Returning visit to New Port, Rhode Island/Carlos Pueblo

 Returning visit to New Port, Rhode Island/Carlos Pueblo

New Port, Rhode Island is on the lists of ports on New England/Canadian Provinces cruises which I select to take almost every year during the summer. According to my habit I only take a walk at the city by the port, actually it is the old town area. New Port is the home town of the late Senator Claiborne Pell who was a friend of Taiwan.

We took a tender boat to the shore. It was a rainy day which was very miserable. I am familiar with the port and decided to march again toward the right direction. The port was no longer as busy as before due to the pandemic; however, it was still maintained very well everywhere. We have already made the purchase of the cruise; therefore, we might just enjoy our limited time here to this lovely town. There is an harbor area with luxury yachts. This city is one of the host port for the famous America Cup racing. From the spot, we can view the bridge far away in name of the late Senator to connect the island to the Mainland New England.

I walked some more miles to enjoy the nice and quiet of a rainy day in New England. A mail man was following me along the way. I believed that I did enter a small museum backyard to see a lovely garden. I have learned how to enjoy my senior life by cruise ship traveling around the world. It is very nice that I don't feel a burden financially.

I saw some passengers were returning back to the ship. It was more comfortable and more interesting on the ship. I decided to end my leisure venture of the day.

重返羅德島州新港市2022／莊峻華

 重返羅德島州新港市2022／莊峻華

就在秋季結束前，我趕上郵輪最後兩班航次，旅行美國新英格蘭和加拿大東北三省，都是舊遊，但也無妨，我深自慶幸有生以來，如此機會，享受如此愉快之旅行，這次旅行是搭乘起跑號，屬於稍新大船，我剛提到過，一上船就發現舊識巴貝多火冰樂團，她們也憶得我這位粉絲，我們黃昏從曼哈頓啟航，經過自由女神像後，紐約已是萬巷燈火，船行一整夜後，帶我重返羅德島州之新港市。

很不巧登路日值天雨，新港市區不便於行，我是右轉開始逛街，熟悉街巷，碼頭景觀不變，新港十分標緻，是一富裕之小城市，碼頭有許多遊艇停靠，也是世界賽帆港口，碼頭有許多新英格蘭龍蝦餐廳，因為武肺剛開放，沒有昔日盛況，我在右邊市區閒逛些時，打發一些時間，遇見些花園，便拍攝相片留念，走回碼頭，正待繼續左邊市區，看到不少船客，已經開始排隊，等待接駁船，帶回郵輪，我想也差不多矣，於是結束逛街，一週後我仍有機會閒逛一次。

晚上我跟隨火冰樂團節目，八點許即結束當日活動，我的郵輪旅行，漸次頻繁，這算是一典型一日，這些旅程多半是重複，我不甚在意，凡是郵輪旅行簡單，重複也甚當然，重要的是舒適與安全。

Coming back from a trip to Japan 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Coming back from a trip to Japan 2023/Carlos Pueblo

Last Friday afternoon, we were coming back from Japan after 3 weeks cherry blossom tour around the nation. I was sick due to the fatigue and cold infection; however, it would not affecting my exciting of the trip. This trip is one of my many trips to Japan in my life time and is the best of all and I shall describe it to you.

We landed in Tokyo Narita Airport on March 25. It took several hours to go through the entrance procedure which was due to the overwhelming tourists and the Wuhan corona protocol, an internet verification for all passengers. After the immigration exit, I ran into another long line to get our Japan Rail Pass. Unfortunately, our paid reservation was passing three months limit and we had to purchase two new one in order to continue our journey.

We made it to Shinakawa station in order to get on a night train to Osaka. Upon arriving Shin-Osaka station, we were lucky to ask a right person who took us to two local trains to our hotel at Fukushima, Osaka. We were so appreciated of her kindness and treat her to a fancy lunch on the next day at a nice grill eel restaurant. She is a pretty young girl who makes two trip to Tokyo in a month for her business. We were on the same bullet train that night.

We stayed in Osaka for the first week. Five years ago, Amy and I visited Osaka together; therefore, this visit was the second time for us to Osaka together. I took her to Osaka Castle, Kiyomizu dera in Kyoto, Himeji Castle, Okayama Castle, and Fukuyama Castle. The next week, we were in Fukuoka/Hakata and we visited Kokura Castle, Mazumoto Castle, Kagosima city, and Hiroshima Castle and the peace garden. The final week, we were at Akita on the north west part of Honshu Island. We made a 6 hours costal line train tour from Akita to Aomori, we visited the Hirosaki Castle at Aomori, We went back to Aomori by the bullet train on the next day, we visit Sendai and the Tohoku University, and we stay two days at Akita to participate the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Japan is very beautiful especially during the cherry blossom season. We can see the blossom all over the country from the south to the north.

