Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

KCC Farmers' Market

　　I arrived at KCC Farmers' Market about 8 o'clock. Lots of people already swarmed across the area. At first, I drop in at a stall to drink a cup of Kona coffee. It would be possible to drink it also in Japan, but it was particularly great to taste it in Hawaii. KCC stands for Kapiolani Community College. The market was held in the parking lot of this college. A cute schoolgirl who was selling hamburgers told me so. A few thousand Japanese students seemed to belong to the college, but I thought they wouldn't sufficiently master English skills.
　　Anyway, a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits were displayed. I wanted to try some, but I'm afraid if I had a stomach trouble, I wouldn't be able to join the marathon tomorrow. I refrained from raw foods and ate heated foods. As I ate oily foods and my hands became greasy, I didn't hold my camera and there are no pictures for food. Sorry! From next year, it's desirable to fly into Honolulu on Friday, watch fireworks in the Hilton Village, and get fresh vegetables and fruits there on Saturday.
　　After washing my hands, I wandered around the garden plants' corner with my camera in hand. Various unknown - at least for me - plants were arranged and I'll show you some of them below. This market was located on the route of the Honolulu Half-Marathon. This point is at the top of the slope from Waikiki beach. You can see Diamond Head on your right hand here. About the same time tomorrow, I would be totally worn out and come up here,,,, I imagined my exhausted face.

８時頃、着いた。すでにもう人があふれている。まずはコナコーヒーで一服。人混みの中へ分け入った。ＫＣＣというのはカピオラニ・コミュニティ・カレッジのことで、この短大の駐車場で開かれているからＫＣＣファーマーズマーケットと呼ばれるらしい。ハンバーガーを売っていた地元の可愛い女の子から教えてもらった。この大学には日本人がかなり多く在籍しているらしいが、そんな環境では英語は上手くはならないだろうなあ。
　
ま、それは置いといて、新鮮な野菜に加えてフルーツの類いがいろいろあってどれも美味しそう。明日、マラソンがなければいろいろと手を付けていただろうが、万一腹を壊したりしたら明日のマラソンを走られないので今日は熱を通したものだけを買って食べた。脂ぎったものをいろいろと食べて手が脂でヌルヌルになったので、カメラを持てず、朝食の写真はなし。来年からは、金曜日にホノルル入りしてヒルトンの花火をラグーン（打ち上げ場所に近い）で見て、翌朝のこのマーケットで１週間分の新鮮な野菜や果物を仕入れるのがいいなと思う。
　
手を洗った後、一眼レフカメラを取り出して園芸コーナーを巡った。ここで撮った写真もＵＰする。名も知らぬ花ばかりだったがどれも印象的だった。このＫＣＣファーマーズマーケット前の道路は明日海岸から上ってくるマラソンコースに当たっている。右側はダイヤモンドヘッドだ。ここまで登ってくれば後はしばらくは下り。明日はヨレヨレになってここを通るのだろうなあ。

Local Bus Debut

　　I got up at about 4 o'clock due to the influence of jet lag. As tomorrow's marathon would start at 6 o'clock, awakening at this time was advantageous to me. However, it was too early to go out, and I examined its route to know where there were tourist spots on the route. I didn't want to fail to see and shoot them.
　　I was going to visit KCC Farmers' Market to have breakfast, which seemed to be the liveliest one among the same kinds of markets on Oahu island. The market is supposed to be held every Saturday morning. The market was a long way on foot and I learned how to use the local bus from my travel guidebook. The passengers get on the bus through the front door and get tickets from the driver. I got a one-day ticket and this enabled me to freely move by bus as far as I liked. That was really helpful for tourists.

時差ぼけのため早朝覚醒。明日のマラソンスタート時刻が朝６時なので身体を慣らすには都合が良いが、出かけるには早いので朝食前にマラソンコースの予習。と言っても走るための予習ではなく、コース上のどこにどのような観光スポットがあるかという下調べ。
　
今日はオアフ島で一番賑やかだというＫＣＣファーマーズマーケットへ向かう。土曜日の午前中だけ開催されている。日本で言うところの産直市。そしてここで朝食を摂る予定。そしてその前にオアフ島の路線バスデビュー。まだ乗ったことが無いので利用方法をガイドブックなどで調べたものの、ちょっと緊張気味に乗車。前乗りで一日フリー乗車券を購入。これで一日何回でも、どこまで乗ってもＯＫ。旅行者には優しいシステムだ。

Fireworks

　　After witnessing a traffic accident on Kalakaua Avenue, I was wondering if the autopilot cars like TESLA cars could avoid such accidents. At that time, I found the TESLA dealer's shop at the corner of the International Marketplace on the avenue. I myself was astonished to find that.
　　The twist of the story really surprised me. The TESLA car which was displayed in the room was priced at more than 100,000 dollars, and I was not able to afford one. Naturally I didn't mean to buy one, but they would offer me a chance to test-drive one the next day. I comfortably spent some time in the showroom, but I might overstay my welcome there.
　　Anyway, I was late for the fireworks which were held every Friday night in the Hilton Village. I wasn't able to reach the best point and shot the fireworks on the way under the palm trees. Those fireworks were very gorgeous. I'll show you the pictures below. Today's supper was pop-in Hawaiian burger and Kona coffee.

