Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Good-bye Bath

　　I left Bath by the great western railroad (gWr). I took some pictures of the small street leading to my daughter's apartment. I'd never visit here again. I engraved the scene, atmosphere and cool weather on my memory. My daughter lived here and commuted for a year. I wanted to say loudly "Thank you" to all the people who helped her. 

　　I got a cup of coffee on the train and enjoyed the scenery through the window, always checking where I was on the screen of the iPad. I happened to find Windsor Castle on the screen. I looked in the direction of the castle, but I couldn't see it. However, I understood the rough position of the castle. I'd like to visit the castle on the next trip to the U.K. My daughter will move to Brighton this summer following the governmental(NHS) decision. I'll visit Brighton and around London next year. 

 

 

EV Charger

　　I got accustomed to walk around the city of Bath. When walking on the backstreet, I came across a chic B&B. To be exact, an EV charger caught my eye first and then I noticed the charger was installed at the B&B for their guests. The connector was Type 2 and I'd never seen it in Japan. I wanted to know the spec of the charger, but there was no one to tell me. I'm going to write about EVs later. 90% of Tesla cars in Bath were Model Y. Model 3 and Y were fifty-fifty in London, and I didn't see BYD's EVs. I heard that the BYD's EV is very popular in Europe, but it was not the case, at least in the U.K.

(Vocabulary)
chic ʃik/ おしゃれな, シックな
to be exact 正確には

　バースの街にも慣れてきて裏通りを歩いていて、しゃれたB&Bを見つけた。正確にはEV充電器が目に留まり、それがB&Bの宿泊者向けだったという順番。プラグは見たことも無い形状で、日本標準のチャデモとはまったく違う。充電スピードなど詳しいスペックを調べたかったが周囲に誰もおらず尋ねることは出来なかった。後の記事でＥＶについて書くつもりだが、バースで見かけるテスラ車は9割がモデルＹだった。ロンドンではモデル3とＹが半々で、シナ製は見かけなかった。欧州に普及していると聞いていたがイギリスはそうでもない。

Skyline Tour

　　I utilized the "hop-on hop-off bus" to see around the city of Bath. Several bus stops were set along the tour route and you can get on and off wherever you want as long as your ticket is valid. My ticket was valid for two days and I enjoyed this bus tour for two days. The audioguide had 8 language versions and Japanese was one of them. I'd seen this bus in the streets of Oxford last year, but I was too shy to ask how to use it. This time, my daughter who lives in Bath helped us utilize the bus tour. It was a real blessing.
　　The audioguide was very handy and I was interested in a story about the geology of Bath. Some people in Bath insist that the city of Bath must have been formed on the crater bottom. However, the audioguide continues to mention that there's no evidence to show the existence of the crater or volcano around. I recalled the basement of Sally Lunn's, which I wrote about in the previous entry. My curiosity about the geology of Bath was spiraling. When the bus reached the top of a hill, I could command a beautiful view of Salisbury Plain. When I was moved by its vast green plain, the audioguide told me the name of the plain. I promptly remembered a world cultural heritage site from its name and I searched it in the distance, but in vain.
　　I found canals and locks from the 2nd floor of the bus. Narrow boats which I knew in Oxford were found in every canal. These canals link to the Avon river. All Japanese students know this river as a part of the name of the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was born in the upper course of this river. To tell the truth, I'd visited this place 6 years ago and I'll add the link to the article about Stratford-upon-Avon below.

(Vocabulary)
Salisbury Plain　ソールズベリー平原
geology 地質学; (ある場所の) 地質
crater bottom 火口底
now that you mention it そう言われてみると
convincing 〈証拠・説明などが〉説得力のある, 納得のいく
in the upper course of a river 川の上流で

https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2018/10/shakespeare-the-symbol-of-stratford-upon-avon.html

