Visiting Hampton Court Palace and Christ College of Oxford University; thinking about Cardinal Wolsey

(This is one of the series of my travel writings without travel or preparation of travel)

The perpetrator of bugging foreign leaders should be punished because they were caught :-) Seriously spying/bugging foreign leaders/kings is not the modern invention of Obama administration.  Pope Clement VII spied on Henry VIII when the latter was trying to get the Pope’s approval to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn.

The failure to obtain a Papal approval is the main reason of the downfall of the omnipresent and omnipotent Cardinal Wolsey.  Of course, he also had lots of enemies in all classes of society. He died on the way to the Tower of London.  Will Durant wrote in his The Story of Civilization (Vol. VI), “To the King’s officer, Sir William Kingston, he [Cardinal Wolsey] uttered the words reported by Cavendish and adapted by Shakespeare” ‘If I had served my God as diligently as I have done my King, He would not have given me over in my gray hairs.”



Hampton Court Palace

Henry VIII’s 17 love letters was secured by Pope Clement’s agents (mainly Cardinal Campeggio) and are now in the Vatican Library among its treasures.  One should look for these letters if on display. When one visits Vatican Library.  Seeing/reading his hand written love letters, one would feel Henry VIII is not just a historical figure; he is a real person with soul and heart; good or bad.  (Henry VIII is both good and bad.)



When in England, I would like to see things (usually buildings) connected to Cardinal Wolsey.

Hampton Court Palace was built by Wolsey as a gift to Henry VIII when he was losing King’s favor and indulgence.  King gladly accepted the gift but still booted him and eventually arrested him.  Henry VIII added the cavernous Great Hall, which has a magnificent hammer-beam roof (see photo).

the magnificent hammer-beams roof of the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace

Christ Church of Oxford University was founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey (thus, it was initially called Cardinal College) and Henry VIII took over after Wolsey lost favor with the king.  It was renamed Christ Church in 1546 after Henry VIII separated from Catholic Church and founded the Church of England.

 

Christ College of Oxford University

I wonder whether the tourists are allowed to dine in the splendid dining hall of Christ Church (one says Christ College or Christ Church, but not Christ Church College.)  The dining halls at the University of Chicago and Cornell University are the reproductions.

 

the splendid dining hall of Christ College

 

University of Pittsburgh Chinese Nationality Room Scholarship fund-raising event

Katy’s dispatch to the World Journal (世界日報) reporting the fund-raising event of Pitt Chinese Nationality Room Scholarship was published on October 31, 2013.

The annual University of Pittsburgh Chinese Nationality Room Scholarship fund-raising event took place on October 27.  The scholarship is to send Pitt students to China to learn the Chinese language, culture and the way of life.

Karen Yee (余月紅) reported that the scholarship was established in 1993 and has sponsored numerous students to China, Hong Kong or Taiwan for summer study.  The leaders in the Chinese American community, the likes of 任大衛、Phanny Yang (陳靈芬), Dali Lee (李大立) and Mei Hwang (邱美華), have spared no effort in this fund raising event over the years.

The guest of honor is Chia-Pih Shaw (謝家碧).  She is an engineer by education and training; she once worked at the Westinghouse Electric Company for four years.  She began the dancing lesson at age of three and came to the States at age of 15.  She has earned numerous accolade and awards in the dancing competitions.  Volunteering her excellent dancing skill, she has been in charge of the OCA Youth Performance Ensemble since 1981, teaching the traditional and classical Chinese dance (中國民族舞蹈).  She has also taught dancing in the Pittsburgh Chinese School for 22 years and Tzu-Chi Chinese School 10 years.  She is always there whenever a Chinese dancing performance is needed among Chinese or American community; she is truly indispensable.  One will always see her students in the annual Thanksgiving parade in Pittsburgh.

Humble as she is, Chia-Pih Shaw gave the credits and appreciation to her students and parents providing excellent support. The highest honor is reserved for her husband, Dr. Victor Shaw, who is magnanimous, generous and considerate; without whose support, financial or otherwise, her volunteering work cannot be accomplished over the years.

