Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Party Named as Welcoming Meeting

     About 800 rally officials were divided into some small groups and the group that I belonged to was called "F mountain", which consisted of 100 members give or take. We, members of F mountain were told to gather at a Japanese-style inn located on the first floor of the hotel. The welcoming meeting was supposed to be held at 10 o'clock in the evening, so I went there with a memo pad. I expected to get important information from the authorities, like from the FIA (Federation Internationale de I'Automobile), but the meeting was over only in 30 seconds. We were required to show up at the lobby at 8:30 the next morning. That was it. After that, the meeting was simply a party. It was so much fun.

A Bowl of Okhotsk with Soba Noodles (The Bowl of Seafood) オホーツク丼

     I tried to translate a Japanese dish into English and the result is the title of this entry. I don't know if this translation is perfect or not.
     We dropped in at a restaurant adjacent to our hotel on Oct. 30th. When I visit a certain place, I usually try local foods and the word "Okhotsk" was attractive for me and I chose it. I realized that I was certainly in Hokkaido to see "Okhotsk" on the menu.
     The dish was several kinds of seafood on rice. It looked nice seeing it on the menu that I'm showing below, but the dish that was actually  served was as below. These were never the same ones!

(KW: オホーツク丼)

At Tokyo International Airport

     I was thinking to take many pictures for my teammates who couldn't attend the Rally Japan so they could see where I went and what I ate.
     Anyway, we got to Tokyo. As anyone can imagine,  the Tokyo Airport is enormous. We had only one hour left until the departure time of our connection. We were afraid of getting lost or missing our connection. We rushed to the boarding gate of the connection as soon as we deplaned.
     One of us found the information for our connecting flight on the way by chance. The officer who was there showed us a bus to the connection. (the first picture) It was the first time that I changed planes at the Tokyo Airport and I didn't know the bus. Although, this transport service was very useful and we could save time and effort. Moreover, I enjoyed the scenery of the airport from the ground level. See the specially-painted Boeing 747 jet in the second picture. How colorful and joyful the plane was! Little kids must be happy to get on this plane.
     We had lunch before the gate. The rest of pictures show my lunch, baumkuchen sandwiches! It was my first try. The taste? so-so. When we refer to the names of sandwiches, we usually use the name of the filling, like beef sandwich, so I felt strange about the name of the baumkuchen sandwich because that name didn't describe the filling.

(Vocabulary)
connection  連絡便　接続便

Midnight Shopping

     I'm just on duty now. The clock on the desk shows 2:30 in the morning. I'm taking a short break away from the noisy opd. I didn't realize that I would be hungry during the rough hours in the opd and the ward, but now I'm really hungry and need something to eat. I went out to the nearest shop, which is a 5 minute walk from my office, and got the foods like I'll show you below. I found two instant noodles that I've never seen before, and I took them. What are they like?
     New types of noodles are coming up every month and some of them disappear. I imagine the harshness of the competition in the instant noodles' industry.

Banana Case

     What is the hottest topic among girls in Japan? it's banana dieting. After mainstay TV shows and magazines featured the dieting technique of regularly eating bananas, bananas have become scarce on the supermarket shelves.
     I think this kind of stuff is ridiculous and if people want to lose weight, they should reduce their food intake or work out. Who on earth would believe that bananas are effective in shedding weight. I've been thinking like that.
     However, much to my surprise today, I found a lot of bananas in my kitchen. "Who bought them!", I shouted. It was my youngest daughter, A. I asked her the reason. Apparently, she eats bananas that are relatively low-calorie and bananas will occupy some part of her stomach. Bananas seem to decrease her appetite in this way. She become unable to eat much. Her story sounds agreeable, but she is in the midst of the growing-up period. There's no doubt that her body requires enough nutrition. I'm afraid of trends that pressure people into dieting.
     I'm showing the curious case below. As you see, it is the shape of a banana. It is a container of a banana. She took a banana with her lunch box to her school every day. Stupid! Inner beauty with health, integrity and kindness is far better than the artificial beauty.
     I'm a little mad papa tonight.

(Vocabulary)
get [become] scarce  品薄になる
tendency / trend  風潮
inner beauty  内面の美しさ
artificial  見せかけの

Hungry !

