Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Fort Cornwallis 2

　　The ruin of Fort Cornwallis was considerably big and there was no advisable sightseeing route. So I walked to and fro, but I think that I saw almost all the items such as the ruin of the church, barracks, and gunpowder magazines. The Diamond Princess was close at hand from the photographing point. I visited Fort York (link) in Toronto in 2012 where the War of 1812 had been fiercely fought between Great Britain and the US. The fort resembled Fort Cornwallis. The Porta de Santiago (link), which I had seen last summer in Malacca, had been fortified by Britain. It also resembled Fort Cornwallis.
　　As for Japan, the period from the 17th century to the middle of the 19th was the peaceful Edo Era, during which Japan made remarkable progress on the basis of arts and culture. I realized that Japan had been really lucky not to be involved in such international conflicts.
　　Goryokaku Fort (link), which had been built in the end of the Edo Era, was also tinged with the same characteristics as Fort Cornwallis. According to the explanation board, Fort Cornwallis seemed to be star-shaped.
　　In the fort, I came across a German group and I exchanged greetings in German. I'm now taking German lessons twice a month. My German teacher is patient enough with my clumsy speaking and listens to my words carefully, but I have no opportunity to talk with ordinary German people. I was so happy to chat with them.

(Vocabulary)
War of 1812 英米戦争（１８１２～１４、アメリカとイギリスの間の戦争)

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/07/fort-york.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2016/08/porta-de-santiago.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2016/03/goryokaku-1.html

マラッカ海峡クルージング記：　コーンウォリス要塞　その２
　
要塞跡はかなり広い。順路は決められていないため自由勝手に歩いた。少し見逃したものがあるかも知れないが、すべての場所を見学できたと思う。要塞跡の記念撮影ポイントからダイヤモンド・プリンセスはすぐそこに見えた。教会跡、兵舎跡、弾薬庫なども保存されていた。２０１２年に訪れた英米戦争の激戦地トロントにもFort Yorkというよく似た砦があった。昨年秋に訪問したマラッカで見たサンチャゴ砦も同時期にイギリスによって強化されたもので、レンガで作られていた。
　
日本はといえば、この時代は天下泰平の江戸時代。芸術や文化の発展が著しい時代だった。こんな要塞は必要なかった。どれだけ恵まれていたのか実感する。その江戸時代の終わりにつくられた砦、五稜郭もまた上記要塞の特徴を帯びている。コーンウォリス要塞も星形の要塞のようだった。(自分で感じたのではなく、最後の写真の案内板にstar-shapedと書かれていた。）
　
ここでドイツ人の団体と出くわした。マインシフでやって来たのだろう。ドイツ語で挨拶をした。僕は月に２回、ドイツ人講師にプライベートでドイツ語を習っている。先生は一生懸命聴こうとしてくれるので何とか話が通じるが、日頃、一般のドイツ人と話すことはない。この団体の人たちと挨拶だけではあっても話ができたことがとても嬉しかった。この人たちには１時間後再会し、助けてもらったが、次の記事でそれは書く。

Lucky Charm

　　The picture shows my hat which I've usually carried on overseas trips for the past 10 years. I bought it about 30 years ago, but I don't remember where I bought it. Somewhere in Canada, maybe. The other day, I found that I had encountered difficulties on the trips when I didn't bring my hat. When I was almost injured heavily in my leg in Whistler due to the breakage of my ski boots (link), I didn't have this hat. I'll leave for Malaysia tomorrow which will celebrate its 59th Independence Day on Aug. 31st. during the increasing concern over terrorism. I made up my mind to carry this hat so that my luck wouldn't change.
　　I attached three pin badges on the left side of my hat as you see in the picture. The left one is the crest of the German City of Freiburg, and the middle one shows that the bearer is one of the supporters of the cause of retrieving abductees from North Korea. The right one was put on today for extending dearness to people in Malaysia.
　　A program of the International Lions Club did me a favor and sent a Malaysian schoolgirl to my house. My family heard about her country and became interested in her country. My wife and I were going to visit Palau or Switzerland in this summer vacation, but changed the destination to Malaysia. I'm going to write about my trip here after coming back to Japan. Look forward to my travelogue.

