The wild fire devastated Lahaina, Maui Island/Carlos Pueblo

 The wild fire devastated Lahaina, Maui Island/Carlos Pueblo

Last week, the wild fire devastated Lahaina, Maui Island in Hawaii. I have been to that ancient capital town of the Hawaii Kingdom twice. First time was during the 90's of last century by land while the second trip was just a couple years before on a cruise in this century. It was a lovely town at the coastal line with a very found memory of my visits.

I was solicited by a commercial time sharing builder to have a discount time share room at Maui near the airport in front of a mountain. We have to take a cross island highway to reach back to Lahaina on the other side of that mountain. The town was one time served to be the capital of the ancient Hawaii Kingdom. The Main street was on the coast line where you could view it on the fire ruined photos which was the downtown. That year, I had visited an old Cantonese Temple, Chih Kong Tung where a Asian Thai Chinese young lady provided me a research draft report of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's stay at Maui done by a research group of Chinese students at the University of Hawaii at Honolulu campus. I did my local research myself to find an oriental grocery store with a gas pump by the main cross island highway. The lady owner referred me to her husband at the downtown ice cream store at a mall for further information. I had circled the entire island several times even went up to the top of an old volcano. Ping Tong Magistrate gave Maui Island a Statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen at the southern end of a small stop by the across island highway. 

I also love to mention a flower called the Protea transplanted to this island by a University professor in 1965 at Kula, Maui, an University agricultural extension garden. The Protea flowers are with similar shapes of lotus flowers and very unique and charming. At that time at a super market closed to my house in Houston asked about $100 a piece. On the second time to visit Maui on a cruise, I tried and couldn't find such garden because we were on bus to Lahaina.

Near the cross island highway, you can see a cane sugar factory on the plan. I went to visit the campus. Japanese immigrants came to Maui to grow sugar canes and joined the sugar industry. I have always guessed that sugar factories in Taiwan are a copy of Hawaii. No one did the research. In 1895 Japanese Empire annexed Taiwan and put the mass land in Taiwan for Japanese investors to build sugar factories. There were no sugar industry in Japan  and no sugar canes were growing in Japan either. Japanese business learned it from their immigrants' experience from Hawaii and that was why. That sugar factory factory at Maui is still in operation so is our home town sugar factory at Huwei, Taiwan.

火災無常摧毀茂宜島古都／莊峻華

 火災無常摧毀茂宜島古都／莊峻華

火災無常摧毀茂宜島古都拉亥宜那鎮，這是最近幾日之重大災害，我曾經旅行茂宜島兩次，第一次在1992年左右，是陸地旅行，居住在茂宜機場附近之瑪莉奧特大飯店時分客棧，第二次是一年郵輪之七日行，兩次均專程拜訪茂宜古都拉亥宜那鎮，印象深刻，整個夏威夷島群都不大，一小時許就可以環繞各島，我曾繞過歐胡島，茂宜島，和可愛島多次，另外夏威夷大島，則是郵輪經過兩鎮和海岸峭壁。

這古都曾有段歷史，是夏威夷王國之統治中心，火災摧毀前是一令人喜愛之小鎮，鎮榮整潔美麗，我們開車專訪，找到一華人致公堂，致公堂拜關羽，孫文之長兄孫眉曾在茂宜島居住，有一夏威夷大學華人學生社團，曾經前來茂宜島研究致公堂，留下一份研究報告給致公堂保留，當年一位泰國客家小姐在致公堂服務，讓我借出該報告在客棧迅速閱讀，非常有趣，孫文當年投奔其長兄是在茂宜島，就在穿過茂宜島公路之唯一加油站附近村落，就是孫眉故居，當年孫眉從舊金山移至茂宜種馬鈴薯，還不是種甘蔗，孫眉送孫文到壇香山讀高中，然後再送他回香港，這村落仍有祖祠，平常關閉。屏東縣政府曾贈一孫文銅像給茂宜島南端公路旁小公園，已凋零不堪。

夏威夷大學農業推廣中心，在茂宜島苦拉村山坡地，培植南非美麗花朵普落蒂亞，我剛查谷歌是1965年，此花朵酷似蓮花，但長在灌木株上，當年一朵在休市城鄉超市售價一百美元，夏大職員招待日裔美人參觀花園，這些女長者當場掏出花剪，剪下花朵帶回家，這中心也有果株若蕃石榴，中心前有株老胡椒，長滿胡椒果粒，第二次訪問茂宜島郵輪行，我們在大購物中心搭巴士到古都，我想到夏大中心花園，但一直未發現。