　バース市内観光の手段としてバスツアーがある。市街地を回るコースと郊外を回るコースの両方に乗車した。「hop-on hop-off bus」と呼ばれ、途中で気が向いたときに自由に乗り降りできるのでとても便利。２日間乗り放題なので、何度も乗った。８カ国語での案内があり、楽しめた。「hop-on hop-off bus」は昨年、オックスフォードでも見かけたが気後れして乗れなかった。今回はバース在住の娘が全てアレンジしてくれたので助かった。
　その中に、地質に関する話題があった。バースにはこの街が火口の中に出来た街だと考える人が多いという。言われてみれば確かにそのような地形ではある。しかし、地質学的にはそれを裏付ける証拠はないとのこと。朝のSally Lunn'sを思い出し、この街の地質に興味が湧いてきた。バース市街地が火口の中とすれば外輪山に当たる小高い丘の上にバスがさしかかると、遠くソールズベリー平原が見えた。
　バスの２階席から運河や閘門をあちこちで見かけた。そしてオックスフォードでも見かけたナローボートもあちこちに係留してあった。これらの運河はエイボン川に繋がっている。日本人なら必ず習うシェークスピアの生誕地、ストラットフォードアポンエイボンのあのエイボン川。この川の上流でシェイクスピアは生まれたということになる。６年前に訪問したときの旅行記へのリンクを付記しておく。

Stylish EV Chargers

　　Japan is geographically a small country and has good road connections to every local place. Even rural roads and forest roads are almost all paved. On account of some business in a small village, I utilized the San-yo Highway, which I seldom use, and stopped by a roadside service area. I heard that an EV charger by a venture outfit was set in the area and I'd like to use it. You can see it in the following picture. As you see, 6 EVs can be charged at the same time.
　　I tried a little charge. It was easy to use, but the charging speed was not acceptable to me, I mean it was slow. The users of domestically produced EVs might feel satisfied with these chargers, but my Tesla Model 3 has enough ability to accept higher electrical current, which leads to shorter charging time. Some people dislike EVs due to its long charging time as opposed to cars with conventional engines, but if you go to the toilet or some shops or restaurants, the charging time will end soon. For also humans, the charging time is absolutely essential. I often feel I'm happy to have met this car.

(Vocabulary)
on account of some business ちょっとした所用のため
high-current 高電流の

Camping Car Show

　　I joined a camping car show in Makuhari Messe in Tokyo. The scene took me back to my childhood.
　　In my childhood, my family often made camping trips. I think that it was mainly for saving money, but the camping trips were a lot of fun for the kids. Our family's first car came to my house when I was 10 years or so. Since then, the camping trip has become our family's standard way to spend vacations. The effects of my parents being avid campers are still living in my soul.
　　After his retirement, my father remodeled a van into a camping car by himself and enjoyed domestic trips with his wife. I thought that it was an ideal living on pension experience. Around that time, the car navigation system started in Japan. I presented a portable car navigation device to him. It made him happy in a big way, because his wife didn't want to see maps in a car as she got carsick easily. The device helped him drive on the pre-planned route.
　　However, the portable batteries of those days didn't have enough ability to be used on camping trips. If the present portable batteries and various electrical components for camping were to have been developed 10 years early, my parents would have been interested in camping cars before me.

Waikiki

　　We went out shopping for food. The 1st floor of the condominium was the trolley terminal and it was very handy. We got on a trolley to the Royal Hawaiian Center and walked along Kalakaua street. I'll show you some snaps taken on the way.
　　I saw a big Christmas tree in the center. It didn't sit well with me in such hot temperatures. People around wore light clothes like a T-shirt, shorts, beach sandals, and so on. No one wore a long coat or snow boots. Anyway, such curious sensations were also a fun part of the trips. We walked through the International Market Place and reached Waikiki Market, which had opened early this year. This market, I thought, would be very convenient for visitors who stayed around Waikiki beach. With prices soaring, daily visits to restaurants cost a lot and take-out supper is also a high price. The room equipped with a kitchen was a blessing.
　　The last picture shows a famous hand gesture called "SHAKA". FYI, "SHAKA" isn't Hawaiian. Anyway, it has a sad story and I'd like to let my friends know the story, but in vain. There stands a statue of a man who had been the origin of the "SHAKA" gesture at the entrance of the Polynesian Culture Center in Kahuku, northeast of Oahu island. Kahuku was his original place. The description of the monument is a little different from the common explanation on the net, but the description on his monument was much more acceptable for me. I was going to take my friends there, but time was short.