(Vocabulary)
crest 《通例単数形で》(波の) 波頭, (丘・山の) 頂上, 山頂; 紋章
the royal crest 王家の紋章の図柄
travelogue ((米)travelog とも)  旅行談, 紀行映画, 旅行番組

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

マレーシア旅行記：

テロの蔓延しているときに海外旅行に出るなんてと、家族から非難されつつマレーシアを旅行してきました。旅行中に書きためたメモを起こしつつ、英文で感想を書いていきます。出発前にお守りの帽子にマレーシア国旗を貼り付けました。この帽子を持って出かけたときには悪いことが起こらないという験担ぎです。
　
ピンバッジ：左からドイツ南西部フライブルク市の市章、北朝鮮による拉致被害者救出活動のシンボルマーク、ブルーリボン、そしてマレーシアと日本の友好を示したライオンズバッジ。

Harajiri no taki Falls, the oriental Niagara Falls

　　We were learning the history of Buddhism on the Kunisaki Peninsula where lots of Buddhist temples stand on the last day, but we ended up visiting Harajiri no taki Falls, which is given the nickname of oriental Niagara.
　　I was surprised to see the waterfall. It was rightly a small Niagara Falls. The magnitude was completely different, but its shape was alike. I've been to the real Niagara Falls twice. While staying in Pittsburgh to learn the technique of the liver transplant, I knew that you could visit Niagara Falls by car in two days and a night. The next time was with my youngest daughter. We visited Prince Edward Island, Toronto, and Niagara Falls at that time. By the way, if Canadian people were to see this waterfall, what would they say?
　　The magnitude aside, the difference between these falls and Niagara Falls would be the presence or absence of the Maid of the Mist.

最終日は国東半島を巡って仏教の歴史を学ぶつもりが、結果的には滝めぐりツアーになってしまった。東洋のナイアガラと呼ばれている滝があることは知っていたがここへ寄れたのは偶然のなせる技。原尻の滝という道路標識が見えたので寄ってみたらこの滝だった。
驚いた。まさに東洋のナイアガラというニックネームがふさわしい。規模こそまったくことなるが形はそっくり。本物のナイアガラの滝へは２度行ったことがある。最初はピッツバーグ大学へ肝移植の見学に行ったとき。ピッツバーグから週末に１泊２日で行けると聞いて友人たちとドライブ旅行をした。２回目は三女と一緒にカナダ東部、プリンスエドワード島、トロントを旅行したとき。カナダ人がこの滝を見たらどう思うかな？笑うかな？
原尻とナイアガラの違いはその規模を別とすれば霧の乙女号が無いことくらいだ。本当に良く似ている。

Motsuji Temple

　　I visited Motsuji Temple, which hands down the prosperity of the Oshu Fujiwara clan. Its foundation dates back to 850, but all the buildings were burnt and nothing was left. The investigation by excavation had been done in 1954-1959 and the magnitude of the temple is now confirmed. A part of the buildings were renovated, but the things of former days are only cornerstones. However, just a few minutes' walk in the grounds impressed me with the magnificence of the former temple.
　　I remember the description about this temple in a Japanese chronicle of Azumakagami which was compiled in the Kamakura period (around 12th century) because I'd read a part of it as a subject in my high school days. When I stepped into the grounds, I said involuntarily, "That was here!" There were several historic places related to Minamotonoyoshitsune and Musashibou Benkei in the neighborhood, but I wasn't able to visit due to time constraints. I'd like to revisit Hiraizumi after further study of history.
　　By the way, I found a haiku monument outside the grounds. It was the English translation of the famous haiku poem which was written by Matsuo Basho in 17th century. The translator was Nitobe Inazo, whom I admire. While I was traveling to and fro, I found various memorials to him and I wrote about him in my blog entries. I'll note their links down below. The explanation of Motsuji is beyond my English skills, so search the temple with this option "motsuji temple Japan".

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/03/nitobe-memorial.html　

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/08/taking-a-walk-i.html　

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/07/a-new-acquainta.html　

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/12/present-from-ana-japan-based-airline.html　

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/02/worship-and-japan.html　

(Vocabulary)
Oshu Fujiwara clan 奥州藤原氏
cornerstone (建物の土台にある) 礎石
chronicle 年代記, 編年史
constraint  [C] 制約, 拘束

