Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

To the U.K. Again

　　Our seats were 60A & 60B on the Boeing 777-300 from BKK to Heathrow. They were the last row on the plane. We didn't bother about the passengers on the back. The toilet was located next to our seats and this condition was helpful to a beer drinker.
　　When drifting in and out of dreamland, a walking cabin attendant met the eye. She looked like a Buddhist priest walking and surprised me. My mother, who is now suffering from serious dementia, was interested in Asian art and was collecting Buddha images. I felt those images walking, and my blood ran cold. The uniform of the cabin attendants was beautiful in the bright light, but ,,,.
　　Waking up completely, it was bright outside. Breakfast was soon delivered. When eating it looking down at the earth, I found a huge airport. Then I spotted a distinctive bend of a big river and a big city. I was instantly sure that the river was the Rhine and the city was Mainz. I detected the influx of the Main into the Rhine. That must have meant that the huge airport I'd found was Frankfurt Airport, which I utilized 4~5 times.
　　I relatively understand the geography of these areas of the EU and there's a rock around that I've long been interested in. I tried to search the Rhine for the rock. Our plane passed the distinctive bend of the Rhine at Filsen and Koblenz came into my sight. That meant we had already passed the rock.
　　Do you know the story of "Lorelei"? I looked for the rock of Lorelei, but in vain. From this height, it might be impossible to spot it. To record where we were, I took a picture of the map on the screen, but it was meaningless with this resolution. (grin)
　　I've examined a few cruise tours of the Rhine while my second daughter was living in Germany. That's why I knew the geography of the middle river basin of the Rhine. After my daughter came back, the chance of visiting Germany decreased, but I'd like to look up the rock of Lorelei from the surface of the Rhine.

(Vocabulary)
have/pay regard to ～を顧慮する
drift in and out of dreamland 浅い眠りでうつらうつらしている
meet the eye 目に映る
one's blood runs cold　ぞっとする（非常な驚きや恐怖を感じて）〔体温が急に下がって血(blood)が冷たくなる(run cold)ような感覚から。〕
bend (道・川などの) 曲がった部分, カーブ
river basin 河川の流域

　バンコクからヒースロー国際空港へはタイ航空B７７７ー３００の６０A/B席だった。これは、一番後ろの２列並びの席で後ろの客に気を遣うこともなく、トイレは横にあるのでビールをいくらでも飲める。出発は午前０時３０分でビールを飲むのにうってつけの時間帯。一杯呑んでから寝ましょう。
　寝ている途中、うっすらと開けたうとうとした目に映ったのはタイ航空機内でＣＡの歩く姿、まるで坊さんが歩いているようで、，，ドッキリ。今や認知症で訳がわからなくなっている母親が東洋美術に興味があり、東南アジアの仏像を集めていた。それらが歩いているようでゾッとした。
　完全に目を覚ますと外は明るくなっていた。朝食が運ばれてきた。下を眺めながら食事をしていると、大きな空港が見える。続いて大河の湾曲が見えてきた。紛れもない、マインツの街だ。ということは空港はフランクフルトだったか。過去に４～５回利用したことがある。
　この辺りはＥＵのなかでも比較的地理を理解している。気になっている場所がある。目を皿のようにして探したが、飛行機はFilsenの特徴的な地形（ラインの湾曲）を過ぎ、コブレンツのが見えてきた。ということは捜していた地点は通り過ぎてしまったことになる。
　実は、ローレライ伝説の岩を探していた。この高度では特定は無理かもしれない。飛行中の場所を記録しておこうとディスプレイを撮影しておいたが、この拡大率では無理がある。（笑）
　数年前にライン川クルーズを検討したので地形をよく覚えている。ドイツに留学していた次女が帰国したためドイツに行く機会が減ったがいつか川面からローレライの岩を見上げてみたい、，，

Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)

　　Our plane took off on schedule out of Kansai International Airport and arrived at BKK at 2125 hours. When we got off the plane, the Japanese announcement was weird. I hoped there was at least one CA who can speak Japanese on the flight in and out of Japan. Can the crews securely do an evacuation guidance in a crisis?
　　Getting off the plane, the gate and surroundings were dark. I wondered if a partial power cut might be happening. We had 3 hours until the connecting flight, and went lounge-hopping.
　　Firstly, we swung by the Turkish Airlines lounge. The lounge wasn't a pleasant clean environment. Tables and plates weren't clean and I didn't see anyone wipe tables clean. I expected to eat kebab, but it was not prepared. Though our table wasn't clean, I thought it normal there and stayed for some time over some meal and Thai beer, but it was a bad judgement in retrospect . The next Silverkris lounge (Singapore Airlines)was gorgeous and clean. Then we moved to the Miracle Lounge, which seemed to be built recently and was open and clean. We should have spent spare time here instead of the Turkish lounge. There were several kinds of dishes, but we were able to eat some ice cream and refreshments only. I found the shower facility there and I decided to try to use it at the stopover on the return flight.

