Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

CLIMBING BOOTS

　　During climbing up, the sole of my climbing boots started to peel off and I had to walk carefully not to aggravate the situation. On the summit, however, the sole of the left boot peeled heavily, almost taken off. While climbing down, the right side one fell into the same condition and I had difficulties.
　　Everything has its life span and I bought these boots about 35 years ago. I used them one to two weeks a year for 10 years or so, but ever since the boots have been stored in the shoe box. This event shows that the component outlives its usefulness and capability of preventing failure.
　　However, I wasn't able to give up the boots and took them to my regular shoemaker. I appealed to him for revival of the boots. I'd like to use them a little longer. The shoes' trouble sometimes endangers climber's lives in high mountains. Especially in winter, that's the case. I'm not going to use them in winter or high mountains, but these boots truly fit my feet and I'd like to use them while trekking on easy routes.
　　When it comes to the shoes trouble, a happening in Whistler in Canada sticks with me. This incident is written here in this blog(link). After coming back to the lodge, my ski boots came apart in pieces as I stepped forward. If this incident happened in skiing, I would have been seriously injured. In today's case, I was just lucky with lots of helpful friends, the wonderful weather and the low mountains.

(Vocabulary)
climbing boots 登山靴
spats スパッツ
sole [C] 足の裏; [C] 靴底; [C] (複 sole, soles) シタビラメ (海水魚)
shoes with rubber soles ゴム底の靴
endanger one's life 命に関わる

https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/03/miserable-boots.html

Oriental Machu Picchu

　　I'll write about the Besshi copper mine which is situated in my prefecture and is well-known for its huge deposits of copper. This mine had been essential for the modern development of Japan. The deposits were found in the late 16th century and the copper had been dug out for three centuries. The copper was truly a gift from nature, but the process of refining produced air pollution by sulfur oxide. The poisonous gas turned the mountains covered with green trees into bare mountains. The mine was closed a few decades ago due to the depletion of copper. Since then, the mine company started planting trees and the mountains are currently recovering their former normal glory.
　　If you go for a hike through these mountains, you would be surprised to recognize the ruins here and there which indicate that humans truly had lived there. This forest has been compared to Machu Picchu in Peru for its image of the disappearance of people. This former copper mine area is now called "Oriental Machu Picchu" and became a popular hiking route for good walkers.
　　I enjoyed trekking in the forest with my co-workers and recalled the harsh living circumstances of those days. The following picture shows the eco-friendly toilet. After the business, you have to work out for your excrement treatment.

(Vocabulary)
Besshi copper mine　別子銅山
deposit　 (鉱石・金属などの) 鉱床; (物質の) 堆積(たいせき)した層, 堆積物, 沈殿物
huge deposits of copper 　銅の巨大な鉱床
refinery 　(石油・砂糖などの) 精製所, (金属の) 精錬所
bare mountain 　はげ山
good walker 健脚
excrement 排せつ物, 糞便
restore sth to its former glory ＜建造物など＞を元の状態に復元する

WHITE RUST

　　I've been in serious trouble about white rust on the aluminium window-frame of my car. I tried to remove it in various ways, but in vain. Recently I found the cause of the rust. Most Japanese car makers adopt stainless steel for the window frames, but on the other hand, European and American manufacturers adopt aluminium. My car, which was produced in the U.S., is also equipped with aluminium window frames and they are easily stained with white rust.
　　I've been wondering why European and American car manufacturers use aluminium for the window frames. I hear that such a white rust phenomenon doesn't happen in the EU and the U.S., so they continue to utilize aluminium for the window frames.
　　I knew its cause from my acquaintance today. Its culprit was yellow sand from China. Actually yellow sand would not exist in the EU and the U.S. The yellow sand generates alkaline rain and this rain seemingly brings white rust on the aluminium window frames. My repulsion against China, which doesn't stop its environmental destruction, was intensified greatly.

(Vocabulary)
I hear .... 聞けば、、、
culprit (問題・難局の) 原因, 元凶; 犯人, 罪人, (不正な行為の) 張本人
repulsion 《[U], a/the ~》(書き言葉) 嫌悪感;[同意] disgust, revulsion