台灣國總統之選舉／莊峻華

 台灣國總統之選舉／莊峻華

最近台灣國總統之選舉白熱化，非常有趣，我先說明台灣是一主權獨立之國家，蔣介石之中華民國軍隊受命接收台灣，到1949年潰敗之國軍佔據台灣，自號中國正統，已經在1996年終結，因為台灣在當年舉行全民投票，選出國民黨之李登輝為總統，國號仍襲中華民國，有別於北京之中華人民共和國，後來台萬繼續投票選舉國家總統八次32年，終戰後欠缺之公民自決，儼然已成立，台灣是一貨真價實的主權獨立之國，反而對岸之中國，尚未有公民授權，政治地位不定。

今年台灣執政之民進黨候選人賴清德，民調似乎領先，非執政黨之在野，有三組人馬出來角逐，國民黨之候選人侯友宜，獨立參選人郭台銘，和台灣民眾黨候選人柯文哲，我中意柯文哲醫學教授，因為他的學識豐富，醫學經驗，政治理想，和八年之台北市長實際經歷。許多台北市長群中，後蔣經國任內，能無瑕疵而又能全身而退者，僅柯與陳水扁兩人，國民黨的馬英九和郝龍斌均涉五大弊案，雖未遭起訴，但許多部屬均因案入獄。

柯之父母均受日本教育，有很好的儒家家訓，柯又天資聰穎，讀書工作努力，台大醫科和台大醫院都有日本教育和紀律之傳承，在蔣家國民黨之腐敗中國文化中，真是出身污泥而不染，柯之有志於政治，造福台灣人，台灣國，實為台灣之福。

柯在選舉策略中，主張連合在野勢力，一舉推翻民進黨，他的連合國民黨是有原則，而且他甚自信民調高於國民黨之侯，眼看與國民黨合作有困難，國民黨開始內亂，有多人開始附合柯，連民進黨之賴都專門攻擊柯，但柯甚厲害，打擊執政黨，不遺餘力。

Back to my real life/Carlos Pueblo

 Back to my real life/Carlos Pueblo

Traveling is a fantasy coming true, an Utopia. Once I figure out the cost which is manageable, I purchase the tickets and make trips. The cruise liner prepares most of my near luxury living needs, foods, shelter, and transportation, etc. Japanese trips is costed more yet I can see more than what the cruise itinerary can be provided. However, once I come back from the Utopian life at home in Houston, Texas, I must face the reality, my old Q45 can't be started and a demand of fixing our house foundation required to be prepared.

I have been absent for my 52 days on the road and my 25 years old Q45 was idle on the street in front of our house. I can't jump up the engine. I thought that was the battery issue. I took down the battery and drove Arthur's car to Walmart. After fa failed re-charging, the clerk gave me a new battery without any hustle. I did put the new battery on and still not working. Suddenly I have felt a pain. I wonder how much it will cost me to repair it. I don't like to drive nowadays yet it is nice to have a car as a spare in case Arthur needs it as a back up of his vehicle.

Amy asks me to pay my share to fix our sinking house foundation which is very common in our subdivision. It's required 50 new piers and a new wood floor afterward. She says that both Arthur and her need to live at this house after my death. I agree and figure out the repair is cheaper than tore it down and removed the debris than build a new house. I agree to pay my share.

落入凡間碎事／莊峻華

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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.