落入凡間碎事／莊峻華
剛從阿拉斯加和日本旅行回來，就落入凡間碎事煩惱，老車發動有問題，房屋地基需要碇磚50枚，防止繼續下陷，我需要馬上配合面對。
老車停泊街旁，經過52日不曾發動駕駛，已經無一絲電光，節省如我者，設法卸下電池，送到握而碼充電，無法充電，店員贈送新電池，因為保證在一年內仍有效，我又節省，自換新電池，結果一樣無效，準備拖車到附近車行求救，無車無法在休市生活自如，我又不想購置新車，很是傷腦筋。
旅行前，愛美擔心房屋地基下陷，希望找人修葺，我在船上想開同意，因為房屋拆除費也高價於打50根地栓，何況我們喜歡此社區，雖然老屋都有地基下陷問題。
說到地基，我看到今年乾旱夏日，修葺後之草皮，一一乾枯死亡，露出空隙好幾處，明年我又需要重覆一遍，居屋甚多難題，需要一一解決，郵輪旅行和日本旅行，都是短暫樂園，只有家居是永遠天堂。
Coming back from a long trip to Alaska and Japan 2023/Carlos Pueblo
Yesterday, I came back from a 52 days trip to Alaska and Japan, both were repeated trips in 2023. I did exactly the same routes on a back to back cruises and a 21 days Japan Rail Pass to cover most parts of Japan. First, I landed in Vancouver, Canada and hopped on a cruise ship Jewel to Seward, Alaska and back to Vancouver that was 14 days. I took a bus across the Canadian boulder to Seattle, Washington to be back on Jewel again to sail across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. We did the same Alaskan route to Seward again and turned south to Tokyo straight that was 16 days. The cruise arranged a one day stay in Tokyo before the disembark.
There were a group of 5 of us at the first two days in Yokohama while we visited nearby Tokyo , then one left for his own itinerary while we continued our plan to finish our 4 days stay at Yokohama. We have visited the Emperor's Residence and the Yasukuni Shrine, the Asakusa Shine, The Shibuya Train Station, etc.
The second stop was in Sendai for two nights. We visited the morning market before marching to the ruined castle. We did cover the castle owners family cemetery park and the National Northeast University campus.
Our third stop was Akita. We visited also the ruined castle now converted to a lovely city park. We stayed over there for two nights and continued our train trip across the northeast coastal line called the Gono Line to Hirosaki, the old seat of Lord Tsugaru. We visited his castle and the lovely park for another two nights.
We continued our trip north to Sapporo, Hokkaido. We visited the red brick hall which was under the renovation yet we could feel the foliage. It's the most beautiful color change of leaves at the National Hokkaido University campus, Ginkgo, maple and others. It's also two nights.
We took the train again across Hokkaido to Kushiro, Hokkaido to visit the famous red head crane, It's the peak of this trip which I have fulfilled my dream.
We did come down back to the Honshu Island on two days trains ride to Kumamoto, Japan. One day at Shin Osaka due to the late arrival and another two nights at Kumamoto. I went alone to visit the Kumamoto Castle under renovation, and also Kagoshima City for one day.
I continued a four nights stay at Fukushima, Osaka for 4 nights to visit the Osaka Castle twice, Kyoto, the Himeji Castle, Okayama Castle before I headed back to the Narita Airport.
52日旅行歸來／莊峻華
昨日剛從日本經桃園機場回家，結束52日旅行歸來，此次旅行分成三段，第一段是搭珠寶號，從加拿大溫哥華港到阿拉斯加蘇握握港來回14日，第二段是由西雅圖港經同路線，在蘇握港折向太平洋到東京港一共16日，然後在日本鐵道旅行三週，從中到北到南，停留八座城市一共21日。今年春天，我們先旅行日本欣賞櫻花三週，然後我又搭乘精神號類似阿拉斯加二週行，非常愉快。
這段阿拉斯加郵輪旅行，我已經搭乘過許多次，主要是欣賞風景，郵輪季時間和風景有異，這是很特殊的山水風光，而且最容易方便達到願望，況且郵輪服務週道，令我滿意。唯一遺憾是感冒，整個郵輪旅行都在咳嗽，一直到東京港為止，主要是我喝太多酒，感冒無法痊癒，加上下雨日，從溫哥華搭巴士越國界到西雅圖，一路艱辛。
日本行，先停留橫濱4日，逛東京三日，其中一日是郵輪特別安排，我們到淺草拜廟，一日逛皇居，靖國神社，涉谷車站前義犬八子銅像和全球馳名之站前十字路口。一日拜訪鐮倉大佛，橫濱的唐人街甚具規模，人山人海。然後，北上仙台，行軍到舊城墟公園，瑞鳳殿，東北帝大校園，還有土井晚翠故居。
特別安排訪問秋田，參觀千秋公園一日，然後搭五能線經日本海岸到弘前，沿線經廣大青森蘋果園，弘前也有一古城公園，十分美麗。兩日後，我們抵達北海道札幌市，參觀北海道廳和北海道帝大，看到樹葉變色。繼續東行到釧路，參觀丹頂鶴，看到此聞名全球之愛鳥。
我們分兩日南下到九州熊本市，抵新大阪站，已經是半夜，翌日再登車西行熊本市。我在熊本兩日，參觀熊本城，見到一騎射表演，水前寺花園，也到南端鹿兒島一日，參觀維新事蹟紀念區，島津家舊城，還有櫻島火山前海濱公園。
最後在大阪福島停留四夜，兩度參觀大阪城和四天王寺，一日訪問京都，參觀清水寺，祇園，京都帝大，銀閣寺，金閣寺，京都御所公園。有一日我專程拜訪岡山城，看到菊花展，也有一日參觀姬路城，也見菊花展。
又外出旅行／莊峻華
今晚，我又外出旅行，我將搭乘飛機到加拿大溫哥華，乘坐珠寶號郵輪，再逛阿拉斯加，和春殘日精神號同一路線，從蘇握港折回溫哥華，我豪不再意來過多少次，這是世界上最美麗山水風景處，下船後，搭乘巴士南下西雅圖，翌日再登珠寶號經同航線，再蘇握港折向伯令海峽，經北海道，仙台外港石卷到橫濱港。
抵達橫濱後，我將搭火車旅行日本三週，這次有兩個家庭慕名全程跟從，我們將參觀關東區，若橫濱，東京，富士山，鐮倉等地，然後仙台兩夜，秋田兩夜，搭五能線到青森，在弘前兩夜，希望接近岩木山，然後北上札幌兩夜，再搭快車到釧路市兩夜，看能否遇見丹頂鶴？這是我此行最大目標。