思わぬ展開に驚きながらテスラのショールームに長居をしてしまった。置かれていたテスラ車は買えるような価格でもなく、買うつもりも無かったのだが、話の流れで試乗させてもらえることになった。ワイキキビーチへの途中で交通事故を目撃し、自動運転だとこんな事故は起こらないのだろうか？などと考えていたときに目の前にテスラのショールームが現れたのだからこの偶然には驚くしかない。お陰で週に５分間だけ打ち上げられる花火を見損ねた。花火はまた来年だな。少し遅れたけれどヤシの森の中から花火を撮影。なかなかみごとなものだった。夜はチンしたハワイアンハンバーガーとコナコーヒーで簡単に。

What I Thought after Witnessing A Traffic Accident

　　I dropped in at the ABC store to get some food for my wife on the way back to my condo. I put them on the kitchen table and immediately went out toward Waikiki beach. I wanted to see the starting point of the Honolulu Half Marathon in advance and also know how long it would take to walk to the point. While walking on Kalakaua Avenue toward Waikiki beach, I encountered a traffic accident. A Mercedes sedan seemed to hit a bicycle. Fortunately, the bicycle man looked like he didn't seriously get hurt. I supposed that the Mercedes' radar wouldn't be so good to detect human bodies.
　　In the driving assistance technique, there seems to be two types of method for detecting humans ahead. One is the millimeter-wave radar and the other is the stereo camera system. My Mercedes has the millimeter-wave radar system, but it seems not so good for detecting humans. After several test drives, I decided "once" to choose a SUBARU SUV with its driving assistance system of "EYESIGHT", but....
　　When I found a TESLA showroom on the way to my condo, I recalled its excellent autopilot system, and I just wanted to chat on the topics of automobiles in English, so I entered the room. Just seeing the TESLA cars was enough for me, but they offered me a chance to test-drive! I'll write about my impression on the TESLA car later.
　　By the way, it was about 15 minutes from my condo to Waikiki beach. It was a really beautiful scene. I understood why lots of people got together there. I took my single-lens camera out of my bag. Pictures were taken without the tripod, but I think they are considerably good.

(Vocabulary)
millimeter-wave radar　ミリ波レーダー

時差ぼけのため寝ているカミさんのための夕食の材料を買い込んで一旦帰宅。そして、ひとりでワイキキビーチ方面へ散歩。マラソンのスタート地点の下見とそこまでうちから歩いてどのくらい掛かるのか確認しておきたかった。そしたらなんと、途中で交通事故を目撃。ベンツのセダンが自転車とぶつかったようだった。大きな事故では無かったが、ベンツのレーダーは人を発見するのは苦手なんだよな～と思いつつ、、、、歩き続けた。
　
前方を監視する方法としてミリ波レーダーとカメラを利用する二つのタイプがあるようなのだが、僕の車にも付いているミリ波レーダーはどうも人を見つけるには能力が落ちるような気がする。いろいろ試乗した結果、我が家の次の車はスバルの運転補助システムであるアイサイトを搭載したＳＵＶにするつもりだった。一度試乗して気に入った、、、のだが。
　
なんと帰り道でテスラのショールームを発見。英語を試してみたくて、また近くで見るだけでもいいと思って入ったところ、、、翌日に試乗させてもらえることに、、、先ほどの事故を見て思っていたことが、現実に、、、(^_^;)　試乗の結果は後ほど。
　
で、結局、コンドミニアムからワイキキビーチまでは１５分ほどだった。そしてビーチは実に美しい風景だった。人がここに集まる理由がわかるような気がした。

