Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Cycling Rally

　　The Seto Inland Sea, which my prefecture faces in the north, is well-known for its beautiful and peaceful scenery of lots of islands. As everyone knows, Japan is an island nation and consists of four main and numerous small islands. The Seto Inland Sea lies between these two main islands, Shikoku and Honshu.
　　By the way, there are three routes through the sea connecting Shikoku and Honshu and the most western route is called the Shimanami Line, which means "continuous islands" in Japanese. This route is becoming a mecca for cyclists recently. On this route, the big event, the Shimanami Cycling Rally, was held today and I joined the longest category with my friends. The distance was 100km and it was long enough to exhaust me. The number of participants was around 900 and the event was really vigorous. The person wearing number 272 is me in the picture. The map of my cycling route is here(link).

(Vocabulary from comments)
isle  /aɪl/  島, 小島 (島名の一部などに用いる)
atop  …の頂上に, …の上に
alluvial (専門) 沖積(ちゅうせき)（層）の
immensely  非常に, 大いに
treat 〈人〉 をもてなす, にごちそうする, プレゼントする
treat sb/yourself to sth  ＜人・自分自身＞を＜…＞でもてなす
We treated Mom to lunch at the Ritz.  私たちはリッツで母にランチをごちそうした．

 
 
 
 

New Helmet

　　I bought a new helmet for cycling today. An event for cyclists, which will be held on Oct. 16th, requires all the participants to wear one during the event. It is the straightforward reason for buying one, but naturally I know it's for security. However, it looks so simple and I wondered if  it would work well in time of emergency. Anyway, it might be better than nothing.
　　This event was the cue for me to buy a bicycle last year and I'm going to attend the event this year. It's great, I think, to do something new, which I couldn't do before. Ehime Prefecture, where I live, faces Seto Inland Sea in the north. The area called this is very narrow and small from a worldwide view, but it's well-known for the awesome view. If you want to see it, google for images with the key word of "Setonaikai" or "Setouchi".
　　The participants choose their routes from three routes which are 60km, 80km and 100km in length and I chose the longest one, 100km. I'll record my route and post it in this blog with pictures that I'll take on the way as long as my physical strength lasts.

Tandem

　　I went out for a long-distance cycling trip after a month today. The distance was about 80 km, longer than the last time by 20 km. The fatigue was not so severe that I was afraid. Dating back one year, I heard of the cyclists' event that was held on the islands in the Seto Inland Sea. I instantly hit upon the idea that I would be likely to join it the next year and found myself ordering a bicycle from the U.S. after a great deal of research about bicycles. I've written about this bicycle before and the offbeat idea will soon be achieved at last. I applied for the event after getting enough confidence to complete the full distance, 100 km.
　　The picture shows two tandem bikes which I saw today. The owner was kind enough to allow me to ride on it. Of course, it was my first time to try a tandem bike. Describing it in a few words the tandem pedalling was curious but interesting. The rider in the rear saddle can't control the bike and he just pedals. It's only pedalling that he can do. I imagined that he could cheat and stop pedalling behind the front rider at first. However, the gears attached to both pedals of the front and rear were directly connected and both riders have to pedal at the same cycle. It was fun to ride it.

(Vocabulary)
complete the full distance  完走する
pedal  [自] (自転車の) ペダルを踏む［こぐ］
pedal away/along etc.  ペダルをこいで去って行く［進んで行く

 

 

Whistler Again?

　　Some of you know that I'm crazy about skiing overseas and that I especially love Whistler which is a much-frequented ski resort in Canada. One of my friends texted me saying "Let's go to Canada next season!" This e-mail really pleased me and I promptly transferred it to my family members, but no one wanted to join me.
　　My eldest daughter would be busy doing research work in her postgraduate school. The second might be in New Zealand at that time. Actually she will visit Auckland from Sept. 5th to 15th to see how things are going on in universities in New Zealand. She is good at German, but isn't so good at English. The youngest is also a Whistler-lover, but she will have to attend an athletic meeting held in winter as a representative of her medical school. As you can imagine, she's good at skiing for a girl who was brought up in a warm region of Japan. My wife doesn't like snow. She grew up in a snowy region, but she hates it when it's cold. She insists that I should visit Canada in the summer, but,,,
　　Anyway, I desperately want to spend a serene yet exciting time for a week in North America's biggest ski resort. I'm looking for friends who can share those wonderful days.