(北海道・東北旅行記／３月３０日）

　奥州藤原氏の栄華を今に伝える毛越寺。その歴史は８５０年までさかのぼる。火事で焼けてしまい建物は残っていない。発掘調査が行われ（１９５４－５９）、その規模などの全容が明らかにされている。一部の建物は再建されているが、当時のものは礎石しか残っていない。しかし、この場所を歩くだけでその荘厳さが理解できた。
　
　鎌倉時代の書物吾妻鏡にこの寺のことが書かれている。高校時代に古文の勉強としてそのごく一部分を読んだ覚えがあるが、この場所のことだったのかと感慨深く見て回った。近くには義経や弁慶にかかわる遺物があるのだが、時間の関係で廻ることが出来なかった。平泉は歴史の勉強を十分にして再訪したい土地である。
　
　毛越寺で松尾芭蕉の俳句の英訳の句碑を見つけた。訳者は新渡戸稲造。また彼に出会った。彼についてはこのブログでも何度も取り上げた。いくつか紹介する。彼は偉大な日本人の一人だと思う。毛越寺について説明するに僕の語学力では足りない。是非"motsuji temple japan" で検索してほしい。


http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/03/nitobe-memorial.html　新渡戸稲造記念公園(バンクーバー）
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/08/taking-a-walk-i.html　北海道大学にある彼の胸像
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/07/a-new-acquainta.html　バンクーバーやビクトリアに親近感を感じて
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/12/present-from-ana-japan-based-airline.html　新渡戸の言葉を思い出したので書いた。最後の部分だけでもご覧ください。
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/02/worship-and-japan.html　武士道と宗教について

Kobe Luminarie

　　I went to Kobe City by car on Sunday, taking a half day off on the next day. My wife and I have long wanted to see Kobe City's seasonal event of Kobe Luminarie. At the same time, I had to talk with my friends, who were in Kobe, over the next ski tour to Canada. FYI, "luminarie" is originally Italian word.
　　Firstly I'll write about the origin of the Luminarie. Do you remember the immense disaster of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which broke out in the area which centered on Kobe City, in 1995. It started in December in 1995 for the repose of victim's souls and a commemoration of the departed. It was also tasked to recall sightseers to the devastated former tourist destination of Kobe City. Look at the first picture. It says in Japanese, "The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial" and "1995. 1. 17 MEMORIAL" though the reflection of the lights interferes with reading it. While some people think that the memory of the unprecedented disaster should not be forgotten, others think they don't want to recall the agonizing happenings. That is to say, some people feel pained to remember the day of the earthquake seeing the beautiful scene of the Luminarie. I sympathetically understand both opinions.
　　After visiting Minatogawa Shrine, which I wrote about in the last entry, we got together with our friends at Kobe station. They live in Kobe and guided us to the best position to enjoy the Kobe Luminarie. Then, we moved to a historic Korean restaurant. Their selection of the restaurant was great and we enjoyed chatting. As for the ski tour to Whistler next spring, we decided to give up. Our schedules are fully different and first of all our family members don't want us to go overseas due to the prevalence of terror attacks. Canada isn't the target of ISIS at present, but they didn't look happy about our plan.
　　While terror attacks are sure to disappear someday, Whistler is always waiting for us. I made up my mind to believe so.

(Vocabulary)
Luminarie (イタリア語 luminarie) 《luminariaの複数形》 イルミネーション。電飾。
repose (文) 休息

Encounter, Peach Aviation, and Canadian Rouge

　　After disembarkation, we rented a car and saw around Mt. Yoteizan on 7th. On the next day, we visited the Asahiyama Zoo, which is celebrated across the country, and dropped in at a hospital to see my friend who was hospitalized. He looked better than I expected.
　　On the last day of this trip, when we were waiting for our flight in the ANA lounge, we saw Mr. Rui Yoshida. He was in his usual black outfit which he always wears when he appears on T.V.. We had met him when his lecture meeting was held in my hometown a few years ago. I asked him to come in the picture with us. He gave a ready consent.
　　The flight from Hokkaido to Kansai was really smooth. I saw the whole view of Kobe airport. We were going to transit here to another flight (Peach Aviation, one of Japanese LCCs) to my hometown, and I had scheduled in advance to have 5 hours for transit, because we'd like to see around. We had lived near Kansai Airport for three years just after our marriage. I was going to check our baggage in and go out from the airport for a kind of sightseeing, but the Peach's check-in counter was closed until an hour before departure. We had to come back to the 2nd terminal with our baggage from LCC's terminal, which was 30 minutes away by bus and on foot from the main terminal of Kansai Airport. We managed to get a coin locker, but gave up going out. We wound up staying in the observatory of the airport all the way. I would never use Peach.
　　From the observatory I happened to see a never-before-seen plane with a maple-shaped logo. Taking a closer look, it said "AIR CANADA" in small characters. AIR CANADA? I saw it for the first time and it was Rouge. The logo of the plane reminded me of the fantastic ski resort of Whistler and Blackcomb. It was a blessing in disguise not to be able to check in at Peach. I'd like to use it on the next ski trip to Canada!
　　Returning to the LCC terminal, it was heavily crowded by passengers who were waiting for check-in. The cabin was incommodious and the seat was tight. The CAs were just like trainees. I'd never get on Peach again.

