北海道大學校園秋色／莊峻華

 北海道大學校園秋色／莊峻華

我們在10／29／2023，從青森縣弘前市，搭車一日到北海道之札幌市，先搭特急號到新青森，換新幹線到新涵館北斗，再換特急號到札幌市，新幹線穿過著名的津輕海峽地下隧道，翌日，我在旅店職員協助下，按其彩色電腦印出圖，步行到北海道廳和北海道大學校園，觀賞札幌秋色樹葉變色，再過一週就是落葉時候，我曾拜訪札幌市許多次，也喜愛札幌啤酒。

道廳是紅磚大樓，我喜歡比較台灣的總統府，過去的總督府，因此可見當年日本帝國對台灣的重視，今年不巧遇道廳整修門面，和內部結構，僅在外面掛上一大面彩色布圖，台灣的總督府大廈，幸好蔣介石採用為其辦公室和國防部，不像南韓仇恨日本，一舉拆除漢城那座，仇華也改漢城為首爾，連韓文漢字都改成八掛文，再提到中國人馬英九仇日，當台北市長時，拆掉明治大橋，台灣人後悔，留下橋墩石塊，但無錢拼湊回去，中國執政者之無知。

古道廳已經是博物館，真正北海道廳辦公室是在北後的幾棟大樓，清晨看到許多年輕男女職員，西裝筆挺整潔女裝來上班。看不到紅樓真面目，但紅樓大廳有美麗之日本花園兩側前庭，古樹參天，花園水池流水，許多觀光客，我拍上許多相片留念，也標指水滸傳上的白楊樹。

移至不遠之北海道大學校園，此大學原是帝國大學，非常完整，我們沿著校園內大道，走到一處並木林，在醫學院旁，這就是迷人之日本秋色，紅黃葉色，引來全球旅客，當然也引來許多日本遊客，我將出示幾張相片，我年輕時常驅車旅行科羅拉多州，遇見類式風景，留下多少美憶，倖巧我尚能步行。

Does Professor Ko surrender to KMT?/Carlos Pueblo

 Does Professor Ko surrender to KMT?/Carlos Pueblo

In the National Presidential Election of Taiwan, Does Professor Ko, aka KP, of the Taiwan People's Party, TPP, surrender to the Chinese Nationalist Party, KMT? I think not. I believe that is a way for the KMT Presidential candidate Mayor Hou of Shin Taipei City to get out of the race graciously. The consensus of the KMT bosses and Hou himself is this way. It is better for the field finally becoming one on one, Ko versus Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party, the incumbent National Vice President.

Ko is more personal charisma than both Hou and Lai. He dares to go to any places to deliver his thought and facing the questions and answers in any where universities, local gods temples, and televisions talk shows, etc. He can clearly express his political philosophy, his disciple, and his experience for 8 years Mayor of the capital city of Taipei. He is a graduate of Taiwan University Medical School and a surgeon as well as a clinical professor of that Medical Professor. I see no reasons for him to yield to Hou, a mayor of his second term at a suburban of Taipei.

Ko has been ahead of Hou in polls for quite some time and I don't see how he will be behind for the last two days of the poll in agreement. He will lead Hou in polls much more than needed points to convince everyone including Hou himself. As a matter of fact, Hou's wish is let him be on the ticket and he doesn't be bothered if he is a Vice President partner to Ko. Ko is very confident that if Hou is successful during the selection procedure, he will not win even if Ko is on the ticket as his Vice President partner. He also emphasize that TPP and KMT are two different idealism parties even if Hou win, the TPP supporters will not convert any votes to KMT. I can only see what Ko's yield is only not insisting his choice of Vice President partner. It's very interesting indeed.