     I'm on night duty now. I had a simple meal about seven o'clock, but the work has been hectic and it made me hungry and dehydrated. I need something right now. I usually keep something to eat in my room, like breads, instant noodles, or frozen food that would be ready after a few minutes in the toaster oven. However I ran short today.
     I'm deadly hungry. My blood glucose level must be below normal. What should I do? Reflecting of the anguish of the starvation that lots of people are suffering from, should I put up with it? I know that a meal in the middle of the night isn't good for my health. I had an internal struggle for a while, and finally I lost.
     I rushed out to the nearest convenience store and bought foods that are shown in the picture below. A bottle of coffee, instant noodles, breads, and a big rice ball are on my desk. I can survive this night with them.

 

Birthday Party

     I hosted my birthday party in my house today. I was so glad to have 20 some guests. I will be just 50 years old this month, so this party was a celebration of a half century since my birth.
     Some of the guests came earlier and helped me prepare the party. A group of the guest got together and went shopping for the food. Another group fired the charcoal and got the brazier ready.
     I posted the pictures in the album. These pictures are arranged in random order, but I think you could feel the atmosphere of the party. People who couldn't join the party, enjoy it!  http://kumo.typepad.jp/photos/birthday_party/index.html (Vocabulary)
be arranged in random order   順不同で配置される
brazier   (炭を入れる料理用の)コンロ◆金網や薄い鉄板を上において肉を焼くのに用いる。

今日は我が家で誕生パーティー。２０人以上の人が来てくれて嬉しかった。今月僕はちょうど５０歳になる。何人かは早めに来て準備を手伝ってくれた。一部は買い物に、一部は炭とコンロの準備。

パーティーの様子をアルバムに載せている。順序は不同だが、パーティーの雰囲気は味わってもらえると思うので、是非見てください。　http://kumo.typepad.jp/photos/birthday_party/index.html

Toast Over Generations

     My eldest daughter, Eri, and my father are making toast in the picture below. Eri lives in Tokyo as a university student. She came back for this week and we had a party in a famous beer garden.
     She majors in Japanese language, and is going up to the postgraduate level. My father is a former primary school teacher and is interested in the language. They were talking about languages, education, and something like that, which were beyond my understanding. I felt that she's been slowly breaking away from me.
     Two persons on the right in the second picture are also Eri and my father. This was taken in the Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park in Canada 13 years ago.

　長女のEriは大学生で東京に住んでいますが、今週は帰省しました。それで家族でビアガーデンに出かけて、この写真はおじいちゃんとEriのツーショットです。

　彼女の専攻は日本語です。元小学校教師のおじいちゃんとは言葉の話や教育の話で盛り上がっていましたが僕にはちんぷんかんぷん。話を聞きながら娘がだんだんと自分から離れていくのを感じました。仕方のないことではありますが。

　２枚目の写真は１３年前にカナダのヨーホー国立公園で撮ったものです。向かって右側の二人がEriとおじいちゃんです。

Material of My Chopsticks

     I'm writing about the material of my chopsticks that I got the other day and wrote about in the last entry.
     The material of my portable chopsticks is "susudake" in Japanese. I imagine that most subscribers don't know "susudake". Though I looked "susudake" up in my Japanese-English dictionary and on the internet, I couldn't find an exact translation in English. I'll explain "susudake" in the next paragraph.
     At first, take a look at the picture at the bottom. This is a Japanese traditional house topped by a thatched roof. In this type of house, there is an "irori", the traditional hearth, usually in the biggest room. I'm also showing the irori below.
     Irori is the sunken space for the fire and is designed to be in the center of the room. This space is used for cooking and heating the house. Pots and kettles are hung by the pot hook, or jizaikagi, over the irori. These hooks are generally hollow bamboo tubes with an iron rod penetrating the middle. The attached lever, which is often shaped like a fish, allows the pot or kettle to be raised or lowered. Bamboo is also used for the ceiling of the irori room. These hollow bamboos are called "susudake," which means bamboo with grime. It takes 100-150 years for susudake to be made and it can be produced only when the old houses are torn down. This material is very valuable. That's the reason for the high price. My chopsticks are handy and worth the price.