(Vocabulary)
incommodious  不便な；（狭くて）勝手の悪い, 居心地の悪い

Historical Importance

　　Located in the northwest of Hokkaido, Rishiri Island and Rebun Island are only 19 km apart, 40 minutes by ferry. They are often referred to collectively as a group of islands, but they have completely different characteristics. Rebun Island is known for its highland plants and is called a floating island of flowers, whereas Rishiri Island is known for its manly rough terrain.
　　I learned another thing about Rishiri Island in the lecture delivered the previous night. It had lots of recorded historical facts, which means they have been not passed down as oral traditions. Mt. Rishirifuji in the following picture looks so prominent, even from afar, that it was a landmark for smugglers who were plotting to land Japan. There are tombs of samurai who were dispatched from Honshu, the biggest island in Japan, and Hokkaido to guard the border, but who weren't able to survive their mission. Their stories will be written in another entry, but now I'll note a Canadian, Ranald MacDonald (1824-1894). He was born in Canada when it was possessed by Britain, and he tried to slip into Japan, pretending that he had been shipwrecked. However, he was taken to Nagasaki, which was the only port of contact to the outer world under the isolation policy. He was really sincere and the government didn't punish him. He started working there as a native English teacher and trained several interpreters, who would be key in the following turbulent decades.
　　Japan was founded as long as 2600 years ago. During its long history, Japan has faced various difficulties which threatened the survival of the nation. Every time Japan went through those tough situations, someone amazingly emerged at the right time and saved the country. The arrival of the black ships of Commodore Perry from the States was one of those crises for Japan, because Japan didn't have enough armament against it. In the diplomatic talks at that time, the interpreters were essential.
　　A decade before his arrival, a 14-year-old boy was lost on the Pacific Ocean in fishery work and he was rescued by an American whale catcher boat. He was taken to the States, where he grew up by the courtesy of the captain of the catcher boat. After about 10 years, he came back to Japan with lots of knowledge of English, up-to-date navigation techniques, mathematics, chemistry... the list is endless. He was really gifted with a phenomenal memory. Manjiro Nakahama was his name, and he is very famous among Japanese. He appears in the textbook about Japan's history. Naturally I knew about him, but I didn't know anything about the other interpreters. I had been wondering how they were able to learn English under the isolation policy of Japan. Japan was open only to Holland in those days, so many people were able to speak in Dutch in Nagasaki, but few had the chance to learn English.
　　When I heard of Ranald MacDonald in the lecture, I considered that Manjiro Nakahama, who wound up mastering English indirectly after a shipwreck, and the Canadian smuggler, Ranald MacDonald, who ended up teaching English in Japan to several samurai, were both saviors of Japan.

(Vocabulary)
manly  男らしい, たくましい
be passed down as an oral tradition 言い伝えとして受け継がれる
from afar  遠くから
a point of contact  窓口, 連絡先
savior 《[C]通例単数形で》 (困難・危険などから) 救ってくれる人［もの］, 救世主
Rooney was hailed as the savior of the England team. ルーニーはイングランドチームの救世主としてたたえられた．
the Savior (our Savior とも) (キリストを指して) 救い主, 救世主

The last three pictures were taken in 2001. They show me and Mt. Rishirifuji.

Poet, Shin'min Sakamura 詩人坂村眞民

　　The poet, Shin'min Sakamura is familiar to me, but he is not so well-known across the country. His memorial museum is set in the neighboring town of my hometown, Tobe town. He was a high-school teacher in his younger days in the Korean Peninsula which was a part of Japanese territory at that time, and after the war he came back to Japan and lived in my original home, Mikame town. My father and my uncle had lectures from him in their high-school days. His high spirituality was already prominent then and he started to compose poems. Every piece of his works strikes right at the heart of people. Lots of stone tablets inscribed with his poems are found all over the country, nay everywhere in the world. My next overseas trip will be to Vancouver after 4 years' interval and I'll visit a Buddhist Temple in Vancouver, Tozenji, which is located at 209 Jackson St., Coquitlam, BC, V3K 4C1, Canada. Writing this entry, I found a picture in which the tablet is shown. I'll upload it below.

