Re-visiting Cannes, France 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Re-visiting Cannes, France 2022/Carlos Pueblo

Cannes, France is famous for the annual movies shows outside of the Oscar in the world. One year, 05/24/2015, I was on my Mediterranean cruise trip and passed by this city port with a very fond memory. I marched into a a part of the city center and then up to a small hill of a lovely residential area with many luxury homes. A lovely flower shop with a lovely nursery on the side was impressive. I didn't go up to a hill top cathedral and was regret very much to miss the peony garden where I did see on the flower shop. This time was about the same and I anticipated to finish the un-finished trip.

I love the peony which is one of my favorite flowers. I have mentioned that 2015 Cannes trip to many of my friends. The late Dr. Innad Hussani was one of them. He was a French trained physician. He mentioned his story at Cannes. Once he lived here for his medical practice. A Lebanese Banker friend referred him a deal of a small motel for sale. He was read to make the purchase yet his mother and wife were all against it because he shouldn't be distracted from his job as an eyes surgeon. At the end, he gave it up for about a $200,000 U.S. deal and later, after the new owner's effort, it was turned to worth more than 1.5 millions. He went back to his home town in Syria for his practice and then upon the request of his wife, immigrated to Houston, Texas. I knew him because he became my tennis partner, a gentleman. Once he described to me of his high RPM life in the U.S. RPM is the meter on the car board, the revolution per minute. He passed away of a stroke a couple years ago after his young son's  immature death. He told me the property was at the old port.

I didn't pay too much attention of where we disembark this time. I asked people where was the Cathedral and walked straight to the direction. I found the church yet it was very much different from what my memory was. I participated a family kids baptize ceremony. I believed that parents were from the Eastern Europe. One of the kids was still a baby, both of them behaved very well. I took some photos yet I couldn't find them, the entire stay at the city.

I didn't give up that easy. I tried again from the seacoast beach toward the sign of a cross up in the hill. I tried to cut in to the entrance toward the Cathedral yet there were no such sighs at all. I found a nice International Pacific University campus and turned back out. There were two or three women naked and bathed on the almost empty beach due to the weather.

I sat in front of an hotel to use its free WiFi connection for the rest of time. Later I realized that I was on a wrong section of the city and I actually missed the right turn to my wanted place.

重返法國坎城2022／莊峻華

 重返法國坎城2022／莊峻華

這次橫跨大西洋終站是南羅馬，因此順便繞道地中海，法國影城坎尼斯其一，也是我喜愛城市之一，郵輪停靠異處碼頭，下船後我想找一處上次未盡之山端教堂，結果迷路，找到的是近山麓之另一大教堂，其實也無需過份失望，我想找的是當年錯過之牡丹花開，這次也未見街道旁花店，無法證實是否值牡丹花季？我在德國法蘭克福市和柏林均遇見庭院牡丹花開，也遺憾未遇傳聞之牡丹花展競賽，只要我繼續努力，繼續旅行，我將終究遇見，我也看過中國洛陽市牡丹花園之盛況，中國若非共匪統治，對台灣有領土野心，著實有傳說中之花朵美景。

我的前網球摯友，敘利亞籍美國醫生，伊那德。胡珊尼兄，曾語我彼曾居法國坎城，當年他甚年輕，在坎城當醫生，手上也有一筆資金，有一黎巴嫩銀行家告知一坎城客棧在拍賣，約是20萬美金之譜，他有興趣，而且也進行購買手續，但終究未能完成，若干年後，客棧整修翻新，就在一碼頭附近，價格已翻十餘倍，他是法國醫學院出身，其父曾服役法國空軍，所以他有法國淵源，再加上歐洲有許多阿拉伯商人，很是有趣，他原回敘利亞故鄉開業，經不起愛妻懇求，移民到休市，工作努力過度，比我年輕五，六歲，最近過世，獨子亦早一年離世，真是慘劇，他在休市西郊有一200英畝農莊曰德州賀姆鎮，以紀念其敘利亞故鄉賀姆市，他有30畝農莊，生產西瓜。

我從山麓大教堂下山後，就望山高處，巡登山徑上山，先描述一段教堂兩女孩受洗典禮，這是一年輕東歐移民家庭，我攜兩相機重裝備參觀，主教按受洗禮儀進行，親友群圍觀，小孩們也無異議，一位是襁褓之中。我沿著海岸，走離碼站方向，企圖找到一處登山入口處，詢問路人均不知我問所云，有耐心者，再指山麓處大教堂，我結論是兩次下船碼頭有異，進入之城區不同，難怪我迷路，法語又不甚流利。