Check-in for the Honolulu Half-Marathon

　　A whole day's rest on the arrival day will do me good, but I've had a very hectic day. At first I had to activate my SIM free smartphone. It was my first time to use my SIM free smartphone and I felt slightly uneasy, but the activation process was really smoothly done while waiting for immigration inspection. That enabled me to use Google Map at any time. It was very handy. I bought a two generations old Taiwanese smartphone to save money, and it was right! Its performance was satisfactory.
　　I had asked a Japanese taxi driver in advance to take us to my condo from Honolulu International Airport. I knew him from the last trip. He gave us various information on Hawaii on the way. Leaving my wife at my condo, who suffered from jet lag and wanted to take a good sleep, I stopped by a travel agency of HIS five minutes from my condo to get their running bus (LeaLea Trolley) tickets valid for seven-straight days. With this ticket, I can go around the principal areas on Oahu island.
　　Then I reached the Hawaii Convention Center on foot. The check-in procedure was really easy. There were several booths handling jogging gear and goods for keeping fit. Their explanation was half in English, and it was a good chance to listen to English conversation concerning jogging. I stayed in the check-in site for some time.

ハワイへ着いた日は時差ぼけのためゆっくりしたいが何かと忙しい。まずはＳＩＭフリースマホのアクティベーション。初めてのことなので不安だったが、入国審査を待つ間に完了。これでグーグルマップが利用できるなど便利になる。費用を節約するために２世代前の台湾製のスマホを買ったのだが、機能的に十分満足。

空港からの移動は前回の旅でなじみになった日本人タクシードライバーに日本から前もって依頼していた。彼からハワイ情報などを聞きながらコンドミニアムに到着。旅装を解いた後、うちから５分のところにあるＨＩＳのオフィスへ寄ってトロリーチケットの購入。７日間乗り放題を購入。これがあると買物などに便利で、ダウンタウンからワイキキまで気軽に移動できる。

そして次にハーフマラソンの受付。受付会場のハワイ・コンベンションセンターはうちから徒歩圏内。助かる。受付は簡単に終了。いろいろなブースが出ていたので冷やかして廻る。英語で商品説明をしているのを横で聞いてマラソン関連の英語表現を聞けたのもよかった。

Hawaii Tour

　　I got back from my spring vacation. I was in Hawaii for a week. I'm writing trip memos now after coming back. In my usual way, I'll set my articles in chronological order. I learnt lots of things in the field of current topics, historical matters, and cultural aspects this time. My trip memos would become considerably huge, but subscribe to them when you want to kill time.
　　I left Matsuyama city on Apr. 6th and enjoyed sightseeing in Tokyo with my daughter, who lives there. Then I started for Hawaii late at night on 6th with my favorite airline, ANA. I know I'd lose one day during the return flight, but it's nice to arrive in Honolulu on the same day, feeling that I received one more fantastic and valuable day. It was the second time to visit Oahu island, and a Japanese taxi driver, whom I got to know on my first visit, was waiting for us at the exit of the international terminal. I asked him to guide us on a whole island ride and take us to my house in Hawaii, the Great Islander.
　　The hotel staff member on the front desk was the same guy who welcomed us last year. Anyway I got several stuff with room keys from him and I'll show you one of them below. It was a warning for their customers who'll check out on Apr. 8th. The hotel would be surrounded by the route of the Honolulu Half Marathon.

ハワイ旅行に行ってきました。これから書いていく記事は帰国後に書いていますが、いつものように時系列で並べていきます。今回は時事問題、歴史問題、文化に関する話など思うところが多く、相当長い旅行記録になると思われますが、よろしければお付きあいください。読んでもらうためには『２５０単語以内で完結する』を目指して書きます。

さて、４月６日松山を発ち、東京に住む娘と東京観光の後、お気に入りのエアラインＡＮＡで夜遅く羽田を出発。帰りに一日損をすることを知ってはいてもホノルルに同日午前に着くのは一日得をした気分で嬉しい。今回は２回目のハワイだが前回の旅で知り合った日本人ドライバーと空港出口で待ち合わせ、滞在中の移動や観光のお願いをした後、ハワイの我が家、アイランダーへ。

受け付けてくれたフロントマンは去年と同じ人だった。いろいろと渡されたものの中に去年と違うものが一枚。写真に上げた一枚の紙。コンドミニアムの周りがホノルルハーフマラソンのコースに当たっているための注意書きだ。これに参加する自分としてはニヤニヤしながら受け取った。

Spring is coming!

　　It was an unclouded blue sky today. The annual garden plant market has been running since a week ago in the nearby park, which was so crowded and lively with lots of people. The cherry tree was 50% bloomed. I decided to jog for about 10km around the park for the Honolulu Half Marathon 2 weeks ahead. You can usually see Gogoshima island which is located off the coast of Matsuyama City from the park when it's clear skies, but the island could not be seen in the haze.
　　As soon as I began running, I felt something different from usual with me. I had a fit of coughing at about the 1 km point, and wheezing started. I stopped running and walked in the park. Lots of kids were swarming on the play equipment.
　　I have no history of bronchial asthma and so I was surprised to hear my own wheeze. I checked today's weather condition online, and found a warning for a high level of PM2.5, though the level of the yellow sand from China wasn't so high. I presumed that the above symptoms would be from PM2.5 and/or pollen. I'm going to take some medicines to relieve the symptoms.