Nadeshiko Japan

　　"Nadeshiko Japan" is the nickname of Japan's national team of women's soccer. The Japanese word, "Nadeshiko," is the word for paying tribute to the beauty and spiritual strength of Japanese women. That Nadeshiko won the gold medal at the World Cup. It was an epoch-making victory. They beat the certified champions of the U.S.A.
　　The kick-off was at 3:45 in the morning in Japan. Though it was early morning, lots of enthusiastic supporters cheered them all the way from Japan. Almost all the supporters gave up the game twice, but Nadeshiko managed to catch up twice. The second equalizer was just a few minutes before the end of the game. It was really dramatic. The game deserved to be watched, putting up with the drowsiness.
　　What I was most surprised with was their hearty smiles just before the penalty shootout. I wondered how strong their spiritual backbones were able to relax and keep cool on such a serious occasion. I admire their achievement from the bottom of my heart.
　　I have something I'd like you to know. Most of Nadeshiko's members aren't professional players. They work in the daytime as a cashier, a clerk or various part-time workers. They simply have loved soccer and finally clinched the championship of the World Cup. Their victory encouraged people who live in the devastated area from the tsunami. I felt the existence of God.

(Vocabulary)
equalize　[他]（数・量・価値など）を均一にする, 同等にする／[自](英) (サッカーで) 同点に追いつく
drowsiness.  眠気
penalty shootout  《サッカー》 ＰＫ戦
certified 誰もが認める
equalizer 平等にするもの / (英) 同点ゴール
a great equalizer  平等化に大いに役立つもの
Sports are a great equalizer in schools. 学校ではスポーツが生徒の平等化に大いに役立っている．

(Vocabulary from comments)
hearten 《[他]通例受け身形で》〈人〉に希望を与える
be heartened to see/find/know  …を見て［…とわかって，…と知って］希望がわく
sicken
1 [他] 〈人〉 に憤りを抱かせる, 嫌悪感を与える
it sickens sb (that)   …ということは＜人＞を腹立たせる
It sickens me that someone could lie like that. あんなうそをつける人間がいたなんて腹が立つよ．
2 [他] …に吐きけを催させる, をむかむかさせる
be sickening for sth   どこか具合が悪い
sicken of sth [句動詞]  ＜…＞がいやになる, にうんざりする
excel (人が）抜きんでる, 秀でる
excel at/in sth
She really excels at sport.　彼女は本当にスポーツに秀でている．
despise  …を軽べつする, 見下す, 嫌悪する
prance  ぴょんぴょん跳ねながら歩く
basket  (バスケットボールの) 1ゴール, 得点
about  (目的・意義などについて) …のためで, …を意味して, …ということで
To me, art is about expressing emotions.  私にとって芸術とは感情の表現だ.
be all about (doing) sth 〈仕事・活動などの〉目指すところは＜…＞（すること）にある
My job is all about helping people.  私の仕事の目的は人助けにある.
This is what education is all about. これこそ教育の目標とするところだ.
template 手本, 見本, モデル
aggrandizement [U](けなして・フォーマル) (権力・重要性などの) 拡大, (地位などを) 高めること
self-aggrandizement [名] [U](けなして) 自己の誇張
cheapen …の品位を落とす, 安っぽくする
cheapen yourself (by doing sth)  （＜…＞することで）自分の品位を落とす
implied  暗に示された, 含意された, 暗黙の
fortitude  不屈の精神