(Vocabulary)
an exact translation      ぴったりの訳語
handy 使い勝手がよい
tear down   引き下ろす、引きはがす  〔建物などを〕壊す、取り壊す、解体する
sunken  （名詞の前でのみ）　周囲より一段低くなった

　今回は、前回書いたマイ箸の材料について書こうと思います。

　材料はすす竹です。多くの読者はどのようなものかわからないと思います。辞書やネットで調べても適訳がわからなかったのでこれから説明します。

　最初に下の写真を見てください。日本の伝統的な藁葺きの家を示しています。この中に囲炉裏と呼ばれる煮炊きの場所があります。写真も添えます。

　囲炉裏は部屋の中央に配置された一段下がった場所にあります。煮炊きに使われたり、暖房に使われたりします。鍋ややかんをつり下げて使います。このつり下げるためのフックや天井に使われている竹をすす竹と呼びます。すすのこびりついた竹という意味です。この竹ができるまで１００年から１５０年ほどかかるといわれており、古い建物を解体したときに得られる材料なので高いのです。

　で、箸の使い勝手ですが、とても良いです。

(KW: すす竹)

Tsingtao beer

     I was astonished to see the picture of Tsingtao in the Herald Tribune this morning. I didn't have permission from the Herard Tribune, but I'm putting up the picture from the paper below.
     My image of Tsingtao was like this; beautiful scenery and a suitable place for a holiday resort. In the early 20th century, Germany was holding this district by lease and gave the Chinese the know-how to run the brewery. Tsingtao beer originated with German brewery technology and has now become the most popular brand beer in China. The Germans at that time must have thought that Tsingtao's water was very clear and suitable for making beer. The quality of the water is the soul of alcoholic beverages.
     What do you say after looking at this picture? Here is the competition site for the water sports in the Beijing Olympic Games in a month. I am eager to know why the committee chose China.

青島ビール

　今日付のヘラルドトリビューン紙を見て驚いた。同紙の許可は頂いていないがここに転載する。まあ、ご覧あれ。　青島についての僕の印象は、美しい、澄んだ空、きれいな水、リゾート地、といったところだろうか。２０世紀初頭に青島がドイツの租借地であった時にドイツ人はシナ人にビールの醸造法を伝えた。そして今、青島ビールは最も飲まれるブランドとなった。当時のドイツ人は青島の水が上質でビールの醸造に適していると考えたのであろう。質の良い水は酒の命である。　ところがどうだ、この景色は！この場所でボート競技が行われるのである。オリンピック委員会がこの国を選んだ理由を是非とも知りたいものだ。

Coffee Maker

     I found an article in the local newspaper that introduced the most up-to-date and popular electric coffee makers. As I grew eager to look at it with my own eyes, I dropped in at the nearest electrical appliance shop.
     I've used a few coffee makers before and I have one now. I like coffee made from beans rather than instant coffee. I'd like to always have the former, but it takes more time to make coffee from beans. That's why I don't have a coffee maker in my office. Naturally I know almost all coffee makers can keep coffee hot for a long time and if I make enough coffee for a whole day in the morning, I can sip it whenever I like. However the coffee will boil down and if I was called for something urgent and forgot to turn it off, the coffee server would be burnt dry. I haven't used an electric coffee maker in my office on this account.
     The coffee maker that I saw in the paper didn't have a heater for the coffee, but the freshly-extracted coffee is gathered into a thermos bottle. The coffee server has the structure of a thermos bottle. After the extraction is finished, the coffee maker will be turned off automatically and the coffee will be kept hot for a few hours without any electricity. I bought it and am showing it below.

(Vocabulary)
electrical appliance 電気器具
on this account  このようなわけで
thermos bottle  魔法瓶

 

Offline Meeting

     "Offline Meeting" might be a Japanese-made phrase. It means a real meeting at which people who usually meet on the internet meet in the real world. I joined an offline meeting today. A half of the members were new to me. I didn't know even their names. I only knew their nicknames and their way of thinking. I have just read their comments on the net.
     The motorcycle is our common language. We enjoyed chatting about our own motorcycles and other hobbies and jobs over local brand beers and distilled spirits. I had a fabulous time and got to know many things from other occupations apart from the medical services.
     One of them was planning to ride a motorcycle in the southwest islands, just on the border of Japan. As I talked with him, I grew eager to go for a long tour. The picture shows us lining up in front of the Dogo Onsen Spa, which is one of the national historic heritage buildings.

(Vocabulary)
fabulous  すばらしい

Korean Eating House

     I went to a Korean eating house near my office today. It looked shabby and unclean, but the taste was great. The owner is a Korean, but he speaks Japanese well. Whenever I drop in at this restaurant, I use Korean to practice it as much as possible. Visiting there serves a dual purpose, eating and practicing Korean conversation.

(Vocabulary)
serve a dual purpose   一石二鳥である

  This is 参鶏湯 (Sangetan).