Light Fixtures

　　An elementary school is adjacent to my office. The kids' cheerful voices are always energetic and nice to me, other staff members, and inpatients. Today is Saturday and the school is closed, but it was noisy. Looking down from the ward, a large-scale construction was underway. It looked like they were building several light fixtures for night school activities. In my neighborhood, an elementary school will close at the end of March due to the decrease of pupils. Kids in that school will be schooled at this elementary school adjacent to my office. This school will be more lively, but the decrease of population will lead to the decline of Japan. Is there anything that can be done about it?

(Vocabulary)
fixture 《[C]通例複数形で》(室内などの) 据え付け品, 建具

照明設備設置工事

土曜日はとなりの小学校は休みのはずだが騒がしい。病棟の窓から見下ろすと大がかりな工事が始まっていた。どうやら夜間、運動場を照らすための照明装置が設置されるようだ。このあたり、子供の減少によりこの春にまた一つ小学校が閉校となり隣の学校へ統合された。隣の学校は賑やかになるが、人口の減少は国力の衰退に繋がる。なんとかならないものかと思う。

Coastline On A Winter Day

　　I commute by car every morning. It takes about an hour and I feel drowsy sometimes. When I got sleepy this morning, I pulled up my car and took some snapshots there to shake off my drowsiness. When I had a shooting lecture last month, I learned to think outside the box. I took several pictures that I hadn't ever taken; leafless trees on the roadside, leaves with no features. I think that the picture of an old tree expresses the melancholy of winter and the wintery sunshine at the same time. What do you think? As you see in the last two pictures, I understood how to blur its background, though in these pictures I failed to choose the objects. I should have picked more beautiful leaves. Anyway, shooting is fun!

 (Vocabulary)
think outside the box 　新しい独創的な考え方をする

International Students In Matsuyama

　　As a part of volunteer activities of Matsuyama Century Lions Club, we held a friendship gathering inviting about 40 overseas students who live in the city of Matsuyama. Their nationalities were, though I don't exactly remember, about ten kinds, and varied from a country in Africa to Barbados. I was grateful for their choice, I mean, they picked my hometown among lots of cities in Japan.
　　In an orchard whose owner is a member of the club, the participants enjoyed harvesting sweet potatoes, persimmons, oranges, etc, and baking pizza, okonomiyaki savory pancakes, etc. The hardest part of cooking okonomiyaki savoury pancakes is flipping them over with spatulas. Some weren't good at it, but it was fun to see them mis-flipping. I didn't get permissions to upload their pictures, but it would be no problem to show you pictures below. People wearing a yellow jacket are the members of the club. I was happy to have the chance to talk with international students about their countries and their daily life in Matsuyama.
　　There is no Muslim around me and I don't fully see their way of life. My knowledge about them is only obtained from books or literature. I heard that "Mirin", one of the essential seasonings in Japanese traditional dishes, doesn't go well with their religious life. I was surprised to hear that. I can't put up with the fact that religion interferes with personal food preferences. I wondered that they didn't feel ill at ease. I understood that it's the way of their lives. It was the day when I learned much.

１２月９日　留学生との交流会

松山センチュリーライオンズクラブの奉仕活動の一環で愛媛県松山市に住んでいる外国からの留学生の交流イベントを開催した。正確な数を覚えてはいないのだが、７～８カ国から４０名くらいの留学生が集まった。小さな田舎町によくこれだけの人が来てくれたなあと感謝。

会員の所有する果樹園で皆で芋、みかん、柿などの収穫体験、ピザを焼いたり、お好み焼きなどを作ったり、丸一日楽しんだ。参加者に許可は得ていないのだが、多分大丈夫だと思うので何枚か写真をＵＰする。黄色のジャケットを着ている人がライオンズクラブの仲間です。各国からの留学生と話すといろいろな話を聞けて楽しい。それぞれのお国の様子や松山で学んでいることを聞けた。

自分の周りにムスリムがいないから彼らの習慣についてあまり知らない。日本料理に欠かせない「みりん」がムスリムには都合が悪いと聞いた。調味料の成分にまで宗教的なものを持ち込まねばならないなんて、僕には耐えられない。彼らの習慣と言ってしまえばそれまでだが、窮屈には感じないのだろうか？　いろいろなことを勉強した一日だった。

Hijikawa Arashi Again

　　I went up to the observatory again to shoot the phenomenon. Other amateur photographers were waiting for the coming scene more than an hour before I reached the observatory. I admired their tolerance against coldness. However, the temperature didn't fall below zero. No "Arashi", no picture. I was sorry not to take a single picture there, so I took a picture of the monitor post for radioactivity. My town is located within 20 km from the Ikata Nuclear Plant.

