Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Meals

     Rally officials were provided with all their meals during the Rally. I had been afraid before flying into Hokkaido that boxed meals would be cold. It would be difficult to keep them hot in the cold air of Hokkaido. I heard about the catering service, but I thought it meant that someone would deliver boxed meals to every point where the rally officials were working.
     However, it was not true. It was no use worrying. The organizers were professional. A large tent was prepared as an eating place. The first picture shows the breakfast on Oct. 31st. Scrambled eggs and kelp boiled in soy sauce were on the rice. We named it the bowl of double colors. Steamed potatoes with butter was one of the famous foods in Hokkaido.
     The second picture shows the catering service men. As you see, they wore the same uniform as me. They were also rally officials. These catering staff members seemed to be dispatched in the forest where the special stages were designed. I wondered how systematic and meticulously scheduled the official side of the rally was. The last picture shows the inside of the tent.
     I finished the breakfast. The time has come. I'll do anything that I have to do. I hope I will have  the chance to talk to worldclass famous drivers.

(Vocabulary)
provide sb with sth    人に～を提供する
boxed meal    弁当
food boiled in soy sauce    佃煮
meticulously     細心の注意を払って、慎重に
The time has come.     いよいよだ。

Just Starting

     I took this picture in front of the hotel just before starting for the Sapporo Dome. All the people in the picture were from Ehime Prefecture. Some belonged to another team and I didn't have their permission to post it, so I put a mosaic mask on the picture. The weather was comfortable and everybody was smiling at that time, but ...

(Vocabulary)
censor / mosaic mask / wiping / solarization / posterization / soft-focusing   修正方法いろいろ

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.

Get Lost

     I got lost in the dome for a while. I got the official's credential at the HQ and wandered around with it and finally lost my way. The pictures were taken at that time. The first one is the manager's room. I wondered if the manager or coaches of Nippon Ham Fighters use this room? Sapporo Dome is the home of Nippon Ham Fighters (a baseball franchise in Japan).
     The next picture shows a meeting room that officials are not allowed in. Only a person who has the passes that aren't deleted in the pass list is permitted to get in this room. I had a blue one in the most right and most upper and my pass was deleted from this list.

(Vocabulary)
a baseball franchise  プロ野球のチーム
franchise プロスポーツのチーム

(KW: 日本ハムファイターズ)

Inside of Sapporo Dome

     I went into Sapporo Dome. When I saw the dome for the first time last year, I really wanted to enter the dome and wondered if I could do it some day at the same time. It never entered my mind that I could visit Sapporo again this year and see the inside of the dome.
     Anyway, I'll show you the picture of the inside. Rally Cars are arranged for the ceremony and the rehearsal of the ceremony was being couducted.

( http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/08/hitsujigaoka-vi.html )

(Vocabulary)
It never entered my mind that     ～とは思いもしなかった。

(KW: 札幌ドーム　ラリージャパン)

Sapporo Dome

     It had been a year since the last time I flew into Sapporo. We took a bus to Sapporo Dome that you can see in the first picture. Rally HQ (Headquarter) is headquartered here. First of all, we went for the rally official registration. The number of volunteer staff was supposed to be 800. The registration counters were swarming with people. I found the cheering group for the Subaru Rally Team on the way and took pictures. Subaru looked like they put a lot of effort into creating a strong spirit for the rally.

(Vocabulary)
swarm with sb/sth  <場所が>～であふれている　ごった返している

(KW: ラリージャパン　札幌ドーム)

Rally Japan 2008 Report

     I came back from Sapporo to Matsuyama City on Nov. 3rd, where Rally Japan 2008 had been held. As I wrote in the last entry, I worked as one of the volunteer staff members there. Now I'm writing this entry on Nov. 4th, but I'll arrange the entries that I'll post from now in chronological order. All the entries between Oct. 30th and Nov. 3rd are written after Nov. 4th.
     Anyway, let's start writing my diary.
     The picture shows the signboard on the gate. I flew to Tokyo on ANA 584, departure time 09:30 and changed planes at Tokyo International Airport for Sapporo. As you see in the picture, generally speaking, many signboards in the airport are described in not only Japanese but English, Mandarin Chinese and Korean.
     The second picture is an AED, an automated external defibrillator that is set on the wall of the airport. This is also in English, Chinese and Korean. AEDs became popular in many public spaces, like airports, stations, schools and so on. I'm interested in Korean and make it a rule to memorize these words and phrases on the signboard. It is a good lesson for me.
     Four people in the last picture are my friends, who belong to the same rally team as me and are waiting to board in Matsuyama Airport.