Miscellaneous Thoughts

　　I've done the first long, at least for me, cycling trip. It was tough for me, but comfortable. I got heavily suntanned, but I hope I'll try to ride longer next time. I had underestimated the pleasure of cycling.
　　However, I had some lessons from this cycling trip. More than a half of the cyclists whom I met were wearing their helmets. When I went downhill, I sometimes felt like toppling forward. I have to get a helmet by the next cycling tour. The jeans were terrible for riding. They stuck around both knees and hampered their free movement. The saddle was small and it caused my buttocks pain. My friends wore pants designed for cycling. They had a pad on part of the buttocks. As one of the subscribers of this blog, Shiroi-Tora, says, I need a helmet and pants for cycling.
　　The scenery passed slower than when I rode my scooter. I noticed lots of items along the way. I could see the whirlpool under the bridge. The current was so rapid. The current around Alcatraz wouldn't be able to compare with it, though I've never seen the current in San Francisco Bay.
　　I reserved a roundtrip ticket of JR transport service for Sept. 4th. I'm thinking of going farther. I'll post the route map then; enjoy it.

(Vocabulary)
topple [自] (ぐらついて) 倒れる, 崩れ落ちる
The magazines toppled to the floor. 雑誌が床に崩れ落ちた．
topple over/backward/sideways   倒れる［後ろへ転倒する，横へ倒れる］
buttock 《[C]通例複数形で》(片方の) 尻, 臀部
sth doesn't/can't compare with sth  ＜…＞は＜…＞と比較にならない, より劣る

Pictures 2

　　As I wrote before, we could stop to take a rest on the bridge though the car drivers weren't allowed to do the same. The first picture shows one of the whirlpools from the bicycle path. The stream was really rapid. The cargo ship which was sailing downstream was really fast.
　　The Shikoku-side starting point of the Shimanami Route was shot in the third picture. The entrance consists of three kinds; for cars and motorcycles, for small motorcycles up to 50cc and for pedestrians. It is amazingly nicely designed on the complex topography.
　　The last picture but one shows the car that we got on. The destination display read "out of service". People who didn't know how it worked would wonder who were the people getting their bicycles out of the car.
　　I was really tired. I was unused to doing such hard exercise, but the cycling was comfortable. I decided to apply for this JR's special service for cyclists again. Needless to say, the person who was lying on the seat in the last picture is me. I'm afraid that there will be so many people that I wouldn't be able to lay down like this next time.

(Vocabulary)
whirl / whirlpool  (水・風などの) 渦, 渦巻き
topography
1 [U] 地勢, 地形 the island's topography その島の地形
2 [U] 地形学, 地誌学
3 [C,U] (社会・経済などの) 機構, 構造

(Vocabulary from comments)
well deserved rest : deserved はこういう使い方もできるんだね

 
 
 
 

Pictures 1

　　I chose 10 pictures for you. If you live outside Japan, these pictures might be interesting. Enjoy them.

　　The first picture shows me riding downhill southward on Ohshima Island. You can also see the Kurushima-Kaikyo Ohashi Bridge in the picture, which is the world's first three-consecutive suspension bridge. The length is 4105 meters.

　　We reached the southern end of Ohshima Island. As you see, this was a fishing port and lots of small fishing boats were moored there. There was a make-shift restaurant serving local sea food and clay charcoal stoves. The visitors could roast and eat the freshly caught sea food. We would have liked to eat them, but the view of the bridge column deterred us from doing that because we couldn't have done without beer if we had eaten roasted sea food there.

　　One of the bridge columns of the Kurushima-Kaikyo Ohashi stands on the really tiny island of Umashima. We descended to the land. The picture shows the elevator arranged to the wall of the column. You can see its whole appearance in the next picture. It helps the inhabitants of this island do daily shopping on the mainland Shikoku.

　　The last picture was shot at the southern edge of Umashima Island. This area is well known as the channel which has the most rapid current in Japan.

(Vocabulary)
suspension bridge  吊り橋
moor [他]（船）をつなぐ, 停泊させる
A few fishing boats were moored alongside the pier.
clay charcoal stove  七輪
bridge column  橋脚
deter …を思いとどまらせる, やめさせる
deter sb from (doing) sth
A loan system would deter many young people from going to college. 貸付制度は多くの若者たちが大学に行くのを思いとどまらせるだろう．

(Vocabulary from comments)
eatery [C] (複 eateries) (インフォーマル) レストラン
wick away moisture  水分を逃がす

 
 
  