(Vocabulary)
a stone tablet inscribed with a haiku 句碑

東漸寺　カナダのバンクーバーにある浄土宗西山派のお寺

Sake Lovers' Meeting

　　My Lions Club has been holding meetings concerning alcoholic beverages four times a year. Every meeting has its theme. In addition to the major classification of alcoholic drinks, like sake, wine, beer, whisky, and so on, the drinks are chosen by its birthplace, its ingredient, or by the season in which the meeting is held. Naturally, delicious seasonal dishes accompany the beverage.
　　The theme this time was "whisky". There are two kinds of descriptions of whisky, i.e., "whisky" and "whiskey". In Japan "whisky" is more frequently used. Japanese whisky is descended from Scotch, and the Scotch-like description without "e" is used.
　　Five major areas for the production of whiskys are Ireland, Scotland, America, Canada, and Japan. A Japanese had brought the technique of producing whisky from Scotland in the latter half of 19th century and his story was broadcast recently. He is the founder of Nikka and father of Japanese whisky. Now Japan is experiencing a boom in whisky.
　　The lecturer was the branch manager of Suntory Co.Ltd, the other company of the two major whisky companies in Japan. His story was full of wit and was enjoyable. I learned lots of things about not only Japanese whisky but also other ones.
　　You see a little bottle of Maker's Mark on the table, it was a souvenir. The lecturer told us what the logo and its seal meant. They were added to my whole stock of knowledge.

(Vocabulary)
Sake Lovers' Meeting 　ほろ酔い会（松山中央ライオンズクラブで開催される年に４回の酒飲みたちのイベント。毎回種々のアルコール飲料が用意され、専門家たちの蘊蓄に耳を傾け、アルコールを楽しむ会）
connoisseur　専門家、(美術品などの) 鑑定家, (その道の) 通, 玄人,食べ物・酒・音楽など特定の分野についてよく知っている人
a wine connoisseur　ワイン通

Ein ehemaliger Lehrer, My Mentor

Ein ehemaliger Lehrer

　　Ein ehemaliger Englischlehrer, dem ich viel verdanke, lebt in Okayama Präfektur. Er hat an der Zuckerkrankheit lange gelitten und ihr Komplikation hat einen schlechten Verlauf genommen. Jetzt ist er ganz blind geworden. Er wird dreimal pro Woche von einer Krankenschwester der Klinik gut gepflegt, aber war dabei, sich zu verschlechtern. Jetzt ist er im Krankenhaus und sucht eine Wohnung, in die er die Hilfe täglich den ganzen Tag bekommen kann.
　　Ich ging mit meiner dritten Tochter am letzten Sonntag ins Krankenhaus um ihn zu besuchen. Wenn ich ihn vor etwa 40 Jahren nicht getroffen hätte, wäre ich ein anderer Mensch geworden. Er hat aus mir gemacht, was ich heute bin. Meine Tochter ist mir gleich. Es ist ganz natürlich, dass man alt wird, aber ich finde es traurig.

　言葉で語り尽くせないほどの恩を受けた恩師が岡山にいる。長年糖尿病を患い、その合併症が進行し、今はもう完全に盲目となってしまった。自宅で公的な介護を受けていたが、もはや自宅での生活は無理な状況となり、一旦入院した。今後は施設を探すことになる。
　先週の日曜日に三女と一緒にお見舞いに行ってきた。この人に会わなければ今の自分はなく、また三女もこの先生に会わなければ今はない。老いるのは当たり前のことだが、寂しくてならない。

My Mentor

　　My family members, friends and I visit Canada very often, mainly for skiing. What prompted our frequent trips to Canada was the presence of an English teacher. He was undoubtedly a mentor of ours. Three daughters had an interest in languages and now each of them is very skilled in their respective languages. I was just thankful to go skiing with him.
　　Almost 30 years have passed since my first visit to Canada. Our mentor is over 80 now. I know that human beings have to accept the inevitability of aging, but it's sad to see him getting old. He has been suffering from diabetes for a long time, and its accompanying symptom of retinopathy is getting worse. He has lost much of his sight and was transferred to a facility for the aged.
　　I visited him with my youngest daughter, who was recently recognized as one of the best English speakers among Japanese medical students by the Government. This achievement is definitely with his assistance. I have no words to express my gratitude.