(Vocabulary)
flight in and out of Japan　日本発着のフライト
evacuation guidance 避難誘導
gate and surroundings　ゲートとその周辺
in retrospect 後から振り返ると

まずはトルコ航空　清潔感に問題あり　スタッフがテーブルを拭くシーンは見なかった。そしてかなり汚れていた。皿の汚れも目立っていた。これがここでは普通なのかと思い、しばらく居たが、後から考えると失敗だった。
トルコ航空からシンガポール航空のラウンジSilverkrisへ移動、そしてD６ゲート正面のミラクルラウンジへ。ここは、比較的最近に出来たラウンジらしく、とても清潔、開放的で気に入った。
美味しそうな料理がいろいろあったのだが、トルコ航空のラウンジで食べ過ぎて食べられず。残念なことをした。ミラクルラウンジのアイスクリームは美味しかった。トルコ航空のラウンジは次回からはスルーが吉
更にタイ航空のラウンジを目指すつもりでいたが、２００メートルくらい先ということでカミさんが行かないというのでミラクルラウンジで出発まで過ごした。

Thai Airways International

　　We flew Thai Airways(TG) firstly to Bangkok. Some might wonder why TG to fly from Japan to the U.K? I utilized the award tickets of a Star Alliance member of ANA. We preferred the direct flight, but there seemed to be no vacancy on direct flights. I wanted to reach the U.K. as soon as possible, but that's why I had to stop by Bangkok. However, I was thankful for the award flights under the conditions of the weak yen as it was independent of the exchange movement. Additionally, we received preferential treatment from TG at the check-in counter as we're Star Alliance Gold members, though we chose the cheapest way, I mean, I booked economy seats with award tickets, so I felt a little embarrassed to line up on the fast track.
　　The ANA lounge in Kansai International airport(KIX) was crowded and I had a small quantity of pan-fried noodles. I was not so hungry and I wanted to keep some space in my stomach for the in-flight meal. I love spicy Thai cuisine. The plane was almost empty and we could use another seat for a temporary place for my gadgets. The flight was so relaxing.
　　The first in-flight meal was a straight choice between chicken and pork. The pork version was Thai flavored and I chose that and it was great! The red wine of the TG choice was also good.

(Vocabulary)
exchange movement 為替の変動
receive preferential treatment from ～から特別待遇を受ける
pan-fried noodles 焼きそば
a straight choice between A and B ＡとＢの二者択一

At Kansai International Airport

　　Our plane landed at Osaka International Airport(ITM) after about 40 minutes' flight. We were flying from Kansai International Airport(KIX), but there was no direct flight from my city to KIX, so we had to stop by at ITM. The connection from ITM to KIX was not so good. We usually choose Haneda and Narita, but we utilized mileage points to get air tickets and were designated to start from KIX. However, it was fuel surcharge only that we had to pay, and some inconvenience was acceptable.
　　KIX was under refurbishment here and there. This work obstructed walkways. Anyway, we exchanged yen for euros. My daughter advised me we wouldn't need cash, but we experienced a cash-only taxi in Oxford last year, so I prepared euros worth about 10,000 yen (U.S. $ 70). The exchange rate was 210 yen/￡1, but it was 200 /￡1 through Revolut. I decided to mainly use the Revolut card in the U.K.. I was going to wander around Notting Hill outdoor market and I thought cash would be required to buy something there. I'm writing this article after coming back. The euro cash was unused in the long run. I'll bring it again on next year's trip.
　　We had lunch at a famous Chinese restaurant chain of 551. This chain sounds famous, but I didn't know it. Anyway, the Tianjin rice we ate was so-so.