Chia-Pih Shaw invited six former OCA presidents to attend the event.  The lion dance opened the show; 23 of her students provided the entertainment of splendid Chinese dances that earned enthusiastic applause.  (Katy Tsai)

(The above translation is only part of Katy’s dispatch—see below)

匹大孔子教室募款 資助學中文

【賓州匹茲堡訊】 世界新聞網 北美華文新聞、華商資訊

October 31, 2013 06:10 AM 

匹茲堡大學中國孔子教室27日舉辦一年一度的獎學金募款晚會，目的是為明年暑假資助匹茲堡大學學生赴大陸學中文，並瞭解中國的生活與文化。

余月紅在會上報告，該計畫自1993年開辦至今，已為許多匹大學生提供獎學金到大陸或香港作暑期學習。多年來，匹茲堡華人任大衛、陳靈芬及李大立、邱美華等人，均為募集獎學金不遺餘力。

今年大會榮譽來賓為謝家碧 (Chiapih Shaw)。 她是賓州大學理工出身， 原在西屋當工程師四年，三歲就在臺灣習舞，15歲來美國，因舞藝精湛，比賽屢次獲獎。1981年起應邀在美華指導中國民族舞蹈，也義務在匹茲堡中文學校教舞22年，在慈濟中文學校教舞10年，32年歷經十個美華協會會長，。只要匹茲堡任何華洋社團須要表演節目她儘量配合演出。每年匹茲堡感恩節遊行都少不了她的學生。

謝家碧謙虛的表示，感謝好學生、好家長、好社團和好丈夫，寬宏大量，出錢出力，讓她的義工工作能長期持續。

謝家碧邀請到美華協會六位會長來參加晚會。除了舞獅開場，她並帶領23個學生為晚會帶來許多精采中華民族舞蹈表演，獲得熱烈掌聲。

匹大今年共有三名學生申請到中國大陸學習的獎學金，他們透過幻燈片，為當晚來賓作精采報告。

中國教室獎學金得獎人是日裔大治狩野(Daiji Kano)，中文名叫大路，。他是匹大醫學院學生，此次是去北京大學醫學院做暑期研究中藥。他對北大的設備，同學的努力都十分欽佩。他希望今後再去中國時，能到其他地方去暸解當地的醫院及醫學研究。他能說簡單中文，最重要的是能問人廁所在那裡。

崔約瀚紀念獎學金得主為：Laura Fischer和王家昌(Nathan Ong)。Laura去北京主要是學習中美醫療體系的同異以及性別和食物的政治影響等。除了上課之外，她也有機會去實地見習。她也去了西安及成都。她對成都印象深刻，不僅見識到麻辣火鍋的威力，也去了茶館，還在茶館學了打麻將 。她自覺技術不錯，可惜時間不夠。

王家昌是菲律賓華裔，能說福建話，就讀計算機系，此次去中國主要是學華語。他在北京外語大學學了八週，效果不錯，發音頗為標準。他說，學校在暑期增蓋校舍快得令人震驚。去時剛蓋一半，走時已完工。他也去了武漢拜訪他在美國的華語老師。武漢之熱，讓他知道甚麼是大火爐。

上述受惠學生，均對中國孔子教室獎學金基金會幫助他們實現心願深表謝意。(張瓊月)

2013 World Series champion: Red Sox rocks

David Ortiz dons a military style helmet

Red Sox has been the winner from the beginning to the end, spending 158 days in first place in AL and above .500 at all time.  How can one not love Big Papi?  Victorino is for Victory! Red Sox Nation Rocks! Now the big question is “To shave or not to shave [the beard]?”  Is it going to be like shaving Samson’s hair?

If Winter comes, can Spring [training] be far behind? This thought will help sustain you through the winter without baseball.

Henry V and Henry VI; Father & Son and how we should tour England

We plan to visit England (or as the Bard called it “this sceptred Isle”) next year; we haven’t decided whether to join the tour or to go on our own.

To me King’s College chapel of Cambridge University is a must see and yet it may not be in the itinerary of a commercial tour.  Henry VI founded King’s College and Eton College (for high school students).  For 400 years all students in King’s College came from Eton.

The story of building King’s College chapel is the story of medieval England that spans 100 years.  The foundation stone was laid in 1446 and completed in 1547 when Henry VIII died.  Edward VI, Richard III and Henry VII (the beginning of Tudor Dynasty) continued the project.

