Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

PC Down

　　In the morning on May 11th, my PC in my office went dead abruptly. It never started up. I tried some remedies, but it never came up. I ended up giving up repairing it and ordered a new one from a pc shop.
　　I have two PCs with the same setting as each other, one in my home and one in my office. Additionally, the data is stored in both PCs and on the internet. So, the damage was the least and it was lucky. The replacement should have been done easily and promptly.
　　However, the point was what platform would be adopted. The platform of both PCs was Windows XP, whose technical support was announced to be ended the other day. It means that I should choose Windows Vista or later versions like Windows 7 or 8. What should I do?

(Vocabulary from the comments)
inherent 〈性質・要素などが〉本来備わっている, 固有の, 付きものの
inherent in  problems that are inherent in the system  そのシステムに固有の問題

Garmin ForeAthlete & New Balance Marathon Shoes

　　I made up my mind to join the 52nd Ehime Marathon next February. However, I haven't run more than 50 meters in 30 years. What should I do first? I asked one of my friends for some advice, and he told me to walk fast during my commuting time of 30 minutes for some time and then start running. He also gave me a lesson about the runner's watch. It seemed to be very useful not only for the training but for the actual marathon. I bought a ForeAthlete 110, which is shown below. This gadget is really wonderful. It has a GPS receiver built-in and can record the time and its position every second. That is, it records the running route and various data about running. When I carry it while commuting, it records my walking route and speed in detail. Those data will be uploaded on the net and utilized to increase my physical strength.
　　Adhering to his advice, I have tried walking rapidly every day for a few weeks and I bought a pair of shoes for the marathon today, which were manufactured by American company, New Balance. They are said to be designed for participants of the ultra-marathon. I tried various pairs of shoes on at the shop and chose those because they fit my feet perfectly, holding my heels tight and keeping my toes free to some extent. I can't wait to jog with them on.

Chair Mending

　　I have three folding chairs designed mainly for outdoor use, for example in the camping ground. They are cheap but really comfortable with an adjustable back support. I have one in my rooms of both my house and office.
　　One day, the one in my office broke, as shown in the first picture. The end of the frame was sharp and it seemed that it had torn the cloth of the chair. I could have replaced it, but I decided to mend it using a marble to prevent any more damage from the sharp end of the frame.
　　I went into my storage house in my garden this morning, which stores a series of gadgets, such as skis, climbing, camping and fishing gear, and tires, to take out a mending kit for the tent. This kit is essential for climbing particularly in winter. You have to carry the kit when you climb the mountains in winter, because damage to the tent is directly connected to accidents, and possibly death. I thought it was the best way to use this kit for mending my chair, whose cloth was so tough and resembles that of the tent. Another picture shows how the chair was mended.
　　By the way, when my wife saw me enter the storage house, she strongly suspected me of plotting something unfavorable for her, i.e. climbing. It was not an easy task to remove her suspicion. Anyway, my operation of the chair was well done.

(Vocabulary)
marble 1 [U] 大理石; 2 [C] ビー玉
gear [U] 道具, 用具; [U] 装備, (スポーツなどの) ウェア
climbing/camping/fishing gear  登山［キャンプ，釣り］用具
running/hiking/tennis gear  ランニング［ハイキング，テニス］ウェア
rain gear  雨具

Cycling

　　I joined an annual cycle ride event sponsored by Imabari City which is located near my hometown, Matsuyama City. As I wrote in another entry, Imabari City is the Shikoku-side terminal place of the Shimanami Kaido Route, one of three routes connecting Shikoku and Kyushu, both of which are the biggest and smallest islands of four big islands of Japan. The organizer arranged three routes, 20km, 40km and 100km. I chose the middle, 40km. I competed and successfully finished the distance of 100km last year and it was really hard. That's why.
　　Just before the departure after the ceremonial event, I came across an old friend from my elementary school, nearly a half century long friend. He was suited up in pink. Ordinary middle-aged Japanese people tend to avoid flashy colors, but the pink suited him. I'll post a picture of us.