(Vocabulary)
refurbishment (建物・部屋などの) （全面的な）改装, 新装
refurbish 〈ホテル，レストランなど〉 を（全面的に）改装する, 新装する
Tianjin rice 天津飯

Wine Tasting

　　The biannual event of wine tasting in my home was held on Apr. 12th after a while. Under the strict regulations of the pandemic, it wasn't able to be held regularly for a few years. In addition to the regular participants, three of my friends newly joined.
　　Wine is usually bottled tightly and it's difficult to taste a wine before buying it and you have to choose them from the shelves of liquor shops only by their labels. You sometimes fail to choose what you'd like to drink because their tastes are unknown before opening the bottles. This is the reason why I began to hold a wine tasting gathering in my home. I invite professionals from a wine importer of Osaka to know the background of each wine along with tasting of it.
　　The participants enjoyed tasting and choosing their kind of wine and ordered it from the company. The marketer brought 10 kinds of wine and in total we ordered four dozen bottles of wine. After the tasting, we had a merrymaking over several kinds of wine.
　　The following picture shows me organizing the bottles which were delivered at a later date.

(Vocabulary)
at a later date 後日

Kappabashi Dougu Street and Alsace Restaurant Gentil

　　I went to Tokyo to attend an exhibition of camping cars on a large scale. Lots of gorgeous and large motor homes didn't interest me and I wanted to check only several small cars equipped with various electrical components like a cooler run by DC 12V, a fridge, and a microwave. If I looked around all the cars, it would take more than 6 hours, but I didn't have so much time. Therefore, the exhibition was open at 9 a.m. but I dropped in at Kappabashi Dougu Street on the way to the exhibition. My wife and I strolled around the street. This street is well-known worldwide. Various buyers from overseas gather at this street to find handmade artisan items. We were going to get a Deba knife specified for cutting fish and stopped by a knife shop where some tourists were asking something to shop staff. One of them seemed to be a chef from the U.S.. He was saying that he made it a rule to buy his knives at this shop. He was an avid user of the shop's products. Dull knives have a high risk of injury, so we bought one.
　　I recalled how dull the set of cooking knives in my condominium in Hawaii was. Every time I visited my condominium, we asked the hotel manager to give proper maintenance to the knives. Nothing changed, however. On the condominium users' bulletin board on the net, it's described that the visitors should bring cooking knives from your home and we have done so every time. Seeing the showcase of cooking knives, an idea came into my mind. The knives which we thought were dull might be common in the U.S., therefore some professional chefs are fond of using ones made by Japanese craftsmen. My idea would be correct. The url of the street is at the end of this entry.
　　Then we headed for an Alsace Restaurant called Gentil, which we had happened to see on T.V. We ordered some traditional dishes which would take time for cooking yesterday in advance. To tell the truth, I had visited Alsace with my second daughter in March in 2010. The trip memos are on this blog. I remember having eaten escargot in Riquewihr in Alsace and I wanted to eat them again. The restaurant was really crowded and that was the token of its popularity. The Gentil's staff members were kind and gentle. The delicious dishes are rather obvious things to say. On the next trip to Tokyo, we'll swing by this restaurant.

https://www.kappabashi.or.jp/en/

https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2010/04/lunch.html

 

Celebratory Meal

　　The following picture is the first meal of the year 2024 in my hospital. A sudden deterioration of a patient was detected yesterday and I was called. I spent a whole night in my hospital and the breakfast in the picture was delivered on the 1st with a kitchen staff's buoyant speech "Happy New Year". This breakfast is a kind of celebratory meal and was offered to patients who are allowed to eat an ordinary diet. What would become of this year? I'd have time to spare in the evening and shall I plan the trips this year?
　　When I wrote this entry up here, I heard of the earthquake in Noto District, north of Kyoto. The year 2024 got off to a rocky start.

(Vocabulary)
rocky start 前途多難なスタート［出発］
be off to a rocky start 困難な［波乱の］スタートを切る

Haleiwa

　　Our minivan entered into the town of Haleiwa, which is located at the north of Oahu island and is the center of the North Shore. Some restaurants, souvenir shops, and a famous shaved ice shop were lined up along the road. I took a plate lunch from a food truck and the Hawaiian garlic shrimps were really delicious.
　　After lunch, my wife and I strolled along the main street of Haleiwa, which was a small village where you can walk from one end to the other end in 30 minutes or so. When I visited the North Shore for the first time, I took a rest at an old warehouse-like shop on the outskirts of the town. I'd like to buy matching aloha shirts for me and my granddaughter this time, but the famous aloha shop didn't have one for female infants, so I bought a gorgeous aloha shirt for me only. My wife enjoyed a colorful shaved ice from its original shop in Hawaii that a Japanese had opened more than 50 years ago. He was the one who made shaved ice take root in Hawaii.

