文進修訓練，難怪這些經理級女兒，英文流利，這次旅行，

無意間，遇見一位女帶位，能言日語，原來在東方郵輪，因業務

需要，公司給予日語訓練三年，比我之自修十五年強，我都需要

教科書幫忙造句，始能認她為愛女。

這些愛女，多半在餐廳工作，擔任侍者，一位牙買加愛女很可愛

，也很直接曰，以我之容貌，只能在幕後廚房工作，除彬彬有禮

外，還需要外觀，努力工作，認勞認怨，這是業界之要求，我很

詳細之觀察，這約三百餘位餐廳男女職員，晚上之工作餐廳是隸

屬餐廳，天亮後，開始分配到白日營業之餐廳，下午三點半，穿

原餐廳制服，到自助餐和全天候餐廳幫忙，讓兩餐廳職員休息，

五點後歸建，非常有秩序之進退，五點半到夜晚打烊十點，就是

郵輪大宗生意，忙碌之時間，有位餐廳兩線半經理，安排這些人

事調動，是一彩色印刷紙張，由帶位領取，每人按照課表，調整

入息鬧鐘。

是有小姐，不適應如此軍隊化管理，有人離去，因位工作難覓，

許多愛女，確實將郵輪工作當職業，腳踏實地，令我敬佩。

Identify to Cebu City, Philippine/Carlos Pueblo

Identify to Cebu City, Philippine/Carlos Pueblo

On the second Latitude Party, I adopted Jenny, a singer at Bliss Lounge, as

my daughter. There is  a question asked by her partner why I identify to

Cebu City, Philippine, me illamo Carlos Pueblo de Cibu, Philippine. I explained

my story with a teacher from that city in the 60’s, William Correa, who has

a big influence in Buddhism. When I was at senior high school in Taipei, Taiwan,

my Dad asked me to visit Professor Liu, Correa’s original Chinese surname, from

Philippine for guidance of life. He spoke a perfect Amoy, our mother tongue and

Mandarin. He explained the 8 life suffering on Buddhism and the physiological

theory behind the Buddhist’s lotus seat. In case of any anxiety, I am still practicing

both teaching so far. He had proudly presented his achievement of building schools

in both Manila and Cibu with total of six as a matter of fact. Jenny’s partner asked me

the names and I google it. Samantabhadra Institute and Manjusri Senior High both

in the two largest cities. The names are the famous ancient Buddhas. He graduated

from Amoy University which was originally build by another distinguished Chinese

Filipino, Mr. Chen. He never married during his life time, born in 1910 like my Dad,

became a Buddhist monk in 1984, becoming the head monk of large temples in both

Malaysia and Singapore until his death in 1993.

On a further research, I found a connection of the Cebu Island and the language

Cibuano. People from Cibu Island are identified as the Austronesian which is the

same as Taiwanese aborigines. The language has been perished for a long time

due to the Chinese influence yet still alive up to the mountain area of Taiwan. I

wonder if I can catch up some from my daughters from Cebu for some Cibuano

greeting during my limited life time.

I mention my finding to my Filipino neighbor in Houston. He says that there are

at least 8 major languages in Philippine and he can command 4 of them freely.

Cibu is well influence by the Spanish and Mexican in history. When I pop up some

Spanish, most of my well educated daughters smile and comprehend.

I am very fortunate to meet and adopting more than 150 daughters on board of

my cruise journey. I shall introduce this group of beautiful, good manners, well

educated, and hard work ladies to my readers worldwide.

