Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Animal Memorial Service

　　My family used to have 2 dalmatians. We started to keep the first one for our youngest daughter, who wanted to become a vet, to be able to keep motivated. The dog was so friendly and clever that walking with him everyday became one of my best pastimes, but he died after only 6 years from an unknown cause. The vet did his best, but in vain.
　　We were wondering to have a second one, but we were afraid of our sense of emptiness or sadness when the dog dies on the other hand. I heard that another dalmatian was suspended to be accepted and I decided to welcome the one.
　　I noticed the possibility of the first dog having been almost deaf, because the second one was more sensitive to my voice than the first. Anyway, the second passed away also in about 6 years.
　　Both dogs are now in the same pet cemetery and the cemetery company planned to have a joint service for sleeping pets there. Buddhist priests prayed for them family by family in the meeting. I hung my head praying for their happiness in the place where they live.

WEDDING PARTY

　　I was nervous to become a focus of public attention when I walked with my daughter on the virgin road, but the wedding party was very relaxed. Many of my relatives got together after a long interval.
　　To my regret, however, my youngest daughter, who lives in the U.K. now, didn't join the party, because of the confusion of the immigration office of the U.K. To be precise, she was able to depart from the U.K., but it would take a long time to get the visa to re-enter the U.K. She was set to start her new career in the U.K. on Oct. 1st in a big hospital near Oxford. If she couldn't be back in the U.K. until that day, some problems might occur. The immigration office seems to be extraordinarily busy to handle lots of refugees from Ukraine. My daughter paid a priority fee to change her visa from a student's to a working visa within 5 days in July, but the procedure didn't finish even in September. I don't understand the visa system in the U.K., but my daughter told me, "Tier something doesn't work" ,,,or such a thing.
　　Anyway, I never thought that the present war in Ukraine had some influence on the likes of my family who live in a rural place in a small archipelago country in the far east.
　　The adorable kid in the center of the following picture is my first grandchild.

(Vocabulary)
nervous 緊張した, びくびくした, 不安な

Needless Fear

　　According to reports, the typhoon was furious in the Kyushu area, but my hometown didn't get damaged heavily even though it had been in the strong wind zone of the typhoon for a whole day. My hometown had long been less affected by natural disasters, but I was prepared for the worst. Luckily, however, casualties were only a few people. This fact might be due to the fruitful measures which have been done for these 60 years.

(Vocabulary)
needless fear 杞憂

TYPHOON IS COMING

　　A typhoon is coming. The authorities alerted citizens to brace against it. It seems to be the biggest class typhoon ever. It was 60 years ago that the number of typhoon victims soared up to 5000! The magnitude of this coming typhoon is comparable to it. I hope that it will veer off from my hometown, but it's coming in the direction of my hometown. I stored food and water for two days. I charged my smartphone, mobile battery and my EV. In such cases, a portable power station of high capacity would be helpful, but I don't have it yet. I wish that the damage would be minimum.

(Vocabulary)
portable power station ポータブル電源

TAILCOAT

　　I came to wear a tailcoat. My second daughter legally got married last year, but wasn't able to have a party due to the coronavirus pandemic. She and her husband still wanted to have their wedding party and planned it on Sept. 23rd, which accidentally falls on my birthday.
　　I wrongly assumed that I had only to smile, eat and drink during the party, but I had to walk with my daughter on the virgin road. I'm so shy to do such a flashy act, but the young couple pestered me to show up on the road and I reluctantly agreed with their request.
　　The following picture was shot in the fitting room. I thought it was the first and last opportunity to wear the tailcoat.

(Vocabulary)
tailcoat 燕尾服
reluctantly いやいやながら, 仕方なく〈賛成する･応じるなど〉