(Vocabulary)
matching outfits（二人以上の人たちの）

ハレイワの街へ入った。オアフ島の北側、ノースショアの中心地でレストランや土産物店、有名なかき氷屋などがある。我々はここで昼食をとった。我々の昼食は小型の廃バスを利用した店のプレートランチだった。名物のガーリックシュリンプはとてもうまかった。

その後、街を散策。といっても小さな町なので３０分もあれば端から端まで歩けてしまう。前回は町外れの古い倉庫を利用した１００年前のたたずまいの店でのんびりしたが、今回はここにある専門店でアロハシャツを買いたかった。出来れば孫娘とお揃いのもの。しかし、子供用は男の子用が数店あるだけで女の子用はなかった。しかたなく、自分用のだけを買ったが最高に良いものを買うことが出来た。カミさんは念願のかき氷。かき氷は日本人が開業しこの地の名物となったらしい。

Chinaman's Hat

　　We drove out to the east side of the island from Moanalua gardens through the mountainous region on the H3. The mountain chain became rugged, far from the gentle slope of the areas of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. We saw the other aspect of Oafu island. The numerous waterfalls will apparently emerge on rainy days in every valley. I'd like to see them someday.
　　We dropped in at Tropical Farms Macadamia Nuts, which was a specialized store for macadamia nuts and there were lots of customers inside. I tasted several kinds of nuts and coffee from the shop originally grown on their farm. All of them were very delicious. I was at a loss as to what to buy for my friends. I picked some kinds of nuts for souvenirs, though I finally consumed all of them myself. I hope I can get them from Japan.
　　We stopped by to see China Man Hat Island, which actually looked like a Chinaman's hat. I'm not familiar with the earth science. I wondered how the hat had been generated. Did the lava spew out from underground? Was a body of lava blown out from a volcano? Then we saw the entrance of Kualoa Ranch, but we didn't have enough time to visit it.

モアナルア公園を出て３号線を走り、島の東側に出た。山が荒々しくなり、ホノルルやパールハーバー辺りの緩やかな斜面とは全く異なり、オアフ島の別の一面を見た。雨が降ると谷の部分全てに滝が生まれ幻想的な景色になるという。一度見てみたいものだ。

まずはマカデミアナッツ専門店Tropical Farms Macadamia Nutsに立ち寄った。中はごった返していた。サンプルを何種類も食べてみたがどれも美味しい。選ぶのに迷いながらお土産にといくつか買ったが、すぐに自分が消費してしまった。日本で手に入らないだろうか？

すぐそばにChina Man Hat Islandと呼ばれるその名の通りの島があり、立ち寄った。写真を見るとわかるように、まさに中国人の帽子のようだった。クアロア牧場の入口だけをみた。中を見たかったが時間が無い。次回は牧場の中へ入ってみたい。

クアロア牧場　 https://www.kualoa.jp/

Dinner

　　Unfamiliar countries will have unfamiliar food. We dropped in at the Ala Moana Center to get some food for dinner on the way back. A big-size beef as we expected in the U.S., Hawaiian traditional food of poke and turkey sandwiches - turkey is rare to see in Japan - and something unfamiliar. We got a variety of food and cooked as we liked. We enjoyed the merit of staying at the condominium. The last picture was shot at the adjacent yacht harbor from the wonderful walking route.

慣れない土地には珍しい料理がいろいろある。パールハーバーからの帰りにはアラモアナセンターへ寄って、食料品の買い出しをした。アメリカらしいビッグサイズの肉に、ハワイ名物のポキ、アメリカのサンドイッチによくわからないもの（笑）、いろいろ買って思うがままに調理。コンドミニアムへ滞在しているメリットを十分に享受している。最後の写真はコンドミニアムのあるヒルトンハワイアンビレッジの隣のヨットハーバーの夕景です。素晴らしい散歩コースです。

Lounge

　　We took a short rest at the lounge which visitors of the penthouse were allowed to use. We could drink beer, wine, and some soft drinks for free. Light snacks were also ready. This lounge was 20 meters from our room, so it was very convenient. The pictures are an example of what we ate after coming back from Pearl Harbor.