(Vocabulary)
in chronologic(al) order   時系列で
change planes   飛行機を乗り継ぐ

(KW: ラリージャパン２００８　自動体外除細動器　韓国語　朝鮮語)

Rally Japan (FIA World Rally Championship Round 14)

     Rally Japan is just around the corner. I'll fly to Sapporo on the 30th and join the meeting as one of the volunteer staff members. It has been my dream to do something for the international championship. If I had enough time, skills, and funds, I would have driven a car in the competition. I had attended the competitions when I was in my twenties. As for now, first of all, my physical strength is over the hill, I'm afraid. Anyway I can't wait to see the world's highest level of rally cars.

    By the way, I'm not sure how long I will be under constraint, but I won't have time for internet access. Therefore, I changed my e-mail system so that important e-mails can be automatically transferred from my PC to my cell phone, because I have a plan to see a few friends in Sapporo and e-mails are necessary to communicate with each other.

     And one more thing. I won't know what role will be given to me until I'm checking in to the headquarters of the Rally Japan. My friends and family members want to know when and what I will be doing. In order to inform them of this information easily and quickly, I decided to use my blog. I've written my blog mainly in English, but I'll keep it in Japanese only during the Rally Japan. I'll post pictures with short messages and after getting home I'll flesh them out with some more details in English.

(Vocabulary)
flesh ~ out with some more information
～にもう少し情報を付け加えて肉付けする

Name Card

     I had my name card made for the Rally Japan. It was very easy and simple to place an order via internet. As you imagine, the price was cheap. I'm showing you it below. I didn't expect much because the price was so cheap, but it is far better than I expected.
     In the Rally Japan, more than 800 people were supposed to join as volunteer staff members. I think my fellow staff will be 20, give or take. I want to start a good relationship with them and so I prepared the name card. It will make it easy for me to be remembered.

Rally Japan

     Rally Japan is just around the corner. I'll show you the brochure below. I'm going to participate as an interpreter in the Sapporo Dome. I'm sorry I don't have English version, but you can see the figure on the left top and feel something exciting.

NHK

     NHK stands for Japan Broadcasting Corporation. This company is the largest broadcasting company in Japan, and one of the world's leading broadcasting institutions, along with the BBC in Great Britain. NHK has been broadcasting programs favorably for China and the Beijing Olympic Games, on the air on all channels of NHK during the Games. NHK announcers were extolling the fake virtues of China. It was just like propaganda. They were screaming that this Olympic was very safe and secure with a great success at the closing ceremony.
     While they were praising China, ethnic minorities have been feeling the bitterness of the Chinese Communist Party and the press restraints were strict. Don't they know it? The Olympics finished without accident? It's not true. The authorities had strictly oppressed the freedom of the people. On the other hand, western medias were criticizing Chinese policies all the time. NHK didn't air this fact and closed the door to the truth.
     I sometimes watched the BBC. In Great Britain, the public and private sectors were denouncing Chinese move to suppress the freedom of people and abuse of human rights. The BBC officially condemned the Chinese Government and Beijing Olympic Games.
     I realized, and carved into my mind, that I have to keep my eyes open to the world and that NHK is a long way behind the BBC, and I have to be cautious not to be brainwashed by dominant medias.