宿霧因緣/莊峻華

宿霧因緣/莊峻華

詢問船上諸愛女，府上何來，馬尼拉市均多，其次為宿霧市，此

市在菲律賓國中部，為該國第二大城市，我在郵輪歌廳，認位美

麗女歌手珍妮為愛女，詢曰馬尼拉來？曰否，宿霧人也，我說我

是菲化宿霧人，並講述一段故事，宿霧因緣，珍妮之男伴歌手，

亦宿霧人也，詢問我這位舊日恩師，在宿霧所興辦學校名，我一

時無法講出普賢學院，和文珠中學之英譯，回家後，詳查谷歌，

追憶故覺生老和尚，生前事略，補上此文。

我高中時，奉先嚴命在台北，拜望旅行台灣宏揚佛法之菲華劉梅

生教授，劉在台灣各地行腳，在虎尾掛單，結識一群唸佛會居士

，家父甚佩服其佛學涵養，特囑我到到火車站前基督教青年會會

館拜見，劉傳我佛說八苦，和打坐真義，後來，我在師大中道社

，邀請其前來講座，前兩項佛學，惠益我一生。劉名片中，印有

六家菲華學校創辦人兼校長經歴，算是一教育家前輩。他與先父

同庚，出生中國，幼年隨家人移居菲國，又回中國廈門，就讀亦

是菲華創辦之廈門大學，在校間認識弘一大師。劉一生未娶，七

十餘，剃髮為僧，任大馬來西亞和星加坡大寺住持，1993年在馬

尼拉圓寂。家兄峻嚴來美時，曾居索古緬道市，提及在舊金山，

經先父友人紹介，在舊金山拜望老華僑一事，谷歌上提到劉在舊

金山創佛教青年會一事。

有愛女質疑我之聲稱宿霧籍貫曰，能語宿霧語？於是我啷啷上口

我之幾句，曰塔軋洛語也，宿霧語為菲國第一大語言，屬南島語

系，乍看下與台灣原住民，我的平埔族，關係待研究。船上除珍

妮外，仍有許多愛女，來自宿霧區域，像是竹餐廳，愛女聞我宿

霧因緣，多有前來表態認親者也。

Twice boarded on the ship in Boston/Carlos Pueblo

Twice boarded on the ship in Boston/Carlos Pueblo

My first route of this cruise is from Boston to Boston via the Eastern

Caribbean while the second route is a repeat, from Boston to San Juan,

Porto Rico, the winter home port of the ship. Twice boarded in Boston

were quite a challenge to me due to a cold weather at the first time and

a mistake of taking a subway on a wrong direction. I left the scarf home

and was very uncomfortable waiting inside the airport before going to

the ship terminal. On the second time, I left the ship and decided to visit

Harvard or MIT campuses and at the returning subway, I took a wrong

train toward the South Street instead of the South Station in the result,

I barely made back to the ship before it left the terminal.

I thought that I was experience in travel and good at luggage packing, yet

my neck was not covered, without turtle neck and scarf. Boston was in the

40’s plus or minus. I tried to save some money and trouble to wait inside of

the airport for two nights and I did make it nothing but comfortable. When

the ship had been completed the first two weeks journey and returned to

Boston Port, I bought a simple scarf from the gift shop and marched down

to the city. Even though the severe situation was still existed, I was able to

visit MIT campus, marched on both side of the River Charles, met two lovely

Akita dogs on the cherry park on the other side of the river. I walked to the

Prudential busy district and ended somewhere at a corner of a bunch of

fleet market for fruits and vegetable and I decided to return to the ship.

I walked down to a subway station and took a red line train toward a stop

called South St. and after one hour, the train reached to the South Street

and it was not inside the city. I had to take another train at Boston College

to return to the city. It is a commuter train and stop at every stop to pick up

the commuter. I did make it to the real South Station, the city center area,

and made it to the Silver Line 2 bus to the port. The bus driver noticed my

worry and let me off the bus in front of the ship. The guard asked me what I

was doing and I pointed to the ship that was waiting for my return. He verified

my passport and picture and ordered me hurry up. On the second floor, the

cruise personnel were still gathered on one desk and informed each other that

I was the last one should be on board and I had already had a key card to enter

the ship. I looked at my watch and that was 3:30 pm. The ship left Boston at

4:30 pm. I wondered how much I would spend more if I missed the ship.   