尋路中是走到一太平洋國際大學校園住宅區，和我印象中記憶有異，而且住宅區氣氛迥然不同，於是我就放棄尋訪，沿海灘步行回碼頭，這海灘偶見天體女泳客幾位，都是上年紀者，如此也比較安全，碼頭大道旅館前，許多人聚集使用免費網路，我剛好歇下腳，這位斗六女同鄉和其夫婿也在，上船後她說在船上掉了手機，我就幫她報案櫃臺，當夜就找回，船上治安甚好，而且到處攝影。

Re-visiting Barcelona, Spain 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Re-visiting Barcelona, Spain 2022/Carlos Pueblo

After Alicante overnight, we reached to Barcelona, Spain early in the morning. I have lost counts of how many times that I have visited this lovely Spanish city. The shuttle bus took me to the Columbus Center and saw him pointed his finger to the America. I didn't have too much planned to on this visit. I planned to get some Euros from an ATM machine, to visit briefly on the main Boulevard and coming back to the cruise ship. I didn't think that I could cover very much in a few hours of stay in such a huge city.

A nice Spanish high school kid helped me to go through the Spanish language ATM and I got some Euros out of my bank account. As promise, I later gave 200 Euros to Dr. Chu for their convenience spending for the rest of routes. She gave me a handsome exchange in U.S. Dollars. She took her 94 years old mother for an additional tour after the end of this cross Atlantic. She is a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, a very distinguished chemist.

I found my favorite market, a huge and lovely one, nearby the ATM machine. I was very astonished when I first visited the market. The Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano sores are still all over. We can have some of such delicacy on the ship's cafeteria everyday; however, it is amazing to see so many colorful products all over and witness many customers to enjoy them with wines on many small restaurants stands. I am very frugal and calculative. I didn't dare to try and was satisfied with it on the cruise cafe.

There is an live art gallery section on the boulevard where artists are drawing pictures for tourists. Beautiful cities or scenery places all over the world are attracted to artists to earn their living. I am always attracted to such live performance. There were two lovely kids with their parents making their purchases, one done and another one was on the way of drawing. After the aging artist finished, the mother asked the little girl to hand over 200 Euros for both drawings included tips. I admire artists of this kinds always.

In a small square out of the main boulevard, I watched a group of two young powerful men to perform dangerous acrobatics jumps in order to gain some tips from bystanders. They moved from one corner to another to attract more audients. A newly wed couple were taking photos in the square. I assumed that they were Japanese tourist. They hired local young Japanese lady professional to do the job. Our daughter Michelle did the same in Costa Rica for her wedding as well. I was so happy for them for their young experience at young age in such a lovely Spanish city for their honey moon.

重訪西班牙巴塞隆納市2022／莊峻華

 重訪西班牙巴塞隆納市2022／莊峻華

因為他事攪亂我今年三郵輪遊記，馬上又將外出三郵輪行，連忙續記此歐洲行，我是搭乘寶石號從紐約市出發，跨越大西洋，在西班牙亞莉堪地亞迷路，翌晨船抵巴塞隆納港，這是我最喜愛之城市之一，來過五次以上，我在碼頭熟練購妥來回巴士票，抵達城市哥倫布廣場，然後沿著大道，找到一銀行取款機，一位高中生，幫我領出歐元現金，我前日在亞港迷路，找不到銀行提款金，十分懊惱。我的目標甚為簡單，只逛一條大道，然後就回船上。

先到這家大市場，市場龐大，許多豪華美麗之火腿商店，五花十色，西班牙火腿非常馳名，船上偶爾提供，真是壯觀，有客人當場坐下品嚐，當然也喝葡萄酒，我找到當年騷包坐下之餐廳，今年沒有當年之客滿，都是虛席，我還是逛上幾圈，然後離去，大市場附近，許多電子手機店，店員許多亞洲印度裔西班牙人，我在迷路後，終於走回大道，這時候已經有許多遊客，道中間是一畫廊，美麗城市都有畫家駐紥，這些是人像素描寫生者，可愛小女孩坐在畫家面前，畫家當眾揮彩筆，甚是真實，我真的從頭看到完成，一幀畫是75歐元，小女孩母親交待女孩給上小費。

我在畫廊附近巷弄，找到一廣場，內有幾位年輕人耍特技，就是體力奔跳，博取小費，這奔跳若不巧，是會傷人，我有點忌諱，旁邊剛好有一對年輕東方人，有位年輕女攝影師，幫他們拍照，我馬上了解是甚麽一回事，年輕人是新婚便裝，在巴塞隆納網路找到一位職業攝影師，我猜三位都是日本青年，事畢，雙方各自離去，我問攝影師是否為當地者？她說是，如此較為經濟合算，不是嗎？琳兒在哥斯達黎加婚禮，也是如法泡製。