(Vocabulary)
extol   （美徳／美しさなど）を褒め称える
extol the virtues/ benefits of sth
experience hardships / feel the bitterness of　辛酸をなめる
ethnic minority 少数民族
press restraints　報道規制
safe and secure, in one piece  無事に
abuse of human rights　人権侵害
the public and private sectors  官民挙げて

ＮＨＫとＢＢＣ

　ＮＨＫとは日本放送協会を意味する。日本で最も大きな放送局であり、英国放送協会（ＢＢＣ）と並ぶ世界有数の放送機関である。ＮＨＫはこれまでシナに好意的な放送を続けてきた。そして北京オリンピックについてもその全てのチャンネルと使って放送し、アナウンサー達はシナの偽りの美徳を褒め称えていた。まるでプロパガンダ放送だ。閉会式でもこのオリンピックは無事終了し、大成功だったと言っていた。彼等がシナを褒め称えている間、シナは少数民族を弾圧し、報道規制を敷いた。ＮＨＫは知らないのか？オリンピックは無事終了しただと？本当は当局が人民の自由を厳しく押さえ込んだということではないのか。一方で、欧米メディアは一貫して五輪批判を続けていたが、ＮＨＫはこの事実を報道せず、真実への扉を閉ざしてしまったのである。 　時々、ＢＢＣを見ていたのだが、同じ時期にイギリスでは官民挙げてシナ政府の人権侵害、自由の抑圧を批判していた。またＢＢＣはシナ政府と北京オリンピックを公然と断罪していた。ＮＨＫはＢＢＣと比べると遙かに遅れており、視野を海外にも向けて広く保っておかないといけない、そして有力メディアに洗脳されないように用心していなければならないのだと思い知らされた。

Delegation Certificate

     Recently, a letter came to me asking me to work as an interpreter and an emergency doctor in the Rally Japan, one of the International Rally Championship Series. I'm showing the letter below. I have been eager to watch the professional run for decades, since I was a university student. At that time, I couldn't imagine that the championship would be held in Japan because Japan is such a small country and the people aren't so open-minded when it comes to motor sports. Anyway, I might have an opportunity to talk with some famous drivers and I'm on cloud nine now.

(Vocabulary)
be on cloud nine   うきうきしている

　ラリージャパン事務局から委嘱状が届きました。通訳兼救急医として参加します。国際ラリーに関わるのは学生時代からの夢でした。当時は日本で国際ラリーが開催されるなどということは想像も出来ませんでした。国土は狭いしモータースポーツに対して理解が得られていなかったのです。今からうきうきしています。

Joyful and Sad Gifts

     At first, look at the picture. These are all gifts for me from my teacher. I got two more pairs of skis, besides the gear in the picture, and a pair of skis are with the binding of BURT. All of the gear is wonderful. These boots are more expensive than mine, and they fit me just fine. It is the joyful side of the gifts, but the sad side is that he decided to give up skiing due to an eye problem. I wrote about him before:
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2006/04/mercedes-benz.html
     Everyone will be getting old, year by year, no matter how much they want to avoid it. I know it, but I feel sad.

　最初に、写真を見てください。これらは全て僕の先生から頂いたものです。この写真に写っている以外にもスキーを２本もらっています。ひとつにはバートのビンディングがセットされています。どれもこれも素晴らしいものばかりです。ブーツも高価なものばかりで僕の足にぴったりとフィットします。ここまでが嬉しい話です。悲しいのはこの先生がスキーをやめてしまったこと。目が悪くなったためで以前にもブログに書いたことがあります。その時の記事はこのＵＲＬです。　
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2006/04/mercedes-benz.html
誰もが皆歳を取ります。いくら避けようとしても仕方のないことです。そんなことぐらいわかってはいるのですが、やはり辛いです。

Beijing Olympic Games

     The genocide Olympics is about to begin. Previously I liked to see some events on TV and thought highly of the athletes who were chosen as the representatives of their own countries, but in this Olympics I feel a kind of disappointment for the athletes.
     They are just like supporters of the Chinese communist party, and it means that they are causing tons of suffering to people, not only inside China but all over the world. It is well known that the Chinese government are selling weapons everywhere on the globe to get oil, gas, and mineral resources. China doesn't deserve to be hosting the Olympic Games.