Hijikawa Arashi

　　A natural phenomenon called "Hijikawa Arashi" is one of the winter features in the town of my office. It appears only on specific occasions. That is, when in a clear sky and the temperature falls below zero. It's produced by the distinctive terrain.
　　The weather forecast told that the weather would be suitable for the generation of "Hijikawa Arashi" last night, and I got up earlier this morning and climbed up to the "Arashi" observatory. If the weather met the condition, I would have seen the phenomenon, but temperature was a little over zero, though I felt freezing. I decided to try again.

Workshop with a Professional Photographer in Miyajima

　　I joined a shooting workshop held on Miyajima island today, which is known as one of the three most beautiful scenic spots in Japan. The lecturer was a professional photographer, Mr. Yuji Itsumi. The participants met up at the ferry terminal, and firstly received a briefing on the workshop. I'll show you some memos below. I was told to take pictures in a diaphragm preferentially exposing mode with automatic white balance.
　　The Itsukushima Jinja is on the island. This beautiful shrine is built out over the sea, and the gods of the sea are the object of worship. Lots of visitors visit the shrine, but we didn't drop in at the shrine. While just walking in the town, we sought out suitable objects for the shooting. The lecturer advised us how to cut out the scene, and how to pick the best camera setting in every case. To tell the truth, however, I wondered sometimes what the lecturer saw in the frame, but it would be due to lack of an eye for beauty. As several participants held their cameras in the same direction, most other passersby stopped to look in the same direction, but they also wondered, tilting their head in confusion, and said, "What are you aiming at?"
　　The last picture shows the lecturer, who was shooting confections for tea ceremonies using "kaishi" - a piece of paper used in the ceremony - as a makeshift reflex board. He put the room light out and changed the natural light into softer light with the reflex board. I admired his picture. The ordinary confections looked so nice. I think I understood the exposure correction.

(Vocabulary)
diaphragm (専門) (カメラの) 絞り
passerby 通行人, 通りがかりの人
reflex board レフ板

五海カメラマンのサイト
http://itsumioffice.sakura.ne.jp/index.html

今日は日本を代表する景色の一つ、宮島でプロの写真家によるワークショップがあり、参加した。集合場所は宮島側のフェリーターミナル。全員が揃うのを待うとまずブリーフィング。絞り優先で、ホワイトバランスはオート、など説明を受けた。ブリーフィングの内容は下記に載せておきます。ご参考まで。

宮島は日本三景の一つで美しい神社があるのだが、そこへは寄らず、ただ街中を歩き被写体を探して撮影した。被写体の切り取り方と撮影条件を教えてもらってから撮影するのだが、正直どこが良いのだろうかと不思議に思う構図もあった。５００枚くらい撮った。１０名ほどのグループが撮影しているので、何があるのだろうかと通行人が足を止めてカメラの先を眺めるのだが、皆が首をかしげてみていた。

最後の写真は休憩所で出されたお茶菓子を撮影する講師のカメラマン。懐紙を簡易レフ板として使用し、蛍光灯を消し、外から差し込む自然光を懐紙で柔らかい光として撮影していた。撮れた写真を見せていただいたが、まあ驚いた。撮り方でこのように見えるのかと。このワークショップで露出の補正については理解できたように思う。

Wandering with my camera

　　I dropped my wife near her party site, and started wandering in the city. To tell the truth, this wandering was just my purpose to visit this city. Onomichi City is known for its narrow and winding slopes with the nostalgic atmosphere of pre-modern times. Its terrain is also distinctive and attracts most visitors, so the city has been used as a filming location in several movies. What I wanted to do in this city was the shooting of ordinary streets.
　　Haven't you seen emotional pictures, whose subjects were simply conventional streets or ordinary people, for example in magazines? Common scenes seen in daily life will be shaped into artistic works by professional photographers. I wondered how they cut out common scenes into great pictures. I, who had just got a single lens reflex camera, would never be able to shoot pictures like professional photographers, but I just wanted to try it. I had already applied for a shooting workshop which is scheduled two weeks later. This wandering was, as it were, a self-training of shooting.
　　However, while walking in the town, I was not able to figure out what to shoot. I took pictures of the scenery, plants, paths, folk houses, and shrines, but I didn't get even a single picture for my satisfaction. I'm going to learn at least a few secrets of picking subjects of shooting.

