The relative affair/Carlos Pueblo

 The relative affair/Carlos Pueblo

It is very interesting that I picked up my medical travel to Taiwan to have my dental work done by my cousin Dr. Chen for the second time in 11 years. It is a relative affair as a matter of fact. He is the second son of my late uncle, another dentist, the senior Dr. Chen who is the elder brother of my late mother. The elder Dr. Chen is very kind to host both my elder brother Yancy and myself to stay with his family when we both attend senior high schools in Taipei, Taiwan. He provided us a place to stay in order to attend the best senior high schools in the capital city; therefore, we could eventually pass the college entrance examinations to enter University of Taiwan for Yancy and Taiwan Normal University for myself. We have always appreciated this opportunity and the kindness of their family.

It is still very common practice for parents in rural Taiwan to send their children to Taipei to have their education. This is like a good school district in the United States. Parents don't like to take any chances at all. They are all anxious to send their kids to the best school to receive the best preparation for college. Our uncle has saved some funds for my Dad during those years while we studied in Taipei. Before I left Taiwan in 1975, my Dad had mentioned that he paid back the loan for our seven siblings schooling with a half of his retirement fund from his employer, the Taiwan Sugar Corporation. He couldn't complete another half of his children's schooling and fortunately Yancy picked it up while he started to work in the United States.

My dentist arranges my visit to his elder sister who is Yancy's age and also my alma mater at Taiwan Normal as a journalism major. She describes those years when my mother was always bringing our elder sisters to Taipei to ask her Dad's help of some kind with her kids' education in Taipei. I am aware that these are very true and appreciated very much. I wish that I can do it like her Dad and my uncle nowadays. We don't have those kinds of relatives. We are all much better off than before. Taiwan is much more prosperous than our time in our childhood.

We like to measure our family's success by counting how many medical doctors generated inside our family because medical doctors are better paid jobs with high respect in the society. After three generations, there are 4 in my uncle's family and 4 in his sister, my mother's family.

回顧親情／莊峻華

 回顧親情／莊峻華

這次返台整牙一月餘，許多親情回顧，未見到大姊萬里，卻遇見幾位難得之老友，都是我一生經歷過程中的傑出人士，改變了我的人生觀，我將一一詳述。去年，我從東京搭機經桃園機場返美，在機場和萬里聯絡上，但她的語氣和往年迥異，這次重返台北，也都因她出外事忙不克，回虎尾住峻峰弟家，峻峰透露萬里二女兒昱余因癌症過世，時年約五十許，這是兩年前的事。

我這位外甥女是位好學生，虎尾高中畢業考上台大土木系，畢業後一直在台北工作，非常優秀，難怪萬里和清山姊夫傷心，我在峻峰家等候他們返家不克，峻峰曰兩年來首次聽到姊夫提到亡女小名，我當然這次要再設法返鄉，解釋我們佛家之八苦生老病死和愛親別離苦。

我從斗六搭莒光號車到高雄，拜會小學傑出女同學婉芳姊，她是彰化銀行經理退休，蒙她破費招待，她提到先父母重視子女接受學校教育一事，令我感動，仔細回顧我的這一生，和我對先慈的偏見。

我的牙醫大夫是我的表弟，他的父親就是我的三舅，就是先慈之三哥，是位牙醫，在台北萬華開業，峻嚴讀建中，我讀附中，都在他府上住過，受他照顧。這次我的表弟安排我和當年他的家人兄弟姊妹見面，而且他們都盛情照待三次飯局，席中我的大表姊淑華提到先慈當年為子女學校教育，每年都來台北市打攪舅父一事，從萬里，惠美，峻嚴，到我，他們稱呼先慈為金釵姑，淑華很詳細描述這段歷史，她甚好奇我提到其大伯父陳培英，培英公為日治時代之一銀行，培養保送東京明治大學，29歲不幸在東京上下車喪生，時年29，其二弟在金店當學徒，也在29歲因病過世，舅舅在家裡每年均為其兄作忌。峻峰常曰他像培英舅，高大英俊又瀟灑，當到高中校長。

淑華也是才女，她是北一女畢業，我們師大社教系新聞組出身，第一名分發到中央社，見過9位國家總統，我很感激她提到先慈往事，我們從小就耳濡目染他們陳家之逸事，她的長兄超群，更是模範，附中畢業，台大醫科，西德首都波昂大學醫學博士，我到德國旅行，專程造訪波昂大學本校，醫學院已經搬到新校區，波昂大學是普魯士王儲就學兩大學之一，貝多芬故鄉。

Visiting an art exhibition at NTNU campus/Carlos Pueblo

 Visiting an art exhibition at NTNU campus/Carlos Pueblo

I ran into an Eastern Gouache art exhibition at NTNU campus sponsored by an artist Yu-Mei Chen of Taichung, Taiwan. She holds a master degree in this field from Tonghai University. I was very lucky to meet her on site. She specializes in heels with many art works at the exhibition. The Eastern Gouache is also called Japanese Arts with specialized painting materials different from the regular oil paintings. I would say that she is an impressionist because her works do have her opinions in them.