從釧路南下，經涵館外郊北斗站回新幹線，然後一路兼程南下到北九州熊本市四夜，將包括熊本，鹿兒島和下關，東向大阪四夜，包括大阪，京都，和姬路。搭機返美，過境桃園機場四小時，打電話給虎尾之親戚請安。
Invited to a farewell party/Carlos Pueblo
The other day, Peter Lin Called to invite me a his farewell party lunch at a local restaurant. It is the second time in a week to meet an old friend during my insurance career. He was my client and good friend. He is going to live close to his three sons in the Los Angeles area in order to be closed to his sons and families. I am very happy for him.
He was from an humble family background yet he was prevailed in his study at schools in Taiwan. He was a graduate from the famous Taipei Institute of Technology and completed his engineer degree in Japan, then continue his graduate study in the U.S. After the advanced graduate degrees, he went to Canada as an engineer. I knew him when he immigrated to Houston with his family in order to be closed to his brother-in-law, my big insurance client.
He started a new career as a scrap metal trader as well as a slot machine venders. Both his wife Jean and he have worked very hard to bring up their three sons to be successful professionals in the society. The eldest son is an eye surgeon, Ophthalmologist; the second son is a Dermatologist; while the youngest son is an attorney. He has made the first move to immigrate out of Taiwan to set up the foundation and his children have succeeded his goal. Both his younger children are present at the party.
I congratulate him for his successful immigration story. I have admired such wonderful immigration story in this great nation. I wish him well and I may one day visit him in Los Angeles, California when I disembark at Long Beech, California on my Panama Canal Route.
應邀飯局／莊峻華
日前，愛美遞來電話，有老友林恩義兄邀請飯局，這是一週內之第二次，首次為北郊霧蓮之魏宏義夫婦，這次規模稍大，蓋為餞別恩義遷居加州洛杉磯行。恩義家有三公子，早打一草索，事業有成，一位眼科醫生，一位皮膚科，幼子為專業律師，令人羨慕。
恩義來自台灣高雄，台北工專出身，留學日本，再移民加拿大，據解釋居加國時，小孩們無事就滯留圖書館，養成讀書好習慣，對學校教育有幫助。約是1980年代，再遷居休市，就近於親戚，我因該親戚之紹介，認識他，做他保險生意。他是工科出身，幾經變遷，到休市後從商，做廢鐵出口和零售機商店置放工作。
他人長得英俊蕭灑，兒子們也遺傳，學校畢業後，均迅速結婚，我參加過兩公子婚禮，仍留美憶。他善打桌球，和愛美教會之王醫師搭檔，勇得全美老年業餘雙打冠軍多次。
我自2001年後，離群索居日久，孤獨成習，鮮能與舊日同鄉認舊，很感謝他的邀請。休市同鄉事業有成者，常有邀宴之美習，不是打秋風，而是破費請客，我正在想是否要包紅包？但想起過去經驗，這是隨意也，有三位事業有成子女，我心情輕鬆也。
Short accounts make long friends/Carlos Pueblo
According to a famous Chinese proverb, even with kin brothers keep clear accounts, which explains he principle to deal with money to the other person. Our successful daughter Michelle and her spouse like to borrow money from us to build a mansion in Austin, Texas. She gets an equity loan from her rental house and they also save some fund yet still need a loan from us. I am in kind of hesitation because that investment is not necessary. Finally, Amy convinces me to go ahead. I ask Michelle to prepare a promissory note to be serve as a first lien to that house and she agrees.
All my fund is ready now and we miss the dead line of the appointment with the Travis County Clerk Office to register the mortgage. I understand that she is very busy on her regular job. I ask her to postpone our loan until I come back from my trip on November 9. She can pay her construction expanse on her own funds first. She agrees. The draft of note came in with 5.5% interest rate for 10 years and I disagree. I request a change to 3 years note of 6% interest rate and renewable at the end of the term with mutual consent. She agrees again. Amy has a talk with me and complains that I ask too much. I ask her to loan her part of fund right away and leave me alone. She doesn't dare to do it without me with her.
Michelle is like me good at the arithmetic. I know that she would use their savings first and our loan at the second and finally the equity loan from the bank. It makes sense as the concern of the interest cost concern. The current market rate for 10 years mortgage is about 7.3% which I have told her. If I let her have 5.5% on her note, I must discount my note to the other that I remind her not to take advantage of us.
