Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Polarized Coverage

　　I think that subscribers to my blog are casually getting information from English-based media on a daily basis. It's natural that they would burst into applause at the success of the Japanese Asteroid Explorer HAYABUSA. As far as I know, the success was unprecedented and was reported in a variety of media. However, almost all of the Japanese media were silent. Why?

　　I could see the live fire streak from the HAYABUSA capsule produced by the re-entry into the atmosphere via the internet. It was aired from the desert of Australia. It was beautiful. HAYABUSA left the earth on May 9th in 2003 and came back on June 13th after 7 years, overcoming various difficulties for the 6 billions km's journey. It's also a fact that indicates the high level of Japanese space science.

　　Do you know about the poor failure in launching a rocket in South Korea a few weeks ago? Apparently the Japanese media refrained from reporting the success of Japan, considering the South Korean people's feelings. Such consideration is nonsense.

　　Why don't the Japanese media report facts that are inconvenient to the Koreas and China?

• (Vocabulary)
  
• polarized/biased 偏向した
  
• coverage（ニュースなどの）報道 
  
• asteroid explorer HAYABUSA　小惑星探査機はやぶさ
  
• on a daily / day-to-day / routine basis  日常的に 
  
• make its re-entry into the atmosphere  大気圏に再突入する

New Digital Camera

     I bought a new digital camera. The one that I use now was rolled out in 2003 and still takes good pictures, but the indicator lamps don't work to show when it is on, or being charged. I can continue to use it, but I got new one because when I went up the JR Tower in Sapporo last November, several school kids came to me and asked me to take their picture. It was my pleasure to do so, but the direction that they want me to take it at was not good. I explained that their faces would disappear in the dark due to the sun. They looked like they couldn't understand me, so I took the picture as a trial to show how it would become if it was taken against the sun.
     However, the picture I took was nice and fine. I was so surprised and felt embarassed. I wasn't aware of how the function of the camera had become remarkably advanced. I decided to renew my camera at that time.
     I've been examining several cameras from various manufacturers but all of the cameras have the same original functions so it was not easy to choose one. After considering it for a while, I selected one from Fujifilm because my present camera is a product of this company and I thought it would be easier to use one from the same company.

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/11/jr-tower.html

（Vocabulary)
against the sun  逆光で

Briefing in My Office

     The general concern for the outbreak of new types of influenza is growing in Japan. Public facilities such as airports, seaports, train stations, city halls and places like that carry out exercises in a variety of mock situations and emergencies, like the outbreak of new, unknown contagious diseases.
     The picture was taken in the briefing about sterilization. My hospital holds such briefings regularly to inspire us. Every lecturer is invited to the hospital from outside companies and today's lecturer is from a pharmaceutical company.
     These briefings begin after our daily work and are a bit of burden, although a box meal is offered to everyone. However, medical science is constantly advancing so I believe it's our duty to refresh our knowledge day by day.
     Some of my friends e-mailed me the other day. They said, "your topics in the blog are nice and interesting, but nothing medical. Are you working seriously?" They are joking, naturally. So, I chose this topic this time. (grin)

 

iRobot, Cleaning Robot, Roomba 530

     I'm reporting on how the cleaning robot worked in a couple of weeks in my house. To make a long story short, it was great! My room has been kept clean all the time. I admire the designer of this robot.
     How many times or how frequently do you clean your room up? Once a week? As for me, once or twice a DAY! I've only to push the start button. Before taking a bath, if I punched the start button, when I get back the cleaning would be finished completely. It was amazing. I'm thinking of purchasing a second one.
     By the way, my house is protected with a Secom Security System. The security of every door and window that are wide enough for someone to go through is strengthened. Even if someone successfully managed to get into the house, infrared light would absolutely catch the hot moving bodies. At the same time, the alarm will be sent to the security center and the officers on patrol. So, ordinary thieves never try to break into the house with this system. However, it indicates that Roomba can't move under surveillance. It has a motor to discharge heat, which is easily detected by the monitor and makes officers gather at my house. The problem is this; Roomba can't work while the security system is on.
     Anyway, this cleaning robot is going to be perfect and one of necessities in my house. See also, http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/11/automatic-clean.html

(Vocabulary)
Secom Co., Ltd.  セコム
infra-red radiation / infra-red ray / infrared light  赤外線
be under surveillance   監視されて

（ＫＷ：ルンバ５３０　お掃除ロボット）

Chinese Spacewalk

     I saw a Chinese astronaut performing a spacewalk on TV. Quite a few Japanese people must have thought that Chinese space technology had become a menace.
     Japan has been giving financial aid to China since the resumption of diplomatic ties. The total amount was running at the annual budget of Japan. However, this fact has been kept a secret to ordinary Chinese all this time. China has developed its military power with this fund and has become an imaginary enemy now. I really think of how stupid the Japanese Government was.
     By the way, all of the people in the world must have realized that China is a cruel country this year. The Beijing Olympic Games were useful to disseminate the condition of China.
The world has to be cautious about China.