Her heels on the products are quite real and colorful yet I can not agree as a practical real product. They are her imagination and beautification; therefore, I say that her impressions.

There are two drawings on the wall, one huge lady figure is sold for NNT$250,000 equivalent to about US$8,000 plus. A lady purchaser sent her compliments on her i-phone while she was introducing that product to me. I am attached to another one, a background of a young lady, her niece who is lovely dressed. I didn't ask the sale price.
She gives every visitor gifts for their visiting, two tea plates with her heels products on them and another nice tea cup for souvenirs.

參觀台中陳玉美在師大的畫展／莊峻華

 參觀台中陳玉美在師大的畫展／莊峻華

這次閒逛和平東路師大本校，巧遇台中膠彩畫家陳玉美在美術系的畫展，我很羨慕畫家，高中時就開始在師大參觀畫展，師大美術系每年都有師生畫展，我從師大美展看畫，看到全球免費或廉價門票之博物館美術館，近十餘年在郵輪旅行，甚至參加專題講習。陳女士是東海大學美術碩士，她一見面就自我介紹，膠彩畫顏料和一般油畫顏料有異，她在谷歌影展錄影中有說明，油畫顏料之顏色，有些是礦物金屬，像鉛之化合物，她說無鉛，基本上我看她的作品屬西畫，有她的意見，不是寫實派，而是印象派。

她的作品中，有許多高跟鞋，很是美麗，臨走前她還贈送兩具茶墊和一茶杯，都是陶瓷作品，茶墊上鑲有她的高跟鞋作品，非常別緻，我真想買些贈送給友人。

兩張女士巨畫，一張已出售是25萬新台幣，8千多美金，一張是姪女背影，十分迷人，後來觀眾陸續前來，我就不再纏她，拍上幾張相片留念。

回客棧查谷歌，感謝她贈品，我誤稱她為教授，她來信更正，非常謙虛。

Visiting several gardens in the city center of Taipei/Carlos Pueblo

 Visiting several gardens in the city center of Taipei/Carlos Pueblo

Last month, I was in Taipei for my dental work and visited several gardens in the city center of Taipei. I have been very impressed. I stayed at a small inn in front of the main rail station very close to the Presidential Palace, the 228 Memorial Park, the small Chiang Kai-sek Birthday Park, the Freedom Square Park, the Da-An Forest Park, and a small Chian Kuo Holiday Flower Market, etc. They are all full of the spring flowers, gardens and market.

I walk into the 228 Memorial Park to have my breakfast of hot soybean milks both salty and sweet with a pair of clay oven rolls and fried dough sticks every morning. The park, with an old name of the New Park back to my school time, has been re-named in honor of the 228 Massacre to Taiwanese by Chiang's Nationalist Army who took over the control of Taiwan on February 28, 1947. Now, the city has beautified the park with the azalea and some new Japanese cherry trees. I can view the lovely blossom all the way through a small Chiang's Birthday Memorial Park between the First City Girls' High campus and the 228 Park. Of course, the distinguished building of the Presidential Palace is in the other side of the huge open square of the Katagalan Boulevard. Katagalan is a native Taiwanese tribe name in Taipei area. There are several small azalea gardens by the huge red brick Palace building. Japanese built this building as the Governor's office before 1945, 1895-1945. Chiang used it as his Presidential Palace.

Acrossing the old Eastern and the Southern Gates of the Manchu Dynasty, still in good shape, I came to visit Freedom Square Park. There is a huge area garden park with three distinguished buildings, Chiang Kai-sek Memorial, the National Music Hall, and the Peking Opera Hall. With the permission of Chiang's son and successor, Chin-Kuo, the city vacated several military compounds to the suburban areas and made the space available for his father's memorial and later two other buildings added. I see Chinese plum trees with fruits and Japanese cherry flowers blossoms are still on. Of course, there are still many well managed gardens spreading around the Square.

I need to take a subway for two stops to reach Da-An Forest Park and Chian Kuo Holiday Flower Market. Again, the Park was built after Chiang's death in 1975 when I left the country. Also with his son's help to vacate all necessary illegal occupants in the area to create such beautiful gardens and forest park for its residents and visitors. I like to introduce my worldwide readers to what I have encountered of the spring blossom in Taipei, the azaleas, the dahlia or the India Peony, the Spiders Flowers or the Cleome. I shall post many of my collections for you all.