　夕食前にラウンジで休憩。ラウンジでは無料でビール、ワイン、ソフトドリンクを楽しめる。軽食が用意されており、とても便利でした。我々の部屋と同じ階にあり、２０メートルほど歩けば到着する。滞在中、たびたびお世話になった。下の写真は、パールハーバーから帰って軽く食べたもの。

Condominium

　　We stayed at a penthouse of the Hilton Grand Islander, which was a condominium-style accommodation. Condominiums aren't well known in Japan and I'd like to write about them.
　　Condominiums are usually equipped with kitchens, plates and utensils, silverware, appliances like home electric washing machines with a built-in dryer, microwave ovens, fridges, dishwashers, and visitors can stay at them just like living in their houses. Visitors can shop for food and necessities at a supermarket and cook them like in their daily life. The following picture was shot in the kitchen. You'll know that everyone was enjoying staying in the condominium from it. The oven was from the U.S. and its setting was designed to be done by Fahrenheit. On the other hand, Celsius is principally used in Japan. As a result, every time we used the oven, we had to convert Celsius into Fahrenheit. My friend who doesn't cook in everyday life, took a role in conversion work sitting at the counter. To be more precise, his smartphone did the work. The use of unfamiliar appliances or cooking ingredients were also a lot of fun in condominiums.

(Vocabulary)
conversion（計量単位や通貨などの）返還

コンドミニアムについて：

今回の旅ではヒルトンのペントハウスを利用しました。コンドミニアムは日本ではまだあまり認知されていません。この記事ではどのような宿泊施設なのか、説明したいと思います。

キッチン、オーブンや電子レンジなどの家電品、食器類、調理道具、フルサイズの冷蔵庫や洗濯機などが備わっていて住むように滞在できます。写真は料理風景です。オーブンはアメリカ製なので温度設定が華氏で設定するようになっています。オーブンを使うたびに使い慣れている摂氏から華氏に変換してオーブンをセットするのですが、日頃料理をしない友人はカウンターに腰掛け、その摂氏から華氏への変換作業をしています。実際にはスマホがやっているのですが。使い慣れないアメリカ製の調理器具を使うのも、『これ何だろう』と思いながら珍しい食材を買って食べてみる、というのもコンドミニアム滞在の楽しみの一つです。

Honolulu Marathon

　　Before the entrance of my condominium, lots of runners were moving from the direction of Waikiki beach to the starting point. The start line was set in front of the Ala Moana Center, about 1km from my condominium. We got to the starting place 30 minutes before the starting time. The gathering spot was filled with excitement. The Honolulu marathon is one of the sports events, but I didn't feel any sense of tension from runners around me. The organizer of the marathon didn't set a time limit for finishing the marathon, so I enjoyed the marathon without being concerned about "time-out".
　　The marathon was begun not with a shot from a starting gun but the sounds of fireworks. It was 5 o'clock in the morning, but the sky was still dark before the break of day and the fireworks were really beautiful. The number of runners was about 30,000 and it was 15 minutes later for runners around me to move forward. I saw some on-screen talents running with lighting and shooting assistants. I was captured in a video of one of those talents, "Egashira 2:50", and I'll show you below.
　　I saw various runners, one of them was running with a horn. An old lady was running in memory of her doctor in charge. I was able to run in high gear until the 20km post, but as the sun started burning and it got sweltering, I got exhausted. I couldn't cover up the lack of practice.
　　One thing, the scenery of the seaside of Oahu island was wonderful and I often stopped running and took snapshots or chatted or danced with supporters along the route. After all, my finish time was 9 and a half hours, which was unbelievably bad. However, I enjoyed the marathon. I'd like to join the marathon again some day.
　　In the last picture, the marathon runners were having a party with American beef and wine. I look exhausted and the young lady seems to be perfectly normal. Age tells.

(Vocabulary)
be filled with excitement（催し物・試合などの場所が）熱気に包まれている
the break of day 夜明け

外へ出るとコンドミニアムの前にはすでにスタート地点に向けて大勢の人が歩いていました。アラモアナセンター前からの出発で、我々も１ｋｍほど歩いて３０分くらい前にスタート地点に到着。集合場所はすごい熱気で溢れかえりランナー達はみな楽しそう。スポーツイベントなのですが、あまり緊張感は感じられません。リゾート地のマラソンならではでしょう。制限時間がないので、いつも制限時間を気にしながら走る僕でも気楽に走れます。

スタートの合図はなんと、花火！朝とは言えまだ５時。真っ暗な空に打ち上がる花火の轟音とともにスタートするわけですが、僕の周りのランナーたちが動き始めるまで１０分くらいかかりました。参加者は３万人近くだったそうです。芸能人たちが照明係のスタッフとともに走っていて、そのうちの一人、コメディアンの江頭さんの動画に映り込んでいました。キャプチャー画像を下に載せます。さて、マラソンですが、２０ｋｍまでは快調でしたが、日差しが強すぎて後半はバテてしまいました。練習不足はごまかせません。