波士頓市就船旅行/莊峻華

波士頓市就船旅行/莊峻華

十月底，搭機前往波士頓市，準備搭郵輪，旅行東加勒比海，再

隨船回波市，重復一遍行程，在波多黎哥珊璜市下船，一共23日

海上行程，有些同好旅客，多半來自北美加兩國，酷寒地帶，而

我純粹是探親，探望船上工作之愛女。波市之羅根機塲，離郵輪

碼頭，搭兩班公車可達，算是方便，我的問題是第二次，郵輪在

碼頭送客，我就乘機下船一逛此美麗城市。

我的問題，發生在第二次就船，幾乎誤點。是日，我隨著下船人

潮，搭公車到波士頓南站，然後搭紅線地鐵，在馬省理工下車，

開始我之查理斯河散步，冬日新英格蘭酷冷，河畔仍有慢跑者，

單衣薄褲，精神抖擻，我過橋再往另橋方向，這是該橋馳名之櫻

花公園，我造訪波市五次，尚未欣賞到河畔花開盛況，也許會有

如此一次。我走向大盤石保險大樓，此為巨大購物中心，而且也

是豪華辦公大樓，和大型觀光大飯店，中午雖是天冷，仍舊許多

人穿梭街道。

我在一零售攤廣塲，走下地鐵站，準備結束逛街，問錯路搭錯訪

向，把南街看成南站，因為英文縮寫故，一直到車往郊外，始知

不妙，此南街下站，就是著名之波士頓學院，手錶已經過下午二

時，心中開始不鎮靜，搭原車回南站，此為交通車，每站必停，

終於進入市內，高樓大廈，南站下車，找到銀色二號車，駛向碼

頭，女司機知我心急如焚，讓我在船前下車，直奔移民關卡，此

時，已經是下午三時半，警衛查名謢照身份，交代迅速上樓，櫃

台職員鬆上一口氣曰，他是回船顧客，已經持有登船卡，是最後

一位乘客，郵輪離港準時，下午四時半。

人問郵輪電話找我？我說未聞手機響，約是尚未進入緊急狀況，

我想的是若我誤船，此行將是更複雜，後果真是堪慮。

Waiting for plane to come home in San Juan, Porto Rico/Carlos Pueblo

Waiting for plane to come home in San Juan, Porto Rico/Carlos Pueblo

The back to back cruises ended after more than 3 weeks in San Juan. I

selected to stay for additional 4 days to wait  for plane to come home

because of the cheaper airline ticket that way. I was not alone because

I did meet several cruise passengers practicing this way. I took advantage

of the opportunity to feel more of Porto Rico, the climate and environment.

I exit the ship and marched through heavy traffic out of the pier toward

the Convention Center in order to get on the bus. It was Sunday and there

was no city bus available and that was no problem yet inconvenient. A

door man of the casino gave me two maps, one for back up in case, and

showed me to pass two bridges and 5 hotels then turn right inland to meet

a street connected to the Calle Loiza which my hostel is. He estimated that

would take a very good of one hour walk. I carried a luggage and a heavy

backpack with a lab top computer plus stopped to chat with a pair of the

fellow passengers; therefore, it took me more than two and half hours to

make it.

I recognized the husband of this couple on the ship because he always a

pitcher of cold beer passing by my high chair seat next to the host of

O’sheehan’s Restaurant on Deck 8 mid-ship. He explained to me his deal

of the beer purchase which he found out after boarding on the ship. He

calculated the price in compare with a regular purchase on the bar on board,

$2.75 to $8.50. I realize that most of the cruise passengers does measure the

cost, i.e. last minute deal and additional expanse, airline fares, etc.

I was arranged to sleep on a hang mat in the front section of the second floor.

Previously, my reservation was on the roof top for a tent. I was exhausted after

that long march and didn’t object such arrangement because I hated to climb

additional two story to reach the roof top. At my hang mat section, there are

windows on three sides facing a good size Catholic church of which the bell is

struck at the moment of every turn of an hour. Calle Loiza, the Loiza Street,

reminds me very much of the old part of the street in Taiwan, as a matter of

fact, the building construction is identical to Taiwan by using more cement

concrete and iron beams, etc.

There are these two beautiful hostel clerk whom I must mention about. I

enjoy very much to meet the polite and beautiful girls. I must point it out

that the Porto Rican are polite with good manners and friendly to visitors.

I met the first clerk at my first visit of the hostel and the second later and

I expressed my sincerely compliment of their beauty and the later invited

me for a left over dinner for their Thanksgiving Dinner of the employees.