拿到歐元現金，回船上我就給這位朱博士200歐元，她也很慷慨換我美金，她是準備續搭此輪再遊歐洲一程。

Never give up/Carlos Pueblo

 Never give up/Carlos Pueblo

Patrick Chen of New York City sends me his autobiography, Never Give Up, via internet Line about his struggle to break the poverty class in his early life and I am so touched and impressed. Never Give Up is my motto in tennis games and I like him to point it out in our life. He personally has told me his story in Taiwan several times and I remember. I got to know him on my first quarter in the United States during the end of 1975 and the beginning of 1976 in NYC. We're on on a speedy ride from NYC to Washington, D.C. to participate a political demonstration against the Nationalist Chinese regime to oppress a victim, Pai Ya-Tseng simply due to his question to Chiang Kai-sek's son Chiang Ching-kuo how much he paid for the estate tax when the elder Chiang dies on that year, 1975? He was sentenced to death for his dis-respect and later changed to life sentence. My brother Yancy took me along with group of Taiwanese dissidents to join such strike. 

Later before 1980, He came down to Houston for his real estate business and visited Yancy and I was there. I remembered him very well. Yancy has mentioned so many times that Patrick tried to have him matched a pretty girl in Taipei when he went back to Taiwan in 1975. The deal didn't go through not that regretfully because my match making for his wife was in success at that trip. One year I was in Taiwan and visited my home town Huwei. I ran into a pretty school principal who happened to be Pat's sister-in-law. I asked a friend in NYC to locate Pat and got connected. He has treated my brother-in-law of Staten Island twice when I visited him, a Taiwanese cuisine and a Korean cuisine both were delicious indeed.

I am glad his success can be read in print for the world interested. I was in similarity to him yet not that dramatically. I also fight for my success up from almost nothing. His father had nine children and relied only for a small 0.4 acres rice field to support the family. It was due to the school educational systems in Taiwan provided him the opportunity to become an engineer and came to study in the United States. His autobiography is similar to the famous Booker T. Washington, Up from the Slavery, I read that book when I was a freshman in senior high school in Taiwan, one of the main motive to immigrate to this great nation.

He has made up his mind very early in his life and that is why he is successful. We don't see that such inspirational writing is popular in demand nowadays. It is fine with me and only people like me can appreciate it.

少年勵志典範／莊峻華

 少年勵志典範／莊峻華

日前紐約市老友阿火兄贈文大作，永不放棄，深為感動，特為文恭賀其為少年勵志典範。我無意邂逅兄於1975年底與1976年間紐約市，我在環遊美國，峻嚴帶我參加在華府白宮前，為台灣政治犯白雅燦示威遊行，白為早期異議人士，因詢問蔣經國交遺產稅否？為蔣政權判無期徒刑，我們一行五人，一路飆車南下，阿火其一，後來阿火因業務來訪休市峻嚴府，我有印象，應該是在我婚前，他已無所記憶。約是十年前返台探親，在虎尾巧遇一位美女國小校長，是阿火兄之小姨，再加上峻嚴津津樂道當年返台探親，1975年夏天，阿火幫他作媒一事，諸多巧遇事。於是我煩請紐約市黃再添兄，查詢阿火電話，不久連襟榮祥帶我拜訪阿火，蒙他慨請我們一豐盛台餐，後來又請一次豐盛之韓國料理，他媳婦是韓裔美人，因此他能點韓國美食。

永不放棄一書故事，先有所聞，這些年阿火提起幾次，阿火在台灣是學霸，雖說家境赤貧，一家11口僅賴兩分薄田，阿火省桃中畢業後，就考上建中和台北工專，今日之台北科技大學，先父之母校，工專畢業後來美留學，水牛城碩士後，就業工程師職，然後創業電腦電子底板，在中國廣東惠州設廠，一直到2020年。我所羨慕者為其少年勵志經驗，我真希望他的經驗，能給世人相信努力以赴，奮戰不懈之道理，他的成功，充滿自信。

當然此需當代人如我者，始能體會，我常以為我已經非常艱辛，想起來先父真是吃苦，不是他之氣餒，而是我們子女不夠努力，考上名校，但是學校教育後之社會生活，則需要一本少年勵志精神，來渡過此難得有意義之人生。

Buy low and sell high/Carlos Pueblo

 Buy low and sell high/Carlos Pueblo

I the stock trade, there is a rule to buy low and sell high in order to make a quick buck. I do it some time and not that bad at all. Yesterday, Amy informed me my oil stock price and I sold it all for some quick bucks. I shall keep the money for my cash needs in the coming years. Today, the oil stock is still climbing yet I don't feel bad at all.

There is no reason for me to explain the reason why the oil stock rises and falls all of a sudden this year. I am out of my trap for some time by now till the 2022 inflation. I can use the fund to satisfy my annual requirement of the minimum distribution. I think that I can keep the fund for seven years to wait for the depressed high tech funds to be recovered that would make me more comfortable.

I hope that I shall keep a good health or the manageable senior health under the Medicare coverage; therefore, I don't have extra cost under my retirement funds. I am at the old age and I don't like to worry about my retirement funds exhausted before the end of my life.