甫自日本旅行歸來2023／莊峻華

 甫自日本旅行歸來2023／莊峻華

昨日下午，甫自日本旅行三週歸來，旅途漫長，幾近勞累，身體不適，連忙驅寒時差，我最近經常外出旅行，遊記落後許多，像美國加拿大東岸，東加勒比海遊，再一次東加勒比海遊，加上巴拿馬運河行，然後就是日本行，五月初再訪西岸阿拉斯加，溫哥華到蘇握港來回，十月初重複隨珠寶號經阿拉斯加回東京，今年仍舊甚忙，而且是有體力不濟之壓力。

我們在羽田機場下機後，遇到大量外國旅客入境之壓力，武肺檢疫證明電子版，海關，再加上日鐵帕司過期，臨時高價購買兩張，搭快車到品川，換新幹線直奔大阪，還好一位少女帶路上旅店。我們在大阪一週，每日都乘坐新幹線賞櫻花著名古城，我將一一介紹，一週後，我們遷移到北九州之福岡博多，也是到處逛街賞花，日本正直櫻花祭季，非常美麗。第三週我們再遷移至西北角落秋田市，翌晨我們搭乘特急到青森，就是五能線，也是到處參觀櫻行，此時日本櫻花，遍山遍野。

我計劃同時寫旅行遊記，還好我拍攝許多相片，幫忙回憶。

Say farewell to our be loved cat Ayoko/Carlos Pueblo

 Say farewell to our be loved cat Ayoko/Carlos Pueblo

Yesterday we sent our be loved cat Ayoko to his last journey. He will be missed. As I mentioned it to my neighbor Kathy, also pets owner, what the vet's words about amputating his right leg might keep him alive. She cried and said it's about the time. I know the hardship of the separation.

Ayoko stared at me for a while yesterday morning and went upstair to say goodbye to Arthur. I didn't feel well myself. I have been in diarrhea for more than a week. I couldn't sleep well at night.

Ayoko was rescued by Michelle more than 20 years ago. We thought that we provided him a shelter and a safe environment. I hope that he doesn't need to come back to this world.

送終／莊峻華

 送終／莊峻華

今日下午，準備送愛貓麥迪遜到獸醫診所安樂死，享年近21歲，它已經不食一週餘，無法擺脫右後小腿腫瘤，若非我們週五清晨需要遠行，愛美有把握多照顧一兩週，但也無需，麥迪遜是好貓，沒有疼痛哀號。

今晨他兩眼注視我，約是清楚大限已至，兩點不到上樓到元兒臥室道別，元兒是三點小夜班，這是永別，只有我是婦人之仁，我又能作甚麼？我能了卻病死？我也不能怪琳兒，將他帶來我們家，畢竟我們有20年美憶。

我心疼之尪腰子，就是我郎心如鐵，也有愛親別離之苦，我相信此生你已修得正果，是隻好貓，雖然飲食有些挑剔，但都是小事，今日離去後，必歸我西天極樂世界，不再輪迴。

Taiwan Relation Act 44 years anniversary/Carlos Pueblo

 Taiwan Relation Act 44 years anniversary/Carlos Pueblo

Taiwan Relation Act was signed by President Carter in 1979 as a basic law to deal with Taiwan at the time the United States set up the diplomatic relationship with the communist China, the Republic of China. Yesterday, I found an old photo in my garage in related to an activity which Amy and I participated in 1981 in Washington, D.C. A picture of a group of concerned Taiwanese to visit then Senator Kennedy to thank him and Representative Solarz of New York City for their effort to pass this law. I took the photo back to Amy's library along with another photo for us with the late Senator.

Our community association president sent me to represent the community to join the effort organized by the Formosan Association of Public Affairs. Almost 12 years ago, an editor of the Pacific Journal called me to verify this activity according to the photo which was presented to him by another participant, Rev. Hsu who was also a contributor of that publication. He was standing by the Senator on the background at the Senator's meeting room. I can still recognize the late Taiwan Provincial Assemblyman Kuo Yu-Hsing of I-Lan Taiwan. Another three distinguish Taiwanese community leaders were also there sitting in the front of our group, the late hotel tycoon Wang Kuei-Jung and the founder of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of the North America; the late Professor Tsai Tung-Rong of New York City University also a distinguish Legislator in Taiwan and the founder of the Formosa Television; Chen Tung-San a distinguish geologist in U.S. and politician in Taiwan for years, Legislator, Tainan Prefecture Magistrate, National Foreign Minister, and the Chairman of the Taiwan National Security Council, etc.

Amy is very happy to see that she is the only female on the picture. She was only age 24 at the time to participate such historical activity. I was pretty young as well.