快晴の中、景色が素晴らしく、観光スポットで写真を撮りながら走るとついついペースが落ちて９時間３０分でゴール。タイム的には呆れたタイムでしたが、マラソン自体は楽しめました。沿道の応援に応えたり、所々で写真を撮ったり、一緒に踊ったり、，，，ホルンを演奏しながら走っている人や、主治医の追悼のために走っていると思われる高齢女性もいました。しんどかったですが、また走りたいと思っています。

最後の写真は夜、それまで我慢していたワインを飲みながら一緒に走った仲間で宴会をしています。僕のやつれた顔と若い女性の顔が対照的。いやはや歳には勝てませんな。

Honolulu Marathon Eve

　　On the eve of the Honolulu marathon, the dinner was beef steaks. I usually have wine with it, but I refrained from drinking wine for fear of impacting on the marathon. I went to bed about 9 p.m. and got up at 3 a.m. 2 hours before the starting time.
　　The following picture is the breakfast of the Marathon day. This was a typical Japanese-style one with rice and miso soup. Rice keeps you going longer than bread and miso soup goes really well with rice. We brought instant miso soup from Japan for this day. We set out for the starting site at 4 a.m.

明日はいよいよホノルルマラソン。夜はステーキを焼いてもらった。いつもならワインを飲むところだが、今日は不可。しっかりと食べて９時前に就寝し、午前３時に朝食。写真はその食事。腹持ちの良いおにぎりと味噌汁など和食。このために日本から持って来た。４時、スタート地点へ向かった。

KCC (Kapi Olani Community College) Farmers' Market

　　There are some farmers' markets on Oahu island and we visited one of them, the most popular one among tourists. It was located in the parking lot of KCC (Kapi Olani Community College) and had been held once a week, on Saturday morning. I'd like to take pictures of unfamiliar fruits and plants there, but I gave up as I ate an oily hamburger and my hands got greasy. The pictures below were given to me by my friend. I was really interested in fruits and raw food, but I refrained from eating them. If I have stomach troubles from them, I should have to give up joining the Honolulu marathon. Being on the safe side, I ate heated food only.
　　We were going to climb up the Diamond Head next, but we had time by the appointed time and went back to Waikiki beach. I'll write about the appointed time of the Diamond Head in the next entry. Anyway, just simply walking around the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel was a lot of fun. People around the hotel pool were full of smiles and cheerfulness. At the entrance hall of the hotel, we saw a statue of three sea turtles and a sand statue of Santa Claus.
　　Sea turtles are called "Honu" in Hawaiian. They are considered to be very holy and are believed to bring good fortune. The airliner, A380, of ANA which connects between Narita and Honolulu is nicknamed "Honu" and three types of Honu are printed on its fuselage. A sand statue of Santa Claus was also displayed. He wore a short-sleeved jacket with a surfboard. That was really what you would have expected in Hawaii in this season.

(Vocabulary)
fuselage （飛行機の）胴体, 機体

　オアフ島で最も有名で観光客を集めている産直市へやって来ました。油っぽいものを食べて手がベタベタであまり写真を撮れず友人が撮影した写真をもらってＵＰしています。気になる食べ物、飲み物がいろいろありましたが、慣れないものを食べて万一腹を壊したら、明日のホノルルマラソンに参加できなくなるので、大事を取って加熱したものだけを食べました。かなり広いのですが、写真が少なくてすみません。

　ダイヤモンドヘッド入山の予約時刻まで間があったのでいったんワイキキビーチへ戻り、シェラトンホテル周辺を散歩。ワイキキビーチはどこを見ても皆笑顔にあふれていて気持ちが良い。シェラトンホテルのエントランスにはウミガメとサンタクロースのオブジェがありました。

　ウミガメは、ハワイ語で「ホヌ」といいます。ハワイではとても神聖な生き物とされ、幸運を運んでくる「海の守り神」として親しまれています。そう言えば、ＡＮＡが成田ーホノルル間を飛ばしているＡ３８０のニックネームはホヌで機体にはウミガメの絵が描かれていますね。そばにはサーフィンを楽しむ砂のサンタクロースがいました。夏の薄着のサンタクロースはどうも違和感がありますね。（笑）

　さて、午後はいよいよダイヤモンドヘッドに登ります。

 