(Vocabulary)
accessory symptom, accompanying symptom  随伴症状

Einladungen

    Bald ist Winter, aber ich denke an Frühlingsferien. Auch in diesem Jahr habe ich einige Einladungen schon bekommen.
    Ich wollte in Kanada Ski fahren, aber meine Tochter wird an Oxford Uni. für einen Monat in nächsten März studieren, also nach ihrem Studium möchte ich auch Schottland mit ihr besuchen.
    Letzten Abend rufte mein alter Freund mich an und er lud mich ein zum Bergsteigen in den nördlichen Japanischen Alpen.
    Außerdem, die Summe von Flug-meilen reichte aus für vier inländsflugscheine, so ich kann überall in Japan von Haneda Flughafen mit meiner Frau reisen. Die südliche Inseln sind sehr interessant.
    Es freut mich, dass ich nur an meine Urlaubspläne denke.

Mt. Iwoyama

　　There's a river called "Kamuiwakka" on the Shiretoko Peninsula. The specificity of the river is the temperature of the water. It's warm! The farther up you go, the warmer the water is. There are several waterfall basins on the route of the river, each has its own water temperature. Visitors are able to enjoy a spa of their choice. I have been there twice and I wanted to see the site spewing from the ground, but I didn't have climbing gear at that time and I was also scared of the brown bears. When I looked down on the see, the water around the outlet of the river became tinted yellow. It would be due to the sulphur.
　　Looking at the map, I found Mt. Iwoyama upstream. I was waiting on the deck for the ship passing by the mountain. The first three pictures are of Mt. Iwoyama. No trees and grass were found on its top. It would be due to the sulphur. "Iwo" means sulphur and "yama" means mountain. I remembered the "Sulphur Mountain" in Banff. It's interesting that the method of naming is similar between Canadian and Japanese.
　　I'd visited the river in 1997 and 2001. The internet wasn't so popular at that time, but I wanted lots of people to see my pictures and put together a website of each trip. I'll show you the link to the websites and check the wonderful pictures.

(Vocabulary)
basin / plunge basin / water pocket / waterfall basin 滝つぼ
upstream (川の) 上流に
The village is about 5 miles upstream. 村は川上に約５マイル行った所にある．

Album 1997
Album 2001

　カムイワッカと呼ばれる川がある。お湯の流れる川だ。過去２回行ったことがあり、湯のわき出る場所を見たくなった。だが、登山道具を持っておらず、熊の危険もあり、登れていない。また、川下を覗き込むと海の色が一部変わっている。この川の硫黄のせいだ。以来、上流も下流も見てみたくて仕方が無い。
　地図を見ると上流には硫黄山と呼ばれる山がある。字の通り硫黄を噴きだしているのだろう。それを船から捉えた。最初の３枚がその写真。硫黄のために周囲には草木がない。
　１９９７年と２００１年に訪れたときのアルバムへのリンクを貼っておきます。

Mandarin Chinese

　　When I visited Vancouver last time, which was two years ago, the departure of my flight from Vancouver was delayed and moreover the plane couldn't land in Japan due to a furious wind. I was supposed to arrive at Narita International Airport, but the plane couldn't land, not only in Narita but in any other airport in Japan. My plane had to stop over in Seoul and I was stranded there for a day.
　　Back to the track, I dropped in at a Chinese restaurant for lunch, which was located in Chinatown in Vancouver before departure. Lots of the same Kanji characters are used in Japan and China, but to my regret, I couldn't confidently understand the name of the dishes on the menu, though it was written using Kanji characters. I've heard most Chinese people in Vancouver came from Hong Kong and so the language on the menu might be Cantonese. However, I silently decided to start learning Mandarin at that time and two years have passed since then.
　　Today, I finished a 2-year curriculum of Mandarin Chinese in a nearby private school. My present Chinese level is only that of fundamental beginners, but I'll continue to learn it. Next time I'll visit the same restaurant, and I'm going to order what I want to eat IN CHINESE! I can manage to read Chinese news websites with the help of dictionaries and I'm very pleased with the sense of attainment of a basic understanding of Chinese.

Weird Signs

　　After the 2011's catastrophic disaster in eastern Japan, every place in Japan dealt with strengthening the resilience of the land. In the Nagahama area in Ozu City, in which my office is located, is also one of those places. The city authorities made the banks higher and raised up the position of the iconic bridge of Nagahama, Akabashi, along with the banks. I heard of its completion and I went and saw it during lunch break today.
　　To no one's surprise now, there were some weird signs on the bridge, one of which is shown below. It is for bicycle riders and must be noticeable from moving bicycles. However, what do you think about the legibility of this sign. The Chinese and Korean signs shouldn't be written here, because it makes the visibility worse and at the same time it's impolite to people from other countries but China and Korea. It's the response to the immigrants', mainly from China and Korea, urge to display their words and phrases in Japanese society. However, Japanese and English are enough on such roadsigns.
　　Now, in Japan, more and more people began hating Chinese and Koreans due to their selfish behaviour. What became of this cause of exclusion of Koreans and Chinese in Japan?