Orientating Party

　　As I wrote again and again, I belong to Matsuyama Chuo Lions Club, which works in my hometown, Matsuyama City. It has already more than 100 members and is always hoping to attract new members. Naturally, it's the biggest club in district 336-A. Is it true, however, that the bigger the club becomes, the better? To tell the truth, new members of my club tend to be too shy before old members. Additionally, it takes a longer time to know all the members. With this in mind, the president of my club decided to hold several parties in this Lions' year in particular for younger members. As for me, it's only 2 years after my membership and I was invited to the first party last night. The club was established 48 years ago and most of the members from that time have passed away, but seven are alive. One of the survivors gave lessons about the development of the club. His story was really fun. The picture shows me with his cap on. Does it suit me?
　　By the way, I came back to Japan from my trip to eastern Canada on Aug. 2nd and managed to recover from the jet lag today. I'll write about my trip and post entries for a month. Enjoy them!

(Vocabulary)
orientate 〈人〉をなじませる, 慣れさせる
get orientated  なじむ, 慣れる
attract  to make someone interested in something, or make them want to take part in something
The club is hoping to attract new members. クラブは新会員を勧誘したいと思っている．

Guided Tour 6 (Garbage Bin)

　　I often saw some dark brown bins placed along the roadside from where you couldn't see any folk houses. I knew that those were garbage bins from the guide's explanation. I thought it would be hard work to bring the bins to the roadside from far away places. They might use pick-up trucks.
　　Later we came across a huge high-sided garbage truck, which was about to collect the garbage. A mechanical arm which projected from the side of the truck grasped the bins, raised them and then threw the contents over the back of the truck one after another. There was a single operator. A single person drove the truck and operated the arm. According to the guide, to my further surprise, the truck had two steering wheels on both sides to make it easy for the collector to get on and off the truck. Though the bins were aligned the same side as far as I saw, it would be helpful that he could drive the truck on both sides.
　　I happened to see a lady dragging a garbage bin in front of the parking lot and took a snapshot. Those bins had two small wheels to make it easy to be moved. These small rotating bodies just like tires are called "Koro" in Japanese and are distinguished from tires. What do they call this small tire in English? Tire is ok?

(Vocabulary)
back of the truck/ truck bed  トラックの荷台

(Vocabulary from comments)
bin (貯蔵用の) 大きな容器
The fruit was kept in large wooden bins. 果物は大きな木製の容器に保存されていた．
(waste bin, rubbish bin とも)(英) ごみ箱［入れ］
The bin needs emptying. そのごみ箱を空にする必要がある．
throw/put sth in the bin   ＜…＞をごみ箱に捨てる［入れる］
[同意] trash can(米), wastepaper basket

Guided Tour 3 (North Rustico)

　　Lunch was one of the regional specialties, "lobster," at a small fishery village of North Rustico. The restaurant was friendly and seemed to be run by local fishermen's housewives. The fishing season of North Rustico's offshore area was only May and June, and would start in August on the opposite side of the island. It meant we visited there between both fishing seasons, but our lobsters were kept alive in a tank until our arrival. It was delicious. I doubted if that happens anywhere in Japan.
　　After lunch, we took a walk around the restaurant, just behind which was the seashore. I found a hut there with a signboard saying "Deep Sea Fishing". "Deep Sea" reminded me of the sea layer where weird creatures live. I wondered what would be their target? I walked toward a cluster of people, who at least didn't look fishermen. Several leisure fishing boats were moored there. The fishing rods were common and their target would be common fish living 50 meters under the sea at the very most.
　　By the way, what do you think they are in the last picture, which was shot at the same place. They were the traps for catching lobsters. Fishermen place them on the sea bottom where lobsters live and wait for lobsters coming in. I examined one and understand how it works. It was wonderful and was elaborately made.