貫穿公路上有一古糖廠，仍在生產運作，我對歷史有興趣，我們也參觀該糖廠，維護不若我們虎尾糖廠，我一直猜想日本人在台灣蓋許多糖廠，其動機可能是來自夏威夷，我無法考證，1895年日本取得台灣，日本移民在夏威夷種植甘蔗，操作糖廠已有經驗，於是在東京招募日本資本，興建台灣糖廠，當年台灣蔗糖產量世界第二，僅次於夏威夷。

My second visit of Bar Harbor, Maine in 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 My second visit of Bar Harbor, Maine in 2022/Carlos Pueblo

After Portland, Maine, the cruise ship sailed over night and arrived to Bar Harbor, Maine for my second visit of this lovely town of the New England in the United States. It is my intention to  make a back to back cruise journey of two weeks in order to make me feel save a pair of airplane tickets to lower my daily cost of the cruise trip. I don't mind how many times which I have been to the place. They are all very beautiful and wonderful to visit.

It is not quite a dock at Bar Harbor to take such huge cruise ship. We use a commercial tender service to get on to the town. The lovely Bar Harbor Inn is located on the left hand side with a lovely garden park with a small pavilion. Flower gardens are in front of the old section of the inn. There is another new addition of the inn by the park with many more apartment style of rooms available to visitors of the New England. I volunteered to introduce the scenery to a younger original couple to get started to visit the foot path on the coastal line toward the boarder fence of the Acadia National Park. I emphasized many lovely home gardens along the way. One by the inn and the other one right at the end of the path to turn right to the main street of the town center. I forgot to mention the lonely apple tree divided the small coastline path. Of course, the floating lobster traps were still on the sea surface.

It was again at the end of the summer season. I could feel the lonesome Main Street. The lobster restaurant which my childhood neighbor and her friends dined last week was closed. The owner even took down the sign of the restaurant. So were the art gallery and many local gifts shops. I still could get a scoop of a delicious ice cream. I couldn't wait till I reached back to the ship due to mu low blood sugar. 

二度重返緬因州棒港2022／莊峻華

 二度重返緬因州棒港2022／莊峻華

因為節省來回機票，郵輪旅行經常重覆，將一週變成兩週，時間拉長後，每日消費額可盼壓低到我的底線，這是我的節約經濟算盤，所幸郵輪路線經過港口，均有特色，因此我去年就二度重返緬因州棒港，而且一生中經過棒港許多次，上次在接駁船上，巧遇半世紀前台灣虎尾舊日鄰居，帶她們逛棒港海岸步徑，到愛開迪爾國家公園籬前，折回小鎮中心，她們只訂單程，因此我又恢復單人行。

在碼頭旁棒港旅店花園，遇到一位年輕東方人夫婦，我自動介紹步行路線，先欣賞旅店花園游泳池，這旅店規模甚大，白色建築，有增建部份公寓式，增加房間，棒港是遊覽勝地，有開車來旅客過夜。我介紹棒港住屋前院小花園，夏日最後玫瑰花仍在，大理花等，教他兩多拍照留念。

海岸佈置許多捕龍蝦陷框，水面上有彩色浮球，上週未注意到小徑上之蘋果株，這次補上一些拍照，再來就是望海豪宅別墅，未見麋鹿，國家公園籬前右轉，屋主有一美麗花園庭院，每年我都拍攝許多相片留念。

因為是郵輪季節最後一週，街道上商店大半關閉撤離，龍蝦餐廳甚至拆除招牌和食譜，非常清涼，北風瑟瑟，我想是外地人到棒港做夏天生意。冰淇淋店仍在，我因血糖低，前去購買一大匙，要價12美元，確實可口。

Prosecuting Donald J. Trump/Carlos Pueblo

 Prosecuting Donald J. Trump/Carlos Pueblo

Two weeks ago I posted a piece in Kanji edition about Prosecuting Donald J. Trump, an You Tube program by a well learned attorney on MSNBC to explain what all happening on Trump's legal issues. I went to Austin to house sit our daughter's house while she was on vacation for 8 days. Trump was criminally indicted again for the third times on August 1, 2023 on the last day of my Austin stay. I had been hooked by MSNBC and CNN in Austin for this biggest political event in the United States in history and I believe is one of the most memorable event in the human history. 