Hard Work

　　All the bridges on the Shimanami route span the big artery of ocean which connects the big port cities of Kobe and Osaka with China and both Koreas. So, the height of the bridge beam must be high enough for big cargo ships or tankers to be able to pass under the bridge. The path for bicycles is arranged on the same level of the bridge. The first picture shows me trying to climb up to the height of the beam. It was really hard work for me. I realized my lack of exercise in daily life. It might be my excuse, but jeans were not suitable for cycling. They restricted the movement of my knees.
　　In the second picture, I am riding on the bicycle path. The sky was getting better. This path was for bicycles and small motorcycles up to 50cc. The white line on the road stood for the separator line, but there was no one but us. I could ride freely.
　　The road was even and I was relaxed in the third picture. The weather was getting more and more clear, though distant islands were hazy.
　　The last picture shows a bicycle-parking area on Ohshima island. I've seen something similar in Germany, but I've never seen one in Japan. You would understand that this island welcomes cyclists.

(Vocabulary)
span vt.  〈橋が〉〈川など〉に架かる, を渡る
the bridge spanning the Sava River サバ川に架かる橋
bridge beam  橋桁
separator line  区切り線
hazy かすみがかった

(Vocabulary from comments)
poise 《[他]常に＋[副]/[前]》(特に書き言葉) …を構える, 上に保つ
poise sth over/above sth  ＜…＞の上方に＜…＞を構える
waterline the waterline (船の)（喫）水線; [C] 海岸線
fare
fare well/badly/better(書き言葉)  うまくいく［うまくいかない，もっとうまくいく］
morrow
1 the morrow(やや古) 翌日, 明日
on the morrow of something(文)  ＜…＞の直後に
unused to (doing) sth  ＜…＞（すること）に慣れていない

 
 
 

In The Train

　　I have often rented a bus with my co-workers for skiing. At the moment we got on the bus, the field party started. Freed from daily work, the party was alway boisterous.
　　In the case of this train, the occasion was similar. The maps of the islands on the Shimanami route were delivered to each passenger. These maps were specially designed for cyclists. They indicated how steep the slopes were. The passengers were excited to see these maps and knew each other despite it being the first meeting. All will go to the islands and see each other again somewhere in the islands.
　　Due to the rainy season, the number of passengers was only 11. There was enough room in the train and I relaxed watching the outside passing slowly by. The train car hadn't a lavatory. If someone wanted to use it, the train would stop at a station on the way. How wonderful this train trip was!
　　I went cycling with two friends. The woman in the picture is one of them. The second picture was shot on the first bridge. The weather forecast was getting better, but it was dark and cloudy at that time. The last picture was shot in a small fishing village. It's clearing up.

(Vocabulary from comments)
topographical  地勢の, 地形の; 風景の, 風景画の
a topographical map  地形［地勢］図

 
 
 

Private Train

　　I uploaded a map which showed my cycling route in the last entry. Did you notice that a part of the trace dropped on the map. It was due to an outage of the battery of my GPS receiver which was written about in this previous entry. After one hour's interval, I found it stopped working and replaced the battery.
　　By the way, my house is 50 km away from the starting point of the "Shimanami route" and it has been a problem for me. Surprisingly however, JR (Japan Railway) started a special service once a month. That is, a service for cyclists who live in Matsuyama City. They take up to 30 cyclists to the nearest station of the "Shimanami route" along with their bikes. I applied for this service and could enjoy cycling there.
　　The picture shows the inside of the train. In Germany, the train which accommodates bikes was made for that purpose, but this car is for just normal use. Each bike is simply fixed by a rubber rope to a handrail. In this way, I was transferred to Hashihama Station which is the nearest JR station to the "Shimanami route".
　　It took an hour and ten minutes to move the distance of 50 km. This line was single-track. So, our train frequently had to stop at small stations and let other regular trains overtake or oncoming trains to pass by.