(Vocabulary)
a local/regional specialty  地元[地方]の特産品
at (the) most  最大で(も), せいぜい
It'll take 20 minutes at the most. かかってもせいぜい20分だろう．
at the very most  どんなに多くても, せいぜい

Guided Tour 2 (Green Gables)

　　We were taken to Green Gables next, the principal tourist attraction on the island, which Montgomery made Anne call her house in "Anne of Green Gables" and was the house that Montgomery had actually lived in at the same time. The story is fiction, but there were lots of items related to the story so realistic that I almost got to be under the impression that Anne was a real girl. I had read about half of the total of 10 volumes in Japanese translation just before the trip, so visiting there was really enjoyable. There were several items in the books that I couldn't imagine what their real appearances was like, but about some of them, I resolved my questions.
　　Anne named everything which attracted her eyes; the woods, the lanes along the lakes, the ponds and through the woods, a tree seen from her room, and so on. To my surprise, those things existed in and around Green Gables.
　　The first picture shows Green Gables and the barn-like museum, and was shot from what you call "Lovers Lane". The second picture shows an old tree, which was said to be the model of Anne's "Ghost tree". Its trunk was twisted and might be seen as a ghost walking in the night. See the small pot under the bed in the last picture. In the freezing winter night, people apparently relieved nature in the room avoiding going out. There was no lavatory in the house.

(Vocabulary)
impression 《[U], a/the ~》 誤った印象, 思い込み, 誤解
be under the impression (that)  (誤って) …と思い込んでいる, 勘違いしている
I was under the impression that you were the manager. てっきりあなたが経営者だと思い込んでいました．
relieve nature〔urinate（排尿する）またはdefecate（排便する）の婉曲表現〕

Father's Day

　　A brown paper parcel arrived by special delivery. The content is shown below in the picture. It was a nice bag and a present for me from my second daughter. I didn't know why, but after a while, I found that today was Father's Day, the third Sunday of June. The bag was very handy and I liked it.

Trip to Tokyo

　　I wrote that my friend got hurt in Whistler when skiing down. At that time, one of the rescue staff was surprised that we didn't wear helmets. He advised me, "You'd better wear  a ski helmet if you want to ski down a 'black' run." 'Black' means the most difficult ski trails at Whistler. I thought that he was right and to tell the truth, I had wanted to get one since four years ago. I looked for one in Whistler four years ago, but couldn't find a nice one. I looked for one this year, but I couldn't find one. The time of the year might be bad. It was the end of March or the beginning of April, i.e. the end of the ski season. Even the biggest one found in Whistler was small for me. The upper temporal part of my head touched the inner part of the helmet. I decided to look for one in Japan.

　　I found various big helmets on the internet, but I had to try them on. In order to try them on, I flew to Tokyo. Then, I called my eldest daughter and her fiance and enjoyed walking in a historic and modern district.

　　Do you know the mountain in the first picture? It was taken from the plane. The second one is the gate of Yasukuni Shrine. The next one is the tallest broadcasting tower in the world called "Skytree", one week before its opening to the public. The last picture is of my ski helmet.

Guided Tour by Bicycle

　　Something has been booming in the past several years in my prefecture; The number of cyclists is increasing remarkably. My prefecture, Ehime, and Hiroshima prefecture are connected by a series of eleven bridges. I'll show you the website and I hope you'll see it. These bridges compose a part of the highway called "Shimanami Kaido", and they are getting popular across the country because these bridges are equipped with bicycle paths. You can cross the bridge as fast or slow as you want on foot or by bicycle. One of the giant companies manufacturing bicycles, GIANT from Taiwan, is going to set up its flagship store in Imabari City, which is the Ehime-side terminal point of Shimanami Kaido. I hope that lots of people from overseas visit here and enjoy the scenery of Seto Inland Sea.