(Vocabulary)
event  種目
think highly[a lot] of sb/sth  ～を高く評価する　よいと思う
think badly / less / the worst of sb  人のことを悪く(前より悪く／最低だと）思う

虐殺オリンピックが始まる

　ジェノサイドオリンピック(虐殺競技会）がいよいよ始まる。これまではテレビで観戦するのを楽しみにしていたし、国を代表して参加する選手達に尊敬の念も感じていた。 　しかし、今回は違う。彼等は中共のサポーターとなっている。つまり、シナ国内のみならず世界中に無数の災難を引き起こしているのだ。中共が資源ほしさに世界中に武器を売り歩いていることはよく知られている。シナにはオリンピックを開催する資格はないと思う。

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。

African Fiesta 2008 In Yokohama

     I got an e-mail from my eldest daughter, Eri, a university student who lives in Tokyo. The following picture was attached to her mail.
     African Fiesta 2008, sponsored by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, was held in Yokohama City and Eri visited for fun.
     Her mail says.....
     She happened to see the booth of Senegal and tried to dance the newest style of sabre dance from Senegal in front of the booth to their ethnic music. The Senegalese in the booth were so astonished to see her dance, because her dance steps were the most recent ones. "How do you know this dance?" She was asked. She took some pictures of her and them and sent me one of them. She sounds like she enjoyed African culture and food and chatting in French.

     By the way, I don't know how she knew the dance, but she had practised jazz dance for more than 10 years since she was in short pants. She was so talented that was selected at the age of 12 as a member of the dance team dispatched by my city to Sacramento in California, USA. Sacramento is the sister city of my city and both cities have been mutually exchanging cultural envoys every two years.
     I guess when she was watching the performances on the stage for the first time, she might have picked up their steps. She likes dancing and I'm showing an old picture in which Eri and Yuri, the second daughter, were dancing at a campground in Canmore, near Banff in Alberta in 1995.

(Vocabulary)
in short pants: 幼少で
I've known Mike since he was in short pants.　子供のころから、マイクを知っている

(KW: サクラメント セネガル ダンス)

The Japan Rally Championship

     I joined the second Round of the Japan Rally Championship on Apr. 27th. There were many spectators, press members, service crews, food stalls,,,. A calm mountain village had completely changed into a popular theme park like Disneyland.
     My role was standing by to do emergency care in the case of accidents. I was driving rally cars in my university days and am interested in the rally now. I joined it last year and was asked to join it this year.
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/04/the-japan-rally.html
     I'm going to attend Rally Japan, one of the World Rally Championship Series, that will be held in Hokkaido next fall as an emergency doctor.

(Vocabulary)
stand by 待機している
We have a helicopter standing by when you're ready to go. ご出発に備えてヘリコプターを待機させています．
stand by to do sth …するために待機している
Buses were standing by to take guests to the airport. 客を空港まで送り届けるバスが何台か待機していた．

(KW: 全日本ラリー選手権)

Lovely Daughter and Lion's Gate Bridge

     Annlie is in the center of the picture and the background is West Vancouver and Lion's Gate Bridge that we passed over by bus several hours before.
     We walked from Vancouver Aquarium to the coast of Burrard Inlet. You can see the area that is called West Vancouver behind Annlie. The upper portion of West Vancouver was covered with mist and invisible. A great skiing place is located here, though it is not so famous worldwide. The name of it is Cypress Mountain. The mogul competition of the Winter Olympics in 2010 is going to be held there. http://www.cypressmountain.com/index.asp
There are some reasons why I like this city. One of them is the easy accessibility to great skiing places, like Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains, Cypress Mountain and Grouse Mountain. The last two mountains are within 30 minutes of downtown.

Solar Coaster in Snowstorm

     We descended the mountain about halfway down and found the loading spot of the Solar Coaster (the picture). You can see the snowstorm. The other side of the spot was the way to the village. We went back to the condominium and went out shopping to buy something for our friends in Japan.

Blackcomb Information Board

     The picture shows the information board. This board tells us if all the lifts and trails are available or not. Skiers have to check the course that they want to ski down when the weather is not clear. A didn't like it when I skied near her, but I followed her. She didn't realize the danger of the mountain in winter at all.