(Vocabulary)
handrail　手すり
(Vocabulary from comments)
dividend  (株式の) 配当（金）
pay dividends  役に立つ, 実を結ぶ

Debut of An Middle-Aged Cyclist

　　The Japan Archipelago comprises of four main islands; Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. I live on one of them, Shikoku. Shikoku and Honshu are connected by three routes which consist of several bridges respectively. The westernmost route of them is called Shimanami Kaido, which means "continuous islands". The distinctive feature of this route is that a bicycle path is made up along with the bridges. You can enjoy the view from a height of 70 meters above the sea while riding your bike there. I'm showing you pictures in my album on the right column of this blog. Please check them. I'll add some remarks in the following several entries about the pictures. When you travel by car on the bridge, you aren't allowed to stop your car on the bridge due to a Road Traffic Law because the route is an express highway. If you are on a bike, you can stop your bike wherever and for as long as you like on the bridge.
　　Cycling is getting popular year by year in Japan. When I visited Germany in 2009, I saw lots of people walking and pushing their bicycles even on a train.  I realized at that time that the arrangements for cyclists were far better than those of Japan. At the same time, I felt sorry about the poor conditions in my country. However, it might be getting better recently.
　　I've ridden my bike for about 70 km today. I'll write about my first one-day cycling in the next several entries.

(Vocabulary)
Road Traffic Act/Law  道路交通法

 

 

Fitting Saddlebag 2

　　I replaced the bag support of the placing-on type with a hang-down type as you can see in the picture. The saddlebag droops from the hook fixed to the column. It was better than before, but the bottom of the bag touched the mudguard. This bag is shaped into a rectangular solid but it has no rigid frame such as an attache case. That's why it is easily deformed.
　　Finally, I gave up using this saddlebag and ordered another one. This bag will be transferred to my friend who has a folding bicycle which has smaller tires. In the case of such bicycles, the space between the saddle and the mudguard is big enough to fit my big saddlebag.
　　In the previous entry, I wrote that the bigger the saddlebag is, the better. I was completely wrong. At first, it must fit the bicycle. I have a plan of going cycling tomorrow. The length of the course will be more than 50 km, which is the longest distance that I have ridden at one time. I have to shoulder my daypack all day long and it will feel muggy on my back.
　　Anyway, tomorrow is the day of my debut as a middle aged cyclist.

 
 

Fitting Saddlebag

　　I was wondering how the saddlebag would fit on my bicycle for the past couple of months. I ordered the biggest bag and the bag support from a British company last March. After only the bag support arrived, I had to wait for the bag for more than three months due to them being out of stock. At last the bag was delivered a few weeks ago. You can see the saddlebag here.
　　The picture shows my bicycle with only the bag support being fitted. I fixed this bag support to my bicycle in April and was waiting for the arrival of the bag. As you see, the gap between the support and the mudguard is so small that both hit and emit an uncomfortable noise when the bicycle goes on the bumpy road. So, I had to raise the saddle and it made me unable to set my feet on the ground. This height of the saddle made me feel uneasy, but I understood the reason why lots of cyclists set the height of the saddle higher than the length of their legs. You can extend your knees while riding and it helps reduce fatigue in the legs.
　　I just placed the bag on the support, but the bag was too big to be fitted on the support. It might be a misdesign.

(Vocabulary)
mudguard 泥よけ

Saddle Bag

　　A saddle bag that I had ordered from a British company last March was delivered. I'll show you below. It fits on the back of the saddle of my bike. The capacity is much more than I expected, but the larger the better. This will free me from carrying a daypack on my back.
　　I went to the small German city of Freiburg for a total of two weeks a few years ago. I saw lots of people ride their bikes at that time. I admired the riding arrangements in Germany. Especially, it's wonderful that you can utilize the train with your bike. Unfortunately in Japan we are not allowed to take our bike on the train except in a very few exceptions.
　　In such conditions, a unique service has just started. On the first Sunday of every month, you can take your bike on the train between my hometown and Hashihama, which is the starting point of the Shimanami route known for continuous bridges. The passengers are limited to 30 and required to have a reservation. However, it's fascinating for me. I'm going to use this service on July 3rd and I'll report on the day here. The bag will be of great use on that day.