　　I joined a guided tour today. With several guides, I'm free from feelings of anxiety such as injury, flat tires, unexpected physical problem and so on. Additionally they weave some amusement into the tour. I enjoyed cooking pizza myself on the way this time. There is an old shrine on the way, and I bought three charms called "helmet charms", which are getting popular.

　　I almost forgot, I met the mayor of Imabari City on the way. I'm happy to know that he is also a cyclist.

P.S. The CEO of GIANT visited Ehime to see Shimanami Kaido and announced that Shimanami would be a paradise for cyclists. I agree.

Shimanami Kaido:
http://www.go-shimanami.jp/global/english/index.html

The today's route:
http://kumo.typepad.jp/wadachi/Shimanami2012_05_06.html

(Vocabulary)
boom   《[自]通例進行形で》〈関心・人気が〉急に高まる
weave sth into sth  ＜計画など＞を＜…＞に織り込む
Weave some time alone into your routine.  一人になる時間を日常に織り込んでおきなさい．

Barista

　　I'll show you a popular coffee server machine named Barista, which I took into my office at the end of April. I've no idea if it is on sale overseas, but I really like it and I'll write about it today.

　　The most distinctive feature is the type of coffee which it uses. It's not a particular one, but the plain old instant coffee. The preparation is to put that and water in the bottles respectively set in the machine. You've only to put your cup on the base and push the button of your choice from cappuccino, demi-tasse and regular. Additionally, it doesn't require filters. This is also convenient.

Shoes Repair

　　I'll write about my favorite shoes again, which I bought in 2009 and have been using for 3 years now. I walked along the streets in Germany twice and Canada once. I asked the shop master for a repair for the third time. This time, resoling of the heels, the replacement of both strips with Velcro tape and minimal adjustment of the inner soles were my order. The master faithfully performed my order, and my shoes were resurrected. Their original price was considerably high, but I think it's reasonable to be able to use my favorite ones for a long time.

(Vocabulary)
ask for sth   ～を頼む
resole  〈靴〉の底を張り替える
Velcro   (商標) ベルクロ, 面ファスナー (衣服を留めるためのマジックテープ)
resurrect   〈昔のことなど〉 を復活させる; 《通例受け身形で》〈死者〉をよみがえらせる
He has been trying to resurrect his political career. 彼は政治家としてもう一度花を咲かせようとしている．

(Vocabulary from comments)
if that is the case  もしそうであれば、そういうことなら

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2009/09/wonderful-shoes.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2010/06/mending-my-shoes.html

Vancouver Airport

　　We arrived at Vancouver International Airport at about 14:00 hours. We were going to fly at 13:05, but we already knew via the website of the airport that our flight would be delayed to 19:00 hours. According to the information board shown in the first picture, the flight JL17(Japan Airlines), which was to start an hour earlier than us, was delayed to tomorrow. We wondered about the difference between the judgements of Air Canada and Japan Airlines. Air Canada would have sized up that the seasonal storm over Japan would pass before our arrival in Japan. On the other hand, as for Japan Airlines, they might have no airplane because the flight from Japan might be cancelled. Anyway we had to wait for the flight. By the way, in general, in such cases in Japan, the board says "Cancelled", not "Tomorrow". Are these the same thing? I wondered why two airplanes would fly to Japan the next day; i.e. one going like clockwork and the other to supplement the previous day's flight, right? If you know something about my question, let me know the answer.

　　The second picture is of a wheelchair which was offered from Air Canada. The chair was so-so, but the logo of the air company was stylish. I hoped that I'd like to attach it to my scooter.

(Vocabulary)
size sb/sth up  [句動詞] (よく見て) ＜…＞を判断［評価］する, ＜状況など＞を見極める=weigh up

Rescue Stretcher

　　Firstly, I don't know the exact name of the stretcher used on the snow. So, the title of this entry might be wrong, but you'll see what I mean. The picture was shot at the upper end point of the chairlift, Jersey Cream Express. I found a stretcher placed near the control room.