(Vocabulary)
wear light clothes [clothing] 薄着する
hand gesture/signal ハンドサイン

　全員で買い物に出た。コンドミニアムの１階がトロリーのターミナルとなっているので実に便利。ロイヤルハワイアンセンターまでトロリーを利用し、後はカラカウア通りをブラブラと散歩。道中のスナップを呈示します。
　こんなに暑い中でのクリスマスツリーにはやはり違和感あり。カラカウア通りからインターナショナルマーケットプレイスを抜けてワイキキマーケット到着。今年初頭にオープンした話題のマーケットなので来てみた。ワイキキビーチ近くのコンドミニアム滞在者には便利な店だろうなと思う。物価が高いのでそうそうレストランは利用できないし、テイクアウトも高いから部屋にキッチンがあるのは助かる。
　最後の写真はシャカSHAKA（実はハワイ語ではありません）、ハワイでの挨拶のハンドサイン。実は悲しい歴史があるのだが、同行の仲間達に伝えることを忘れた。カフクにあるポリネシアンカルチャーセンターの入口にこのサインを生んだ人物の銅像と悲しい歴史が書かれていてそれを見てもらいたかったが時間が足らずに寄れなかった。ネット上の説明と少し異なっていてここに書かれている説明の方が僕には受け入れやすかったので。

An Industrial Heritage

　　I was going to run to Osney Bridge, which read on the door of the gate at the Trout Inn side of the pasture, but I remembered "The Swing Bridge and Oxford's Industrial Heritage" which I happened to see on the way, so I turned to the Oxford Canal just short of Osney Bridge. The swing bridge was a more valuable historical asset than I expected. There was a signboard for the bridge and its description caught my interest. I examined how valuable it was in my hotel that night.
　　I found a website starting with this sentence; The LMS (London, Midland and Scottish railway) Swing Bridge is one of only two moving bridges on the Thames - the other being Tower Bridge in London. I read the website at a breath. It was the recorded development of the railway of the U.K., the birthplace of the railway. The bridge was designed by George Stephenson, renowned as the "Father of Railways". The swing bridge bore witness that the U.K. was surely the home to the railways. Here's the link to the website of the swing bridge.

https://www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk/content/rewley-road-railway-swing-bridge

　帰りはトラウトインのちかくのゲートのサインボードに書いてあるOsney Bridgeまで走るつもりだったが、来る途中で見た可動橋を思い出し、また同じ道を帰るのも面白くないので、Osney Bridgeの手前でオックスフォード運河の方へ曲がり産業遺産指定されている可動橋をじっくりと観察。この可動橋の修復プロジェクトを説明する看板があり、これを読んで興味を持ち、ホテルに戻ってから歴史を調べた。
　詳しい説明の書かれているサイトへのリンクを下に載せておく。テムズ川に掛かる２つの可動橋のうちの一つがこれ、もう一つがタワーブリッジ。この一文から始まる記事を一気に読んだ。鉄道発祥の国の鉄道発展の記録で、この可動橋のデザインは鉄道の父と呼ばれたスチーブンソンによるものらしい。この場所でイギリスの長い歴史に触れた気がした。

Go To London By National Rail

　　We went to London by National Rail for sightseeing on the 14th. I used the same line five years ago. You might feel funny, but I was upset when I got my ticket at that time. To tell the truth, I had a trying time to communicate with a local at Stratford-upon-Avon, so I was afraid that I couldn't get a ticket. This time, however, I didn't feel any anxiety. I didn't know why, but I was able to get a ticket without being asked to repeat myself at the ticket booth.
　　We searched Paddington Station for the famous bear "Paddington", but in vain. He was moved to another site from where he was five years ago. Anyway, I tried today's second challenge, getting on the tube next. After elaborate observation of the local people, I waved my contactless card over the card reader on the ticket barrier. It was my first time to use it on the tube, but I was able to pass the barrier successfully. I felt as if I had a limitless moving power. This system was easy to use and really handy.
　　The destination was King's Cross Station and its nine and three forth platform.