台北市城中幾座花園／莊峻華

 台北市城中幾座花園／莊峻華

三月初回台灣整牙，住火車站前客棧，清晨散步到新公園喝豆漿，無意間遇到杜鵑花怒放，隨後的一個多月，我就陶醉於台北市城中幾座花園，比起當年，我說是上世紀中葉之榮星花園，更加有趣，而且更自然美麗又免費，我是位環遊全球，參觀過無數座花園之老遊客。我遇到的是台北之杜鵑花和櫻花，還有大理花，天竺牡丹，和一種俗名蜘蛛花之草本科，這三座花園是總統府附近的228公園，介壽公園，和總統府；自由廣場花園；和大安森林公園，當然建國假日花市也可以順便加入，我在1975年離開台灣，首次巧遇春天台北的花季。

228公園過去是新公園，現在有許多杜鵑花，無需上陽明山觀賞杜鵑花矣，新公園內就有許多處杜鵑花叢，而且是五花八色，台北市政府培植幾色杜鵑花於一叢，花開時同時展示於一處，巧奪天弓，而且這些杜鵑花都是老株，花開時非常壯觀美麗，加上台北春雨。這些杜鵑花一直培植到介壽公園，就是北一女中校園和新公園之間，為紀念蔣介石生日而建。杜鵑花也種植在宏偉的總統府庭院，走過總統府都可以駐足拍照留念。台北市政府也開始種植日本櫻花，這是全球趨勢，櫻株尚且年輕，再過半世紀，必是蔚然壯觀。

過東門和南門，就是自由廣場，這自由廣場就是原中正廟，是1975年蔣薨後興建，後來加蓋兩座國家音樂廳和國家劇院，都是中國古典建築，中正廟比較像帝陵，但是自由廣場面積廣大，有很多花圃，也有梅林，梅樹都已經結實累累，顯然冬殘日梅花盛開時，必令中國人落淚不已，我曾參觀過日本大阪城之梅園和桃園許多次，都未遇梅花開，看到桃花和櫻花，大阪城規模更大更宏偉畢竟是三百五十萬石之大諸侯，豐臣秀吉，比蔣介石有實權。

再來就是大安森林公園和台北市之建國假日花市，大安森林公園座落於幾處台北市大道間，我誤以為只是原建國南路和信義路之國際學舍，讀大學時夏天，我常坐巴士到國際學舍看電影，所以不以為異，沒想到這是一座大花園，我看到天竺牡丹，就是日本秋田種，北市政府將它植於盆

中，現在是開花季中，非常美麗，而且有一種蜘蛛花，我在休市後院有種植，台北早開花，我贈送許多給球友兼花友，看了森林花園蜘蛛花後，明年春天她將旅行台灣拜訪大安森林公園之蜘蛛花海。

我原想走私幾顆大理花根來美國，後來在建國假日花市看到一小盆要價150元新台幣，我始放棄此念，美國兩塊花根是12美元，相差有限，但無海關麻煩，新竹大霸尖山軍營上廟裏庭院，也種許多大理花，花開四季，我將許多美麗花朵相片，分享全球讀者。

My headache is to keep on driving an old vehicle/Carlos Pueblo

 My headache is to keep on driving an old vehicle/Carlos Pueblo

Living in Houston, Texas, you must drive a vehicle to go around in your life. The city or county can't afford to build public transportation like the city of New York or city of Chicago. I feel comfortable when I think of the city of Los Angeles, California, there is no effective public transportation for people to take either. Driving a personal  vehicle costs money and drains your personal savings as well. I have been driving a 26 years old 1998 Q45 ever since I lost my main job in 2001. I have managed to get by every year to pass the vehicle inspection and repair required. Recently, both my vehicle and my son Arthur's 2008 Camry have been adding to my headache constantly and I can't manage such a crisis even though I shouldn't have any issue. I can afford to replace them with new vehicles yet I can't do it.

Arthur can't drive a new vehicle to work. He works at a supermarket and the parking lot is not safe for a new vehicle. I owe him a new vehicle because I have promised him a new vehicle when he graduates from the University of Houston with a degree. After I lost my main insurance agent's job in 2001, there has been no need for me to drive to visit my customers; therefore, I have managed well to get by with old vehicles on our small fleet in the family. I let Amy and Michelle drive newer vehicles while Arthur and I drive older ones. All of us understand such savings, I mean real savings and investment of such savings in the current stock market.

When the old vehicle has been sent to a garage, it usually costs more than a thousand dollars to come back out. It has been very annoying now because there are two older vehicles now, especially my 98 Q45 which is now at the shop to replace a new alternator. The vehicle quits every month after the battery is dead. In January, there was a power steering pump to be replaced and also belts. Arthur's Camry has had an issue of wires bit by squirrels forcing the check engine light on. Once the mechanic opens the hood, he always reminds me to do the regular maintenance like replacing belts, etc.

It is a two car garage and there are three vehicles in the household. None of our vehicles can be parked inside our garage because our garage is full of old stuff which I can't get rid of. I have many reasons why I always keep on driving old vehicles because it is very difficult to get rid of any one of them. I go away from home quite often nowadays to avoid such stress.