(Vocabulary)
arrangement 《[C]通例複数形で》 仕組み, やり方, システム
living arrangements  生活（様式）, 暮らし（方）
sleeping arrangements  (宿泊時の) 部屋割り
security arrangements  安全［防犯］システム
seating arrangements  座席の配列［配置］

 

Japan Rally Championship

　　I joined the Japan Rally Championship as a staff member although I wanted to see the hurtling rally cars in special stages as a stand guide. This year, the Japanese top driver, Mr Arai, who drives for SUBARU and will take part in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, was to come and drive his car. I wanted to see his driving, but was placed at the starting point of one of the special stages which was considered to be the riskiest. The picture was shot from behind his car during the wait for the starting signal. I wish I could be a stand guide next time.

(Vocabulary)
hurtle 〈車などが〉 猛烈な速さで進む

 
 

Bicycle and Germany

　　I enjoy riding my bicycle every weekend these days. However, I didn't have the remotest interest in bicycles before. Riding a bicycle looked like hard work for me, especially in summer as I have a tendency to perspire a lot and I hate hot days. On the other hand, riding a motorcycle is comfortable against the wind. I like motorcycles and I didn't even imagine that I would like bicycles. I think that the view of the German lifestyle changed my mind.

(Vocabulary)
remote　〈可能性・見込みなどが〉 わずかな, とても低い
The risk of infection is remote.  感染する危険性はとても低い．
a remote chance/possibility  わずかなチャンス［可能性］

Cycling

　　Since I saw lots of people riding their bike in Germany last year, I have been interested in bikes, though the environment for cyclists isn't good in Japan in comparison with Germany. Some of my friends were also addicted to the bike at that time. Naturally, cycling is good for my health. This is why I bought the bike. It would be great if the cycling path network extended across the country and trains could accommodate bikes.
　　I bought a pair of cycling gloves and shoes on my friends' advice today just before my first ride. Both are made for cycling and are comfortable. I was surprised, however, to find the holes on the sole for binding the shoes and the pedals. I just knew that there was something to connect both, but didn't know about the holes. If it rained, my feet would surely get wet naturally.
　　Anyway, I went out for cycling. It took some time to understand how to change the gears, but the bike was well designed, as to be expected. The bike was really controllable even for me though I'm just a beginner. I enjoyed riding for about 2 hours and biked nearly 20 km. It led me to know that the distance can be more than I had previously expected. I'd like to ride at least 20 km every week at first, and gradually make it longer.

(Vocabulary)
on one's advice ～の勧めで

From kind comments
unsolicited (電話・手紙・Eメールなどが) かってにかかって［送られて］くる,(アドバイス・申し出などが) 押しつけがましい, おせっかいな
swerve  (ぶつからないように) (道などで) 〈人・車などが〉 急にわきに寄る［それる］
swerve to avoid/miss sb/sth  ＜…＞を避けて急にわきに寄る
swerve from sth  ＜…＞から逸脱する, それる
stray (動物が) 迷子の, はぐれた, 帰る家のない
a stray dog/cat  迷子の犬［猫］ 偶然にそれた
a stray bullet  流れ弾
axonal 軸索の
pothole  路面のくぼみ
making a nuisance of myself by ~ing
busybody  おせっかい焼き, 詮索(せんさく)好きな人

 

Bike Delivered

　　I ordered a bike online and it was delivered. I'll show you the picture. It was made in the U.S. and was imported into Japan. I haven't thought of it much, but it's great. People who lived a century ago would never believe that an individual could do it. The bill was paid by credit card. It would also have been amazing for those people.
　　The bike is so beautiful. I like it. I just see it on my computer screen, but it is really nice. Cycling might become my lifelong hobby. I couldn't put it outside and set it just inside the entrance. I thought that I would place it in the living room as an ornament, but my family laughed at me, saying that only seeing the bike would never make me reduce weight. I talked back to them that it might be good for my mental health.
　　Anyway, I will be able to show you various pictures around my hometown from now.

A Parcel from the UK

　　A part of my bicycle gear was delivered from the UK. I was delighted to see it when I came back home. It was transported from the UK all the way! What's more, the bicycle shop that I ordered my bicycle from sent me an e-mail saying that my bicycle was assembled and they had sent it to me. All the gears from the UK haven't been delivered yet, but I'm going to ride it this weekend. I'll show you pictures later.