(Vocabulary)
spacewalk   宇宙遊泳
space technology  宇宙技術
menace  脅威
resumption of diplomatic ties with  ～との国交回復
all this time   今まで
imagined enemy / potential enemy   仮想敵国
disseminate  (情報・知識など)を広める、普及させる
be cautious about  警戒する

Mocha's Yawn

     I saw my dog, Mocha, yawn by chance and I came up with a funny and serious idea at that time. I tried and finally made it. That is, , , taking a picture of his yawning. I'm showing you the picture below.
     Can you figure out how to make him yawn? Do you think that I was just waiting for him to yawn? If I was just waiting, it would take a lot of time. It would be impossible, as I don't have enough patience to do that.
     What I did was; I kept yawning again and again in front of him. I didn't think that pet dogs would find human yawns contagious, but I did it. About three minutes later, HE YAWNED!!!
     Mocha might be capable of empathizing with me. He has obeyed my simple orders until now, but I couldn't have imagined he would yawn after seeing me yawning. Did he catch my yawn?

(Vocabulary)
by chance, by accident 偶然に

　偶然にモカが欠伸をしているのを見た。そして面白くてまじめな考えが浮かんだ。それを試し、そしてついにできた。なにかというと、、、モカの欠伸の写真を撮ること。下にＵＰします。(^o^)

　ところで、どうやってこれを撮影したか、わかりますか？まさか欠伸するのを待っていたというんじゃないでしょうね。もしそうならかなりの時間を要したでしょうし、僕はそれほど根気強くはありません。(^_^;)

　僕のしたことは、、、
　モカの目の前で欠伸を繰り返し、何度も何度も、、、。欠伸が人から犬に移ると信じていたわけではないのですが、やってみました。そうすると、３分後くらいに、奴は欠伸をしたのです。！！

　モカはひょっとしたら人に共感する能力があるのかもしれません。これまで簡単な命令には従ってきましたが、まさか僕の欠伸を見て欠伸をするとは思いませんでした。僕の欠伸が移ったのでしょうか？

School of Veterinary Medicine

     I'll show you some pictures that I took around the School.

     This is the main entrance of the School. It appeared abruptly ahead when I was heading to the School. No one would have imagined that the top level of veterinarian facilities were inside.

     This is the Veterinary School. Students must learn Veterinary Medicine here for 6 years and after that they are qualified for the national examination. It's not easy to become a veterinarian.

     This is the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. My daughter was permitted to see inside with other students.

     It's the signboard that is written in Japanese as follows:

     Subject: Internal Medicine, Surgery, Breeding
     Check-in Hours: 9:00 - 11:30
     Non-consultation Day: Saturday, Monday, National Holidays and Designated Dates

     Another entrance. You can tell how vast the campus is.

     Two lanes go around the campus. One is for bicycle riders and the other is for walking and jogging people. The black asphalt is for people. It is soft and looks good for the knees and ankles.

(KW: 北海道大学獣医学部付属動物病院)

Showashinzan: Newly Created Hill in Showa Era

     Just after I received my bike from the transport company at Shin-Chitose Airport near Sapporo city in Hokkaido, I headed westward to Lake Shikotsuko.

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2006/08/summer-vacation.html    

     I ran along Lake Shikotsuko and reached Lake Toyako that is located by a famous volcano, Mt Usu, which erupted in 2000. This eruption caused massive disasters around the volcano. I visited the devastated area a few days later, so I'll report at that time. The photo shows the Showa-shinzan, which was newly created in Showa-Era. The bike on the far-right is mine. The altitude of Showa-Shinzan is about 400 meters. You might not believe it but this hill was made in about two years (1943-1945) and is emitting a great deal of steam now.

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showashinzan

Technical School

     I have one more job once a week. It's a teacher of general medicine in a technical college. The new school term in Japan starts in April and ends in March. This term has almost ended. Today I gave the last lecture to the students of the nursery course. Because I had already done the whole year's course, I gave the students the choice of today's topic. They wanted to know more details about influenza. Influenza is out of my majors, but it is a good opportunity for me. Giving the lecture to others means I need to study a lot. By that, I could reconfirm my knowledge about influenza and get more insight. I studied the history of influenza this time. The bodies who died of spanish influenza in 1918 were found in the permanently-frozen ground of Alaska and Finland in this decade. These bodies proved that the cause of spanish influenza was avian influenza. Besides, the virus of spanish influenza was from the south of China. It's just the same as present. It is so scary.
     Anyway, science improves a lot in a short time. I'd like to be always at the cutting edge of medical science. I really think so.
     The photo shows my students and me. They will spend one more year in this college and be nursery staff in kindergartens or some facilities dealing with physically or socially handicapped children.