柯文哲主席真投降國民黨？／莊峻華

 柯文哲主席真投降國民黨？／莊峻華

昨日台灣民眾黨和中國國民黨當事人，兩小時半協商後，出來宣佈兩黨合作，我的看法是民，國兩黨都想找一台階讓國民黨總統後選人侯友宜退居副總統參選人，他自己也願意，柯同意，不再堅持尋找一能勝選的副總統候選人，給足國民黨顏面，台灣的政治名嘴只有黃光芹和鄭麗文，有類似之看法，反正僅剩一日，大局馬上分曉。

一般中國士大夫，看不起軍人警察，馬英九更加典型，論學資歷口才操守，柯都超越侯甚多，國民黨立委候選人，都期待柯來站台助選，柯面露哀怨，但實在是有口難言，所以大家都在演戲。

柯仍未放棄，仍舊要求民眾支持柯侯配，但又聲稱民眾黨支持者，不會因柯之妥協，而改投國民黨之侯友宜。反而，柯可以拿到一些國民黨人之支持，這是我的看法，現在柯左右站滿前國民黨和民進黨人，銳不可當，當然年輕支持者，尚未知道國民黨萬惡之過去。

再過一日，此政局即將結曉，我是毫無所失，柯也毫無所失，沒有國民黨人支持，他無法擊敗民進黨候選人。

Get my 5th Coronas Virus vaccine shot/Carlos Pueblo

 Get my 5th Coronas Virus vaccine shot/Carlos Pueblo

Before my last trip, the U.S. Government announced that the 5th vaccine shot for the Wuhan Covic-19 was available, yet I was on my way to Canada to catch up my cruise ship with not sufficient time to get it. It's one of the regular business at home that I have to attend to; therefore, I toke it yesterday at a drug store nearby and after that I wanted to get a free 16 ounce frozen fruit bag for Amy to make her morning smoothie.

American are getting used to the pandemic; therefore, not many people pay attention to the reinforcement shot like number 5 dose. I got my shot done exactly one minute after my schedule appointment. I followed the 15 minutes waiting at the store to observe any side reaction. Everything is normal as before.

I drove across the street to a supermarket to collect my free frozen fruit bag. I saw the fresh pineapple price was 97 cent a piece. I attempted to check what was wrong with the produce. In Japan the same one would charge more than $10 a piece. I found out that it's a digital sale that I should have a digital account in order to get a coupon for the sale. No problem I did bring my i-phone with me. The customer service could not locate my coupon due to the account was not updated. He asked me to log in to my e-mail address; yet I forgot my password. It's was so much problem for the clerk.

He couldn't see that I would give up my purchase; so he agreed to use his office code to help me to purchase these 5 pieces of fruits. I paid about $5 with his help or I should pay more than $20 without the coupon. American are really good at doing business.

武肺疫苗注射記／莊峻華

 武肺疫苗注射記／莊峻華

回家後趕緊第六支武漢肺炎注射，我在旅行中，兩次在公車火車上，遇見有人咳嗽不止，心甚惶恐，但願我的五支注射，仍然有效，安然渡過每一關，這支注射是九月十七日生效，我已經需要搭機外出，52日後回家，忙完碎事後，疫苗注射一併解決，十二月二日，我又有遠行18日，這次是到羅馬搭船回紐約港，再返家。

藥局很輕鬆的完成注射，這和當年的風聲鶴唳有異，美國和世界各國，似乎均已控制武肺之肆虐，打完針我到對面超市，領一免費16盎司冰凍藍草莓，給愛美打果汁喝，超市有墨西哥鳳梨賤賣，一粒不到一元美金，我思考一陣，挑上六粒，準備付錢，原來這折扣鳳梨是需要有數位碼客戶，我因手機電腦落後，找客服職員幫忙，但他也找不到項目，我仍不放棄希望，若無數位碼無折扣，則是20餘元美金，客服職員見我堅持，於是研究我手機失效理由，是因為我不曾時時維護更新，於是他要我重新進入網訊站，但我又記不的我的密碼，於是僵持不下，他同意網開一面，使用客服密碼，賣我五粒鳳梨，價錢不到五美金，回家後發現這鳳梨和平常一樣，毫無異處，而且尚算甜美，美國人很會生意。

此超市就是元兒服務16年的公司，他的待遇雖然不高，但一年有四週假日，週休兩日，平常每週可遇到牛排折扣，另外一家也再競爭折扣，我常購買折扣牛排煮牛肉麵，味道也不錯。

Visiting the red crowned crane at Kushiro, Hokkaido/Carlos Pueblo

 Visiting the red crowned crane at Kushiro, Hokkaido/Carlos Pueblo

After a two nights stay in Sapporo, Hokkaido, we left on a limited express train to the Hokkaido West Kushiro for a visit of the famous red crowned crane, Tanchotsuru. It's my dream to visit such rare birds in the nature reserve. I didn't see them flying yet it's still very wonderful and I did visit at least 15 of them beyond the fence.