Richard III decreed that “the building should go on with all possible dispatch and to press workmen and all possible hands, provide materials and imprison anyone who opposed and delayed”; this doesn’t fit the sinister and evil character of Richard III portrayed by Shakespeare’s Richard III.

The difference of character of Henry V (father) and Henry VI (son) is as much as that of Hagar the Horrible (the intrepid Viking in comic strip) and his son, Hamlet who is always a book in hand.  Henry V is a charismatic warrior king who conquered France.  There are no women in Shakespeare’s Henry V except Queen Catherine.  It is all about the medieval warfare with aggressive war rhetoric.  Henry V’s speech rallying the troops before the Battle of Agincourt is classic.

I cannot find any tourist attraction associated with Henry V in England.  All the kingdoms he collected were lost by Henry VI: both France and England.  Henry VI was inept as a medieval king, leading to the Wars of Roses and his eventual murder in the Tower of London in 1471.  However the pious Henry VI founded two of the England’s greatest colleges with chapels unsurpassed and unrivaled by any college to this day.

Of course I want to see the King’s College chapel not only because of its rich history, but also its majestic building with magnificent ceiling vault.  And if we are fortunate enough we may be able to hear its chapel choir; a music made in heaven.

My niece (Miao Chih) got a Ph.D at Cambridge University; she certainly can tell us where to go and what to see like a “local”; she knows I would like to go to Eagle pub, not that I can enjoy a drink, but that was “Francis [Crick] winged into the Eagle to tell everyone within hearing distance that we had found the secret of life” in that fateful day in February 1953.  I also want to see where Sydney Brenner established the ‘elegant’ C. elegans as the model organism for genetic study.  I believe it was the C. elegans that “lured” her to the Cambridge University, leading to her publications in Science and Nature.

While in Cambridge University we’ll also see the Trinity College, another royal college founded by Henry VIII.  The illustrious alumni include Newton, Niels Bohr and Bertrand Russell.  It boasts 31 Nobel laureates out of the 87 won by members of Cambridge University.

Thus visit England on our own may be the way to go.

An amazing, simple act of medicine: a letter-to-the-editor from Nathan Romesburg

This letter-to-the-editor is from our neighbor ‘boy’ whom we watched him growing up.  He is an amazing writer; his mother can attest to it.  He took his mom to a poetry reading session on her campus visit when he was in college.

The doctor who had “an amazing, simple act of medicine” is apparently not a fictional character.  Sir William Osler once said, “The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.”  Once the task is beyond the reach of the science in medicine, humanity is the only thing we can offer.

“Our garden refuses to die”, just like Emily Dickinson’s

These photos were taken today (Oct. 9) or within past 2-3 days.  “Our garden refuses to die”, just like Emily Dickinson’s.  All the summer flowers are waiting chrysanthemum (菊花) to bloom to say good-bye before they “perish with beautiful reluctance”. 

Blooming chrysanthemum (菊花)

zinnia: standing tall and proud and beautiful

Blooming chrysanthemum (菊花)

Giant lucky duck brings luck to PNC Park

Liriano rocked; Russell Martin had two homers, sending the 40,487 frenzy Pirates fans to heaven.  Pirates beat Reds 6 to 2 to clinch the NL wild card.  Pirates didn’t try so hard the whole season to get the privilege to play just one postseason game at PNC Park.

I was a bit worried when Walker, after clinching the home-field advantage for the post-season game tonight, said, “I imagine it’s going to be Steeler-esque on Tuesday.”  Thankfully they didn’t play tonight the Steelers did this season. 

Pirates is heading for St. Louis to clip the wings of the Cardinals! Go! Bucs, Go!

The giant (40-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide) rubber duck has brought good luck to the PNC Park (see photos below).  It arrived at Pittsburgh September 27; the following link is to Katy’s dispatch to the World Journal (世界日報).

http://www.worldjournal.com/view/njpanews/23721562/article-%E5%8C%B9%E8%8C%B2%E5%A0%A1%E8%BF%8E%E5%A4%A7%E9%BB%83%E9%B4%A8-%E8%BF%9150%E8%90%AC%E9%81%8A%E5%AE%A2%E7%98%8B%E7%8B%82?instance=nj2