Fireworks and Dinner

　　The fireworks display started on time. This display had been offered by the Hilton once a week on Friday night. A porter told us that our room is one of the best places to view fireworks, so we were waiting for it. His words were correct and we enjoyed it so much. We could watch every rocket from the set-off to its disappearance. The fireworks display is very popular and is an seasonal occurrence in Japan. However, it's rare to watch its ignition. We had a valuable experience. Every time a rocket was shot, a cheer arose on the ground. It would be hot and muggy in the crowd, but we were able to enjoy fireworks in a comfortable air-conditioned room and we were really happy. You can see the situation from the following pictures. Enjoy them.
　　We had a simple meal tonight with pizza and salad. The uncommonly big beef - at least in Japan - was prepared for tomorrow's dinner in advance. We were lucky to be with a good chef. Looking out after a while, the fireworks' viewing boats disappeared and a quiet ocean was there.
　　Viewing this peaceful scenery, I couldn't believe the incident which had occurred on Niihau island in Hawaii today 82 years ago. It was a simple property crime originally, but eventually developed into a serious murder case. Anyway, I'd like to honor a young man who had fought for Japan. He was from the same prefecture as ours.

(Vocabulary)
rocket [C] 打ち上げ花火
Someone set off a rocket. だれかが花火を打ち上げた．
property crime 窃盗事件

 

　ヒルトンの花火が始まった。ポーターがこの部屋は花火を見るには最高の場所だと言っていたが、まったくその通りだった。花火が打ち上がる瞬間から、消えるまで目で追うことが出来た。こんな経験はあまり出来ないだろう。打ち上がるたびに下の方から歓声が聞こけてくる。おそらく下は蒸し暑いだろうが、我々は涼しいところで花火を楽しめた。
　夕食はテイクアウトのピザなどで簡単に済ませた。日本で見ることのあまりないサイズの牛肉は明日に備えて下準備。食後、外を見ると沖合にいた花火鑑賞のための船はいなくなり、静寂な海が拡がっていた。
　この平和な景色を見ていると８２年前の今日、ここで起こったことが信じられなくなってくる。真珠湾攻撃に続いて起こったニイハウ島事件。住民による単純な窃盗事件だったのだが大きな問題になった。それに立ち向かったわが郷土出身のひとりの若者を讃えたい。

Waikiki

　　We went out shopping for food. The 1st floor of the condominium was the trolley terminal and it was very handy. We got on a trolley to the Royal Hawaiian Center and walked along Kalakaua street. I'll show you some snaps taken on the way.
　　I saw a big Christmas tree in the center. It didn't sit well with me in such hot temperatures. People around wore light clothes like a T-shirt, shorts, beach sandals, and so on. No one wore a long coat or snow boots. Anyway, such curious sensations were also a fun part of the trips. We walked through the International Market Place and reached Waikiki Market, which had opened early this year. This market, I thought, would be very convenient for visitors who stayed around Waikiki beach. With prices soaring, daily visits to restaurants cost a lot and take-out supper is also a high price. The room equipped with a kitchen was a blessing.
　　The last picture shows a famous hand gesture called "SHAKA". FYI, "SHAKA" isn't Hawaiian. Anyway, it has a sad story and I'd like to let my friends know the story, but in vain. There stands a statue of a man who had been the origin of the "SHAKA" gesture at the entrance of the Polynesian Culture Center in Kahuku, northeast of Oahu island. Kahuku was his original place. The description of the monument is a little different from the common explanation on the net, but the description on his monument was much more acceptable for me. I was going to take my friends there, but time was short.

(Vocabulary)
wear light clothes [clothing] 薄着する
hand gesture/signal ハンドサイン

　全員で買い物に出た。コンドミニアムの１階がトロリーのターミナルとなっているので実に便利。ロイヤルハワイアンセンターまでトロリーを利用し、後はカラカウア通りをブラブラと散歩。道中のスナップを呈示します。
　こんなに暑い中でのクリスマスツリーにはやはり違和感あり。カラカウア通りからインターナショナルマーケットプレイスを抜けてワイキキマーケット到着。今年初頭にオープンした話題のマーケットなので来てみた。ワイキキビーチ近くのコンドミニアム滞在者には便利な店だろうなと思う。物価が高いのでそうそうレストランは利用できないし、テイクアウトも高いから部屋にキッチンがあるのは助かる。
　最後の写真はシャカSHAKA（実はハワイ語ではありません）、ハワイでの挨拶のハンドサイン。実は悲しい歴史があるのだが、同行の仲間達に伝えることを忘れた。カフクにあるポリネシアンカルチャーセンターの入口にこのサインを生んだ人物の銅像と悲しい歴史が書かれていてそれを見てもらいたかったが時間が足らずに寄れなかった。ネット上の説明と少し異なっていてここに書かれている説明の方が僕には受け入れやすかったので。