  This is 部隊チゲ (Pude Chige)

Last Meal and Miscellaneous Thought

     The last meal on this trip was the turkey sandwich on rye that is shown in the picture below. I don't like this sandwich, but I couldn't choose anything else.
     Every time I eat a turkey sandwich I think about the food culture. Turkey sandwiches are popular in the U.S. and whale meat is the same in Japan. Korean and Chinese eat dogs in their daily life. Every country has their own food culture. I suppose it's not good for people to condemn other people just because the food culture is different. No matter what animals one people eat, it wouldn't be a problem if other people didn't put their noses into it.
     Anyway, I enjoyed skiing, the food, the culture and many things in Canada. There's something for everyone in Canada. My notes from this trip are over with this entry.

(Vocabulary)
turkey sandwich on rye   ライ麦パンの七面鳥サンドイッチ
put one's nose    干渉する

　旅行の最後を締めくくる料理は七面鳥のサンドウィッチだった。余り好きではないが、他に選べなかったので仕方なく食べた。

　このサンドウィッチを食べるときにいつも思うことがある。七面鳥のサンドウィッチはアメリカではよく見かけるものだが同様に鯨の肉は日本ではポピュラーなものだ。韓国人や中国人は日常的に犬を食べる。それぞれの国は独自の食文化をもっており、ある民族方の民族の食文化をとやかく言うのは間違っているのではないかと思う。

　今回で旅行記を終えるのであるが、スキーや食事、文化、そしていろいろなことを楽しむことが出来た。カナダには誰もが欲する何かがあると思う。

Return Flight

     I don't know why, but every time I left Vancouver, the sky was always clear and sunny. I wished I could stay there a few more days.
     I looked for some magazines about skiing and motorcycles for my friends in the airport. A was trying to talk in English in several shops. On this trip, seeing A, I realized that her will was strong and the will was as good as the deed. She'd like to study abroad after getting her veterinarian's license in Japan.
     This is the dinner on the 29th.

(Vocabulary)
deed [C,U](文) 行為, 行動, 行い
The will is as good as the deed. 意志の力は行動と同じぐらい大切です。

Sushi Restaurant

     We chose sushi as the last dinner in Canada this year. We went to a splendid sushi restaurant near our hotel, the Kamei Royale. We each ordered different dishes to enjoy as many kinds of sushi as possible. I could have a taste of more than 20 kinds. As for beer, in the same way I tried several kinds of beer.
     My parents always say, "the sushi that they eat in Japan is the best in the world," but I don't agree with them. Some kinds of Canadian sushi are a whole lot more delicious than Japanese ones. I took a picture of the bag of disposable chopsticks to record the name of the restaurant. A digital camera is useful as an alternative to a memopad.

BC Roll and Spider Roll

The Last Dinner In Whistler

     The picture shows the scene of the last dinner. The lady in the center is our leader and an English instructor in a college in Kobe in Japan. She is quite a cook and not only I but all the members were happy to taste her dishes.
     To tell the truth, my cooking is not so bad because all my family are still alive, even though they ate my dishes only a few times, but I refrained from cooking for the security of the other members. (grin)

BC Roll & Chili Soup?

     I'd like you to look at the picture. This is my lunch, BC rolls and chili soup of something. I think this is a rare combination which can't be seen in Japan. Sushi is originally Japanese food, but a BC roll is a Canadian original. It might be only in this restaurant in the world that you can order these foods at this time in the same restaurant. The taste of this chili soup was so so and the BC roll was terrible. It seemed to have been cooked in the village in the morning and brought up here a few hours ago. The vinegared rice was dry.

(Vocabulary)
vinegared rice  酢飯

Ramen?

     Two ladies chose ramen at lunch. Ramen is originally Japanese food and they were interested in the ramen that was served in Canada. I'll show you the ramen. There were indeed noodles in the soup, but plain tofu and cauliflower was on the top. This style is unusual in Japan. I asked them "How was it?" They seemed to have enjoyed Canadian ramen, but the ramen had room for improvement.

Mexican Lunch

     The picture is my lunch. I lined up after the shortest line to get lunch. The woman at the counter asked me, like "How about ...?, Do you like ...?, Do you need ...?, , " and I answered "yes" to these questions, and finally I got lunch. I don't know any suitable words to describe this. Some friends asked me what the name of it was but I couldn't reply.
     The taste was not bad, but the amount was heavy for me. When I visited Whistler for the first time, I couldn't order meals that I wanted in the lodge on ski slopes like this and I could only point at something or the meal that others had already ordered, saying "this one" or "the same one".
     Now, I can order meals that I need without gestures, but it's not always true that exactly what I want comes out.