　　Long ago, during my student days, I had worked for two days as a temporary staff member of the rescue team on Mt. Daisen. When we transfered an injured person to the base, one snowplow in the front controlled the direction of the stretcher. Two other persons, likewise a snowplow in the rear, prevented a runaway. Therefore, the rescue stretcher of Japan had no steel handle, but the Canadian stretcher had it as you see in the picture. I wondered how they used the stretcher. I wanted to see the scene whereby an injured person was transferred, knowing that it may sound imprudent.

　　Snowplowing is hard work for the legs rather than skiing with the skis parallel, and this ski area is incredibly vast. The rescue personnel must be tough. Even if they were tough, however, it would be a difficult and tricky operation to take a person on the stretcher to the base.

　　To my surprise, 30 minutes later, I came to witness their devoted work. The right person on the chair is our leader and this picture capturing her and the stretcher means something significant, when viewed in hindsight.

(Vocabulary)
snowplow  ボーゲンで滑る；除雪車（機）、（スキーの）全制動
runaway  暴走
whereby  《関係詞として先行詞にかかり，「それにおいて…する…」などの意味となる》
a new system whereby patients pay directly for medical care  患者が医療費を直接支払う新しい制度
knowing that it may sound imprudent  不謹慎かもしれないが
imprudent  (金遣い・決定などについて) 無分別な, 無思慮な, 軽率な
tricky  〈状況・仕事などが〉 面倒な, 扱いにくい
Getting everyone to use the new computer system will be tricky. 全員に新しいコンピュータシステムを使わせるのは面倒なことだ．
when viewed in hindsight  後から考えれば
hindsight /ˈhaɪndsaɪt/  後知恵
in/with hindsight (with the benefit/wisdom of hindsight とも)  今にして思えば, 後になってわかったが, 後の祭りだが

(Vocabulary from comments)
toboggan  təbgən    トボガン (先端を曲げた木製のそり)

3rd Ski Day

　　I took a rest for a day to remove the muscle pain. In the morning, I firstly managed to start washing clothes using the electric washing machine and dryer provided with the room. It was rather bigger than the average Japanese machine. Our chef also had some difficulties in using the enormous electric oven the previous night, because he usually uses a gas oven of Japanese average size. However, such difficulties are also lots of fun.

　　At noon, I went out for lunch and a walk. Walking around was really refreshing and must be good for my legs. Not only the crowded village paths, but the forest trails with few walkers were great. Everything unusual to me was really delightful.

　　I enjoyed a hot tub and the swimming pool from about 3 o'clock. As I wrote before, the hot tub and pool were located just in front of the backdoor. I was waiting for my friends there.

　　I forgot to upload the picture of my new boots in the last entry. They fit my feet better than I expected. It was toward the end of the ski season and the shop didn't have a wide selection of boots, but I could buy some desirable ones. I was relieved.

Miserable Boots

　　The ski areas of the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains are  large enough and are seldom crowded. It means that the skiing distance per unit time will increase. There's no comparison between Japanese and Canadian ski areas. After 2 hours of skiing, we took a rest at the biggest lodge in the midst of the skiing slopes.

　　When I took my skis off, I felt something pop, but I didn't mind it at all. I just wanted to take a seat and have a bottle of beer as soon as possible. When I entered the lodge, I surely heard the pop, but I ignored it again, imagining that ice or something attached my boots had fallen off. At the exact moment, however, an uneasy sensation around my right toes occurred. Look at the first picture, and you'll see that the tip of my right boot was blown away. Having examined the opposite boot, I found a crack shown in the second picture. I was so astonished. My friends, including people around us, told me that I would be severely injured if the crack had been made during skiing and in that sense, I was lucky. I realized that.

　　I went down by gondola to the village and bought some new ones. As I walked, the boots fell to pieces and finally they became what appears in the last picture.