(Vocabulary)
deal with sb/sth ＜…＞に対処［対応］する
Don't worry, I'll deal with this. 大丈夫ですよ．私が対処しますから．
resilience 立ち直る力, 回復力;(ゴムなどの) 弾力性 [同意] flexibility
noticeable〈影響・違い・変化などが〉目立つ, 目をみはらせる, 際立った, 著しい
legibility（筆跡などの）読みやすさ.
readability (本・雑誌などの) おもしろさ, わかりやすさ; 読みやすさ, 可読性
visibility 目につきやすいこと, 視認性
act on the public urge to  ～せよという一般人の要求に迎合する
adjust one's opinions and behavior to please  （人）に迎合する

Carry-on Luggage

　　I started packing my possessions into my two suitcases and carry-on bags. On my usual trip, I had worn casual clothes, but this time I had to bring my formal suits and a coat for attending the anniversary event of the sister city treaty. I didn't want to pack these clothes tightly. That's why I'm bringing two suitcases. I'm a gold member of Star Alliance and am permitted to use two suitcases without an additional fee. The carry-on bags are a daypack and a waist pouch. I'm carrying a digital single-lens reflex camera and another wide-angle lens, and moreover a compact digital camera. So, I need two types of carry-on bags.
　　In spring two years ago, when I headed home from Vancouver, I was supposed to arrive at Narita International Airport, but I awoke to something different. I found my plane flying near Incheon International Airport in South Korea on the private screen when I awoke. My plane couldn't land at Narita due to strong seasonal winds. I had to spend a day in Seoul with possessions in my carry-on bag only, without underwear, a battery charger for my cell phone and my mobile PC, my electric shaver,,, it was extremely inconvenient. I decided to pack minimum necessities for spending a day into my carry-on bags. The picture shows a compression bag for clothes. It's for space-saving and is very nice for packing clothes. Underwear and socks for a day are in the bag.

(Vocabulary)
carry-on luggage  機内持ち込みの手荷物
awake to sth ＜…＞という状況で目が覚める
We awoke to a beautiful sunny day. 目が覚めるとすばらしい天気だった．
awake to sth [句動詞]  ＜…＞に気づく, を悟る
check  （乗客が荷物を）（同じ飛行機やバスなどの貨物室に入れるために）預ける

Blood Transfusion

　　Saturday afternoon I'm in my office to care for a patient in a critical condition. She is over 90 and has been bleeding from the digestive system. She has been bedridden for more than 10 years and fed through a gastrostomy tube. She can't communicate with others, even with her family members. The bleeding focus is considered to be the large intestine, and it's probably a malignant tumor. If she was a little bit younger or had a little more physical strength, I wouldn't hesitate to resect the focus, but,,,,
　　She has already been transfused 5 units of irradiated red cell concentrates equivalent to a liter of whole blood. Only when receiving blood, a slight flush springs into her thin cheeks and her respiration condition gets better. She critically needs to be transfused again right now, but blood infusion to her is just like pouring water into a cup with a hole. The blood is donated by peoples' good will. We, medical personnel, aren't permitted to use it in vain. What should we do? Even if I continue to infuse blood into her, her life will be terminated in a week or so. I'm going to have a conference with her family.
　　It's getting cooler in Japan. The chill of today's morning air reminded me of the fresh air of Whistler in Canada. The following picture shows me in a tense situation on the Peak2Peak Gondola connecting the tops of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain. I get scared at that height.

(Vocabulary)
irradiated red cell concentrates 放射線照射済み濃厚赤血球
a slight flush spring into her thin cheeks  こけた頬に赤みが差す

Star Alliance Gold Member

　　I became a member of the Star Alliance Gold! I made a round trip to Canada twice this year. The destinations were Vancouver and Prince Edward Island via Toronto. I also utilized domestic flights more than usual this year. As a result, the invitation card was delivered from ANA, All Nippon Airways. I didn't know exactly how valuable its membership was and I learned about it on the website of ANA.
　　I realized how wonderful membership of Star Alliance Gold was. Each passenger has to follow the baggage allowance. When you go skiing, you have to cope with this restriction; skis, poles, ski boots, bulky clothing and other equipment, lots of items you have to carry. This membership loosens the restrictions on the number and the weight of your baggage.
　　As for my favorite, Air Canada, they handle skis, poles and ski boots as an exception and don't count the weight and the number of bags into the regulated weight and number. Naturally, they say, "Passengers shall not put anything other than skis, poles and boots in the designated bags." However, I've committed some fraudulent acts, I'm sorry! I make a confession. I have often put rice into my ski boots to save the space and weight of my suitcase, taking advantage of their courtesy. So, this membership should be helpful from now on.