The bird has a black and white figure with a red color spot on the crown weight between 6-12 pounds. It's a longevity bird. Japanese have put an effort to preserve such bird since 1925 and now they are able to reproduce the bird under their tender care. I was advised by a Taiwanese professional tour guide at the Hiroshima Castle that I at least could visit one of the gardens at Kushiro with all year around birds. Another one may have to be in the season while they either flying to Manchuria and Russia in the spring or flying back to Japan in the winter. I check with the entrance ticket, in 2021 survey 1900 birds in Japan and 1400 birds outside of Japan in the world. Birds stay in Japan all year around. I have taken many photos on the park and shall show you 4 of them.

They are provided a large space with the reed on the back and wet land space in the front with small brook flowing through. I learn the Japanese name of the reed, Susuki grass, from a Japanese song translated by my late Japanese language teacher, Professor Watanabe in Houston, Texas. Generally, in the mid of March, they will fly back to Akan Marchi and Tsurukuo Village in Kushiro for food, then build their nets in the tall Susuki Grass grove to lay 1-2 eggs 10 cm length. Both couple birds take turn to hatch the egg in about a month and the chick break out. In about 100 days, the young chick will grow about the size of its parents yet not with the distinguished red crowned. They will ga

ther around the resource of the food when the winter arrives.

I still have the fantasy to all the migrant birds, geese and ducks in the United States. I read books about them and did attempt to visit them in the rice field outside of Houston, Texas  in vain, yet I do see them flying over my head both in the spring back to Canada and and Mexico in the fall all passing through Texas.

北海道釧路行／莊峻華

 北海道釧路行／莊峻華

此次北海道釧路行，純粹是追著名之丹頂鶴，非常順利，我們一行四人，搭乘日鐵特急火車，清晨從道府札幌市出發，約是八小時火車，橫跨西東北海道，抵達釧路時已是黃昏，旅店職員幫我查好搭車方法，翌晨，我們走回火車站，搭巴士到釧路市丹頂鶴自然公園。其實這是一位在青森縣弘前城相遇之台灣人導遊所肯定之路線，他說有一處是人工培養，一處是天然丹頂鶴聚集原野，都可以看到，釧路市附近有許多景觀點，尤其是溫泉，引來許多觀光客。

我們在門口購買入場劵，迫不急待入園參觀，丹頂鶴果然久違了，自然園約有十圈濕地，前面是空地，有自然小水溝流水，丹頂鶴一般都是一對，園列其名，出生日，來園日，野生或是園生，釧路已經可以繁殖此鶴，圈圈均有廣大蘆葦叢在北後，鶴得自由進出，我數一下自然園，總共有十五隻，可能有幾隻飛出園外，當有圈內鶴鳴，圈外不遠處也聞得共鳴，顯然亦有原始鶴在圈外。

機會難得，我在園內徘徊幾小時，本想再參觀幾處景區，但因無車輛，步行不便且不安全，我們購買多處票價，但僅能參觀一處，於是自然園取消我們原購全票，改為單一處票價，非常公正無欺。

約是下午一點，園職員告知巴士最後一班為一點半，建議我們叫計程車到機場，再搭另班巴士回釧路市，我們回程車票是下午五時，於是我們有一冗長討論，因為我的日文不夠流利，但我堅信巴士公司是大株式會社，應該保證車票回程時間，原來自然園在兩週前改為冬季時間，巴士不再進園接乘客，自然園在下午四時關門，我們需要在公路旁候車，熱心女職員下班時，特別下車指點我們過馬路候車，因為日本是左邊駕駛，有別於美國之右邊。

北海道早暮，下午四點已經烏黒一氣，我看到六隻大麋鹿，熟練安全地穿過馬路。