(Vocabulary)
there's no comparison   (話)  比べものにならない
pop  ポン［パン，パチッ］と音を立てる
The wood sizzled and popped in the fire.  火の中でまきがシューシュー，パチパチと音を立てた．
uneasy  (人が)不安な, 心配な; 気にかかる, 不自然な

1st Ski Day, Blue Sky

　　I posted the picture shot from the terrace of our condominium at first. The sky was blue, an extremely clear day. We finished breakfast and went out. We could use the backdoor facing the Blackcomb skiing area, but we headed for Whistler village by bus because one of us had to rent a set of skis in the village. Therefore we decided to ski on Whistler mountain.

　　The second picture shows all of us except the person who released the shutter. That person appears in the last picture. He was a really nice guy and we chatted every night over the excessive use of alcohol. I won't write any details about him, but he taught me really good lessons in life.

　　The last picture was shot on the Emerald Trail on Whistler mountain. Finally, the weather during our stay in Whistler was the best today. I regretted that I didn't take more pictures of everything at that time. I mistakenly thought we would have five more days and would be sure to have another chance to take pictures in the sunshine.

　　By the way, take a look at my boots. This picture became the last picture of my boots. The details will be explained in the next entry. Bad news will come up one after another.

(Vocabulary)
release the shutter  （カメラの）シャッターを切る
could use something  (話)  ＜…＞が欲しい, あるとよい
I could use a drink.  飲み物が欲しいなあ．

Woodrun; Nanami or Shichimi?

　　It was the second time that I had stayed here, because I used it 6 yeas ago. At that time I was with my daughters, who were still high school students. Time flies really fast.

　　After we settled in a living room for some time, we went out for dinner. The 3rd picture is the bus stop of the shuttle bus which transported us for free in the village.

　　We came across a young man who was using a pair of crutches. He was rather taller than me. The top of his crutches might be the same level as that of my jaw. I was interested in them; How long could they extend? There were more than 10 notches left. I wanted to handle them, but I refrained from asking him to let me use them. He looked to be in pain. However, my hopes did come true a few days later. Who knows how such things play out. We came across several unpredictable happenings on the trip and these happenings are sure to make you subscribers amused, I believe.

　　At a sushi bar, one of my friends ordered a bowl of Udon noodles. Then, the waiter asked him immediately whether he needed "Nanami" or not, but what's "nanami"? The waiter naturally saw we were Japanese, and he also looked doubtful. Anyway, he brought a small bottle of "Nanami", and it meant "Shichimi". We thought that he had memorized it mistakenly, but he was right as the pictures show below. I don't know yet why "Shichimi" is called "Nanami".

one of washrooms


my room

crutches

menu

Shichimi

Nanami

Usual Matter

　　You might be wondering why you're seeing 4 cell phones in the picture, but it's a big problem for me. The one on the left is the one that I have used for more than 5 years in everyday life. As I wrote an entry about it before, this one is very useful at least in Japan. Now, I have to decide which one I will take to Canada. The far right which is a Motorola has a good record with its usage in Canada and Germany in the past 4 years, but it's a little heavy and old-fashioned. The second cell phone from the right is a Taiwan-made smart phone and the replacement of the Motorola. It's thinner, lighter and better than the former one in every aspect of the functions, but I don't know whether it would be able to work well in Canada. Additionally, these cell phones get e-mails, or other data automatically via the wireless telephone system. I'm afraid that it leads to a high charge from the telephone company. I'd like to set phones to get e-mails only via free WiFi, not via the telephone system. This was a problem that I couldn't solve myself, and so I took them to a cell phone shop and asked a clerk to set the phones as I wanted.

　　Finally, the second one from the left was set for connecting internet via WiFi, and the second one from the right was set only for voice and speech. It's perfect for reducing the cost of communication.

(Vocabulary)
far right 　一番右
have a good record with 　 ～に関しては実績がある
voice and speech  音声会話

(For Review)
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2006/03/rental-cell-pho.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/03/last-minute-pre.html