(Vocabulary)
baggage allowance  [U] (特に飛行機への) 持ち込み可能手荷物（の量）
fraudulent  詐欺（行為）の, 不正の

Air Canada(AC) Lounge and Business Seat

　　It was the first time I had stepped into an international flight lounge run by airline companies. I had used the ANA(Japan-based Airline) lounge for domestic flights once, but that AC lounge was far above it. Over having light meals and alcoholic drinks, I enjoyed a TV program of the London Olympic Games. I spent about three hours there, wondering if the flight was delayed further, and I must have been seriously drunk. I had to kill an hour even after boarding. During torrential rain, all the services like fueling up, loading up and supplying food and amenities were suspended on all flights, which was why I had to spend an additional hour before taking off. Some canned beers and snacks were served during this time. When the plane moved to cruising from ascending, I saw how the seat worked and was surprised to see it become perfectly flat. I told an attendant not to wake me up even at dinner time, and slept. Perhaps with the efficacy of alcohol, I had a good sleep and when I woke up, dinner was served. It was a really luxurious experience.
　　When I arrived at Narita, I was really full of energy, so I successfully got through the baggage claim, customs, and passport control as I had intended, and received a hotel coupon and 3000 yen for supper from Air Canada. Together with the last trip, the total of three hotel coupons and five meal coupons were offered from Air Canda this year.

I Have Been There

　　I went directly to the information counter to get some information about my flight. They told me that I would have to wait for several hours. Her words reminded me of the upsets that I had experienced last March. I realized that I wouldn't be able to arrive at my hometown on the day when I arrived in Japan. I sent e-mails to my boss and my wife to explain my situation. Then, I sent an e-mail to my travel agent asking to book a hotel and the next flight. I wanted to be in my office on the next day.
　　Additionally, I had to deal with one thing. It was about my suitcase. I wanted to pick my suitcase up as early as possible in Narita in order to avoid jams. My flight would arrive at Narita International Airport late at night and passengers would be rushing to the designated counter for various procedures like booking hotels and flights from people who picked their suitcases up. You can save time if you pick your suitcase up earlier.
　　I asked for the extra price of a business seat. The seats were significantly vacant and they offered a discount price of 899 C$. I decided to take the business seat, because I thought I should take enough rest so as to attend my job on the next day.
　　Eventually, my selection turned out to be clever.

(Vocabulary)
I have been there. そこに行ったことがある。／それを経験したことがある。／それは経験済みだ。／そのことはよく知っている。
upsets [C] 番狂わせ;《[U], a/the ~》動揺, 気落ち; [C]もめごと, 面倒事; a stomach upset 胃の不調

Serious Delay Again

　　My vacation in Canada ended all too soon. On my last ski trip to Canada, the return flight to Japan couldn't land at Narita International Airport due to a seasonal storm. I had to stop over in Incheon, Korea away from Japan. If you'd like to know about it, please read a series of entries which starts from this entry(link). They must be funny and interesting. Anyway, just before departure from my hotel, I looked up the weather report on Japan via the internet. It was fine. The sky through the hotel window was clear. Something bad should never happen. When I was packing my suitcase, listening to the sound from the T.V., I felt I heard the word "storm". Looking back to the T.V. promptly, the forecast program was just over. The sky of Toronto was considerably fine and I couldn't believe the forecast. My ears were playing tricks, I assumed.
　　I used the transport service shown in the first picture from my hotel to the airport. On arriving at the airport, the driver asked my departure time. He was sorry to say, "a storm is coming! Your flight will be delayed or cancelled", pointing toward the black cluster of clouds in the distance. Just after entering the airport building, I heard the announcement to inform us that all flights were subject to delay. Now, what should I do in such case?

(Vocabulary)
Your ears are playing tricks on you.  空耳です。／気のせいだ。
in the distance  遠くに［で］
be subject to delay  遅れる可能性がある