で、カミさんを同窓会の開かれるレストランのそばでおろしてからは尾道散策。実はこれが今回の一番の目的。この町は狭い坂道が多いことで知られる風光明媚な土地。誰もが一度訪れると虜になる。数々の映画の撮影も行われた。この街で何をしたかったか。それは、『街角撮影』。

何でも無い普通の風景がプロの写真家に手に掛かると芸術的な写真になる。風景の切り取り方が素人とは違うのだろう。一眼レフカメラを手にしたばかりの自分に独創的な撮影は無理だが、それでも自分なりに風景を切り取ってみようと思い、軽装で坂道を歩き回った。実は２週間後にプロの指導を受けることになっている。その練習を兼ねて尾道の街を歩いた。

しかし、実際に歩いてみても、どこをどのように撮影したら良いのか全くわからない。カメラの設定を変えながら、風景、植物、街並み、家、神社などを撮ってみたが気に入った物は一枚もなかった。ワークショップで何か一つでもコツを掴みたいと思う。

Trip to Onomichi City

　　I drove my car to take my wife to Onomichi City, which is three hours away by car from my home. The city is not so far, but I don't go there if not for a special occasion. Today, her alumni party was scheduled at noon in the city. Starting in the morning was perfectly reachable, but I left yesterday, as I wanted to have a drink with a person who lives in Onomichi City. As we started after my work, we arrived in the city around 9 o'clock in the evening. Then, though I had not enough time, I enjoyed chatting with him over some alcohol and he treated me. I felt so sorry. I have to return a favor.
　　Today, until noon, we were in Tomonoura, which we'd been to a couple of times. It has a distinctive history and is visited by lots of tourists every year. This time we moved to Sensuijima island for the first time, which floats just in front of Tomonoura. The shuttle boat between the island and our side was designed and named after "Iroha Maru", which sank off the coast of Tomonoura in the late Edo period. It's known as the ship of Rhoma Sakamoto, who worked as one of the driving powers to shape a new era, Meiji. A flock of red-jacketed people got on the boat in exchange with us. They were members of a local Rotary Club planning to do some volunteer work cleaning.

カミさんの同窓会が尾道で開催されるため運転手を務めた。尾道はうちから３時間ほどの距離で、高速道路で簡単に行ける街だが、何か用がない限り行くことはない。同窓会は昼からだから朝自宅を出ても十分間に合うのだが、一杯飲みたい相手がいてわざわざ前日の夜出発。仕事を終えてからの出発で到着は２１時頃。それからなつかしい飲み会となった。すべておごってもらい申し訳なかった。

で、今日は昼までは鞆の浦観光。何度か来たことがあり、歴史的にも興味の尽きない街だが、今回初めて仙酔島へ渡ってみた。この地は幕末に活躍した坂本龍馬に縁があり、彼の記念館もある。写真の船は仙酔島への渡し船だが、異様な形は彼の船「いろは丸」にちなんでいる。島から戻ってきて折り返す船に乗る赤いジャケットの一団は地元のロータリークラブ。島の清掃ボランティアに向かうらしい。

Wat Phra Kaeo and Grand Palace

　　The former king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away on Oct. 13th in 2016 and was cremated on Oct. 26th in 2017. He was so popular among his people and they had been mourning for him over a year. Then the Thai government declared on Oct. 29th that the mourning period ended.
　　My friend, who lived in Thailand, told us about the king's cremation and its related ceremonies, which was a big surprise to me. That was; The Thai government built the cremation facility only for the king during the mourning period at the cost of 16,000,000 USD and the total expense of the funeral ceremony of the king was 96,000,000 USD. Additionally, the high-profile facility would be pulled down after the ceremony. I wondered why the government didn't preserve that as one of the tourist spots. Anyway the facility would be open to the public before its demolition from Nov. 2nd to 30th., and lots of people, not only Thai, but also international tourists, were eager to see the cremation facility during this period of time. That is to say, we chanced to be in Bangkok at the perfect timing. Plus the Loy Krathong the previous night. I recognized the reason why there were so many people around.
　　People around us were willing to visit the cremation facility, which was to disappear soon. My friend, who was able to speak Thai, got to the entrance to check the waiting time and it was about 6 hours. Immediately we gave up the sightseeing of this area. We asked a Tuktuk driver to run his three-wheeler around the Wat Phra Kaeo and Grand Palace, and it was our sightseeing. Seeing our disappointment, my friend took us to a nearby famous brand shop of NARAYA, a chain of bag shops. My wife got a casual bag at a reasonable price. It's used in her everyday life.