Trump excuses himself for the reason of Biden's persecution because he is the obvious leading Republican Presidential Candidate for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Biden persecutes him for the rivalry. He doesn't admit that he has violated any U.S. Laws, of course, he is never be remorse yet I can see his scared sketches at D.C. district court room for his third arraignment in front of a judge to pled not guilty.

He still says that Biden has stolen the 2020 Presidential Election from him. He still claims that at the beginning of the election night his poll was leading Biden and suddenly the fraud was occurred. He still blames the dead man voting. Then, he managed to commit many crimes against the U.S. Laws which he has been facing now.

There have been two impeachment while he was in the White House, first one is something to do with the threatening to withhold aide to Ukraine if his demand of Hunter Biden's investigation was not announced by the Ukraine President; the second impeachment is after the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol Hill. Of course, both impeachment were not passed in the Senate. It is why he is still not change his behavior. There is a congressional investigation for the January 6 insurrection before the end of 2022 with a criminal referral to the Department of Justice for the Federal Prosecution of him. 

It is very interesting that some American voters are still voting for him to be their National Leader. I know the reasons, they are racist in their mind, they are Evangelical Christian, and they like tax cut no matter what happens.

起訴川普／莊峻華

 起訴川普／莊峻華

川普終於面對法律，這是人類文明歷史首遭，一位世界權勢最高者，接受法律審判，他和其共和黨同路人，均藉詞不曾在美國234年歷史發生過，真是好笑，其實不文明人類歷史中，川普政變失敗後，早就沒命矣，那有政治選舉募款，拿來付律師費保命不入牢？而且他不認錯，不知悔過自新，真是要命。我看雅虎新聞，看網誌新聞節目，絕大篇幅都在討論川普案，記者詳述新聞內容當頭條，政論節目主持人，反覆邀請法律專家，分析犯罪內容，涉及法條，巨細不遺，連我都相當滿意，覺得充實。

美國標榜法治人權，無人可以超過法律，過去46位總統，無人膽敢如此放肆，連尼克森都知進退，犯法由繼任之福特赦，川普之如意算盤是，提早宣佈參選2024總統，聲稱選舉重要，無法出庭，若當選可以特赦自己，美國人都如此愚昧？川普兩次參選，都不達半數選票，輸西拉蕊2.9百萬票，贏選舉人票，輸拜登超過7百萬票，選舉人票也輸，不服輸鬧事，始有今日之面對法律之窘況。

德州共和黨州長限制方便選舉，我們都提早投票，2020年大選我們先到附近一初中投票，排隊很久，人手不足，於是我們再到一社區中心，看到許多人排隊，就是充份顯示美國人重視此選舉，尤其是總統大選和國會議員，現在連州長局，郡守級市長等都開始忙碌。

美國政論節目主持人和名嘴都不相信，川普能再奪百宮，但2016年西拉蕊也輸，這意外結果，造成美國四年以上之壓抑，有愛阿華婦人提問川普宗教信仰，川普故左右而言他，台灣話曰豬頭皮炸無油，不知福音教徒做何感想？再來是種族岐視者，還有減稅者，川普耗用國家稅收，花費在他的無知任性和詐欺。

My repeated visit of Portland, Maine 20222/Carlos Pueblo

 My repeated visit of Portland, Maine 20222/Carlos Pueblo

Portland, Maine is located on the eastern coast of Maine. The city is very friendly to the cruise and is a fix point of the New England and Canadian Northeastern provinces route. I have been to this route several times since 2011. I can march along the harbor area and get to the city center easily. It is a very old and traditional colony of the new world. This time I attempted to buy a swimming goggles for my morning exercises on board yet there is none available due to the end of summer season. I took a different way to see the city included the city hall, a senior high school building, and a center by the Bank of America. 

Usually, I would follow passengers from the ship to walk along restaurants and gift shops along the harbor checking on the prices of a pair of lobsters in restaurants or on a street corner's bicycle stand. I also am interested to see a nice fish market and check on their prices. It is more economic to eat on the ship if you are not that care of the variety. You can get a better deal and selection of fish yet it may not be easy to find a restaurant to cook it for you. Also, you can't consume it like Sushi or Sashimi. I think that you can get a better price for fresh lobsters from the fish market indeed.

Portland visit ended right around early afternoon. I saw people were going back to the ship and I didn't mind to follow them. It is a routine that I stop by the 24 hours restaurant to have a fish sandwich for my lunch.