Penthouse

　　We stayed in the penthouse on the 34th floor of the Hilton Grand Islander. This is one of the best rooms in the Hilton Hawaiian Village and was very wide. As one of the benefits, we were able to have breakfast and an evening meal, hors d'oeuvre, or pupu in Hawaiian including wine and beer for free in its lounge located on the same floor.
　　Eight of us used this room, so we got 8 key cards and 8 towel cards. The towel cards can be exchanged for towels at the towel stand near the beach or pools. When coming back to the room, you can receive it in exchange for the used towels. This system is very handy.
　　After enjoying the scene from the balcony, we went shopping for food. Shopping for food is one of the daily activities, but it's great fun in unfamiliar places.

(Vocabulary)
hors d'oeuvre〈フランス語〉pupu <ハワイ語＞　オードブル

　アイランダーの３４階にあるペントハウスへ入室した。最上級の部屋だけあってさすがに広い。同じ階にあるラウンジでは朝食と夕食（軽めのオードブル＋ワイン、ビール）が無料でサービスされる。
　８人で利用するので８人分のカードキーとタオルカードを受け取った。タオルカードはビーチに数カ所あるタオルスタンドでタオルに交換してくれる。使ったタオルと交換で返してくれるので何度もビーチへ行ってもその都度新しいタオルを貸してくれる便利なシステムだ。眺めをしばらく楽しんだ後、夕食の食材の買い出しに出かけた。
　買物は日常的な行動だが、見知らぬ土地での買物はそれ自体が非日常で楽しい。

Flight to Hawaii

　　Some airlines like JAL, ANA, Hawaiian, etc fly various types of airliners from several airports in Japan to Honolulu. Japan's Capital, Tokyo, has two international airports, Narita and Haneda. My local airport has direct flights to Haneda, so the flights leaving Haneda are very handy in respect of the connection to overseas flights. However, we chose ANA Airbus A380 among them which starts from Narita International Airport. This is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. I've experienced it once, but my friends never.
　　This trip is what you call an anniversary trip as I wrote in the previous entry, so we took premium economy seats. I'll show you the seat and our first in-flight meals.

日本からホノルルへは数社が飛行機を飛ばしている。東京には二つの国際空港があり、地元の空港と繋がっている羽田空港が便利だが、今回は先に書いたように記念旅行であり、日本からはこの路線しか飛んでいないA380に乗るために成田空港を利用した。シートは二階席のプレミアムエコノミー。搭乗待合室や最初に運ばれてきた機内食をＵＰします。

United Club

　　We left our local airport and made a connection at Haneda International Airport with an inter-airport connecting bus. It was about noon when we got to Narita International Airport. We checked in at ANA counter and passed through the departure formalities. Then we headed for the lounge offered from United Airlines, United Club for lunch. The three of us were gold members of the Star Alliance and utilized the benefit. The lounge was open and larger than I expected. Its atmosphere was gorgeous. I had lunch and some beer. I'd like to have taken snapshots to record the scene inside, but I couldn't avoid other customers coming in the pictures and gave up taking pictures.
　　I'll upload the pictures which my friend took. Our next destination was ANA's lounge! We had a short and small party there over dishes and alcohol offered from ANA for free. The lounge-hopping was new to me.

(Vocabulary)
come in the pictures 写真に写り込む

 


地元の空港から飛行機と空港間連絡を乗り継いで成田空港へ到着したのがお昼頃。ＡＮＡのカウンターでチェックインを済ませ、出国し、ランチはユナイテッド航空のラウンジで無料の料理やアルコールをいただいた。メンバーのうち３名がスターアライアンスのゴールドホルダーだったので特典を生かして全員で。ユナイテッド航空のラウンジは豪華で広く開放的でくつろげた。写真を撮ろうとしたがどうしても人が映り込んでしまうので迷惑を掛けてもいけないので写真は諦めた。
代わりに同行の友人が撮った写真をＵＰする。ほろ酔い気分でラウンジを出て今度はＡＮＡのラウンジに立ち寄り、まったり。ラウンジのハシゴは初めての経験。