ワット・プラケオと王宮

日本ではプミポン国王と通称されるBhumibol Adulyadej国王が２０１６年１０月１３日に崩御され、２０１７年１０月２６日に荼毘に付された。国民に大変な人気のあった国王でタイ国民は１年間の喪に服していたが、タイ政府は１０月２９日を以て服喪期間が終了したことを宣言。

友人から説明を受けて驚いたのだが、この間にタイ政府は王宮前広場に約１０ヶ月の期間と１７億円を掛けて火葬のためだけの施設を建設。１０２億円をかけた仮葬の儀が終わるとこの仮葬施設は解体するのだそうだ。そして解体前に１１月２日から３０日まで火葬施設を一般公開するとのこと。我々は実に絶妙なタイミングでバンコクに来たことになる。さらに昨夜はロイクラトン（Loy Krathong）祭りが重なった。人が多いはずだ。

もう２度と見る機会のないこの施設を見るために人々が集まっていたのだった。友人が王宮の入り口まで確認に行ってくれたのだが、中へ入って施設を見るとなると６時間くらいは待たねばならないとのこと。即、諦めた。トゥクトゥクで王宮と火葬施設の周りを回ってもらい、外からその風景をちらっと見て観光を終えた。バンコクはまた訪問せねばならない。しょんぼりしていると友人がNaRaYaという店に連れて行ってくれた。お手軽な価格でカミさんは手提げバッグを購入。帰国後、大切に使っている。

 

Wat Pho

　　Our small boat reached just at the opposite side of Wat Arun across the Chao Phraya river, where there were lots of people from across the globe swarmed. I heard that we were in the midst of the busiest tourist spot in Bangkok, but if so, the number of tourists was extraordinary. Anyway we walked forward against the river and got to Wat Pho. The Thai first medical university was founded in the grounds of Wat Pho and the temple plays an important role in the development of Thai-style massage. I'd really like to have seen inside the temple, but lots of tourists and the long waiting time deterred me.
　　We saw only the most well-known item in the temple, the golden lying Buddha, in a short time. Judging from the information board in the grounds, the temple seemed to be of considerable magnitude. I was sorry that the area we walked around was so limited. I have to revisit Bangkok.

ワット・ポー

ワット・アルンのほぼ向かい側にある船着き場に着いて大混雑の中、しばらく歩いた。このあたりはバンコク観光の中でも最も人気のある場所と聞いたがそれにしても人が多い。とにかくまっすぐ歩いてワット・ポーに到着。ここはもちろん寺院だが、タイ最初の大学でもあり、タイ式マッサージの総本山と聞いた。ただ、あまりの人の多さと限られた時間だったため、最大の見どころの大寝釈迦仏のみを見ただけで本堂へは立ち寄れず、残念。案内板を見るとかなり広い寺院のようだったが我々が歩けたのはごく一部で、残念からげたぞよ。（ってこれは松山弁(^_^;)）まあまたバンコクには来ることにしよう。

Crossing the Chao Phraya River

　　Now that I came to Bangkok, and saw the Chao Phraya River, I really wanted to cross the river. Lots of small boats were running on the river, which I had viewed from the terrace of Wat Arun. When I stood at the riverside, I found the water rough. I prepared for seasickness. I'm prone to suffer from seasickness. When I got on a huge ship, like the Diamond Princess, I was all right, but in the case of a middle-size ship, the passenger-cargo boat connecting Tokyo and Hachijojima, I had to get through the eleven hours of agony. As I had expected, the seats were so few and almost all of the passengers had to keep upright for about 10 minutes. The boat swung, but the boat wasn't equipped even with doors. I didn't want to fall in the muddy water, and I shouldered my way into the central area. The handrails were also insufficient. You can see my anxiety from my face in the following picture. When I arrived at the opposite side of the river, the street was so crowded, why?

(Vocabulary)
be prone to do ～するたちだ　～の傾向がある。
I'm prone to motion sickness. 乗り物に酔うたちなんだ。

八丈島からの帰り
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2014/03/eleven-hours-confinement.html

チャオプラヤ川をわたる

バンコクに来たからにはチャオプラヤ川を渡ってみたかった。ワット・アルンから眺めたチャオプラヤ川には多くの船が行き交っていた。川縁に来て見ると、結構荒れている。揺れるんだろうなあと覚悟を決めた。実は船酔いをするたちで、小舟は苦手。ダイヤモンド・プリンセスのような大型の船に乗ったときは何ともなかったが、八丈島と東京を結ぶ中規模の貨客船では大変な目にあったことがある。（LINK:和訳なし）船は思った通り、座席はほとんどなくて、立ったままの乗船。しかもドアがない。こんな濁った川に落ちたくない。なるべく中央に立つことにした。手すりさえも不十分。緊張の表情が写真から見て取れる。(^_^;) 対岸に到着すると、信じられないほどの混雑だった。いったい何が起こったのか。

Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn)

　　I was unwilling to pass up the chance to see a floating market in Bangkok, and it was really nice to visit Talingchan Floating Market. As we weren't able to speak the local language, it would be troublesome to use the public transportation system. I was deeply thankful for my friend's company car. By the way, our next destination was Wat Arun. To tell the truth, we didn't have any sightseeing plan apart from the floating market.
　　On arriving at Wat Arun and getting out of the car, I involuntarily let out some Japanese words, meaning "magnificent". I wasn't immediately able to find a word to express its beauty and solemnity. The reflection of the sunlight was beyond description. The sun-reflecting tower rang a bell with the brightness. "The temple must be the subject of the novel 'Temple of the Dawn' by Yukio Mishima." It was long ago that I read the novel and I hardly remembered the story. I should have read it before the trip. Regrettable. Excuse me for repeating, but the temple was really beautiful. A part of the tower was under renovation. I hope that it will be preserved eternally for our descendants.
　　I climbed up to the what you call terrace, and viewed the Chao Phraya river. Lots of small boats were running on the river. I wanted to get on one of them, and asked my friend. He was already going to take us to the opposite side of the river. Wow!

(Vocabulary)
Chao Phraya チャオプラヤ川

ワット・アルン（暁の寺）　

水上マーケットは見逃せないと思っていたのでタリンチャン水上マーケットへ寄れたのは良かった。マーケットへの移動に公共交通機関を使うと面倒だったと思うので、これも現地の友人に助けられた。次に向かったのはワット・アルン。実は水上マーケット以外、どこを見て回るのか全て友人任せで何も考えていなかった。ミニバンが止まったところで上を見上げて驚いた。何と美しい寺院なのかと。そして思い出した。この寺院は三島由紀夫の小説『暁の寺』ではないのかと。読んだのは随分前のことであらすじをかすかに覚えている程度。こんなことなら読み直してから来るべきだった。実に美しい寺院で一部修理中だった。いつまでも大切に保存して欲しい。テラス部分とでも呼べば良いのか、登ることを許されている最高点まで登ると川が見えた。チャオプラヤ川だ。多くの船が行き来してる。あれにも乗ってみたいな～と思いながら降りると、ここからはミニバンを帰して船で移動するとのこと。やった～

 

Talingchan Floating Market

　　When it comes to Thailand, I always recall its Buddhas and floating markets. I had wanted to see a floating market since long ago, when I have an opportunity to visit Thailand. However, the most well-known one, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, was 80km away from Bangkok to the southwest. Apparently, it would take more than three hours only for transportation to visit the market and come back to Bangkok. We decided to drop in at a smaller one in the city, Talingchan Floating Market. The transportation was a minivan rented for free from my friend's company with its driver. It was really handy. We were able to go everywhere we wanted.
　　Our minivan stopped at a commonplace roadside. The street in front of us was closed to vehicles and was lined with a variety of stalls. We had to walk to the riverside or canalside, but enjoyed seeing what were laid out on the way. As I wasn't able to communicate with people at the stalls, I was sorry. Entering into the floating market through the gate, which I'll show you below, a smell of fish-grilling came to me, and it turned my sense of hunger on. I wondered what to eat for breakfast, wandering around. There were so many kinds of food, half of which I didn't know. Finally, I chose a dish which looked delicious, which a couple of local people were eating. Spicy, delicious, and economical! I liked it.

(Vocabulary)
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market ダムヌーン・サドゥアク水上マーケット　バンコクから南西に８０ｋｍに位置する水上マーケット　バンコクから観光に行くと一日を要する

タリンチャン水上マーケット

タイと聞いて思い浮かべるのが仏塔群と水上マーケット。バンコクではどうしても水上マーケットを見たかった。旅行番組などで紹介されるダムヌーン・サドゥアク水上マーケットはバンコクから離れており、友人によると往復で３時間はかかるとのこと。それではと、バンコク市内にある、やや小さめの水上マーケットに寄ることにした。移動手段は友人の会社の車と運転手。実に有り難かった。行きたいところに案内してくれる。

水上マーケットに着いたら川？運河？までの１００メートルくらいは産直市になっていてこの場所の散歩も楽しかった。マーケットで食事をするつもりで朝食は抜きでやってきた。メニューを見るといろいろとある。が、読めない。メニューの写真を見たり、地元の人たちが食べているものを眺めて決めた。スパイシーでうまくて何より安い！