(Vocabulary)
ticket barrier （英）改札口
repeat oneself 　同じことを繰り返して言う／行う

パディントン駅の熊（写真の女性は次女）
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2018/10/paddington-station.html

英語通じず
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2018/10/parking-violation.html

　今日はロンドン市内を観光する。こんなことを書くと笑われそうだが、５年前にオックスフォードからパディントン駅までの列車の切符を買ったとき、かなり緊張した。実はその前日に、ストラトフォードアポンエーボンで駐車違反をしてしまい、その係員の言葉がサッパリ理解できなかったので、果たしてうまく切符を購入できるか心配だったのだ。が、今回は難なく切符をゲットできた。ほっとした。
　パディントン駅では有名な熊を探したが、５年前に居た場所にはおらず、見つけられず。気を取り直し、今日の二つ目のチャレンジへ。それは地下鉄に乗ること。オックスフォードでバスに乗るときに試したコンタクトレスカードを改札で機械にかざした。地下鉄で使うのは初めてだったが、地元の人たちの様子を観察してから使ってみた。何の問題もなく使えた。本当に便利だ。これでどこでも行ける。
　そしてその行き先はキングスクロス駅！　あの９と３／４番ホーム、、、

Yashima Hill

　　Utilizing the opportunity of my business trip, I dropped in at the medieval battle field of Yashima Hill. A famous battle between the then most powerful political powers and a war genius took place there in the 12th century.
　　My late father took me there in my childhood. He was a primary school teacher and told me about the old battle. I remember that I wasn't able to fully understand his words at that time, but I remember that I had felt that numerous people had lived before my time and I had realized the stream of time. Now I'm interested in history. Small talk from people around me might exercise influence on my character.
　　Few families had their own car in those days in Japan and we climbed up the hill by the cable car, but the cable car was abandoned a few decades ago due to the decrease of passengers. Family cars became common in Japan. I visited the abandoned cable car station. The cable car was there as is. I got the sense that my father and I were there with happy faces. Time goes by securely.

Short Drive

　　I'm purchasing camping gear bit by bit nowadays and I dropped in at a camping site to see how it was. The site was equipped with a communal outdoor kitchen and lavatory, but the scenery was terrible. The camping ground was surrounded by low bushes. I didn't like it. I continue to look for my best place to camp from now on.
　　On the way back, I came across a considerably old sake brewery which was full of atmosphere. I chatted with the owner for a short time. The sake brewing seemed to have been suspended due to the pandemic. People were strictly regulated not to get together for parties or events. The sales of the products of the brewery declined, but he kept lots of stocks of old sake in its storehouse and showed them to me. One of them was sitting there for 39 years. Even the owner didn't know its taste. I bought it from curiosity. What taste does it have? What's the best occasion to taste it?

(Vocabulary)
sake brewery 造り酒屋

Crack of Tires

　　It's getting warmer day by day. The temperature tends to temporarily go down once or twice in March in a normal year, but I expect that I would be able to change the winter tires of my car into summer ones before the end of March.
　　When I changed the summer tires into winter ones last December, the mechanic found a few cracks on the surface of two tires. The cracks looked shallow, but my mechanic advised me to replace two tires in spring at that time. I accepted his advice and decided to buy two in the coming spring.

Supercharger Gotenba

　　Tesla's supercharger at Gotenba is sited in the parking lot of a renowned coffee shop chain. We'd like to take a rest in the shop, but the charge of my car would be done within 20 minutes. As soon as the charge finished, I'm supposed to move my car out of the charging spot for the next car. We gave up visiting the shop and stayed in the car viewing YouTube video. We were going into the mountainous area and charged a little more electricity than usual.
　　This city is home to "Toraya", one of the famous sweets companies in Japan. I stopped at its factory-and-shop complex to please my wife who has a weakness for sweets and we enjoyed mutually different sweets to be able to taste two kinds of sweets. The taste was really nice.
　　I ordered Kuzukiri, which is called arrowroot starch noodles or Kudzu starch noodles in English. I picked one topped with kuromitsu, dark honey.

(Vocabulary)
have a weakness for ～には目がない
arrowroot starch noodles or Kudzu starch noodles　葛切り

Hitsumabushi

　　After leaving Otsu city, we arrived at Hamamatsu at a stretch without a rest. Thanks to the superb driving assistance by the Tesla's artificial intelligence, the driving was fun and comfortable. Hamamatsu is well-known as an eel farming area, and we dropped in at a famous eel restaurant along the highway.
　　We ordered "Hitsumabushi", which is a traditional dish of this area of rice topped with grilled eel, soy-based sauce, and spices such as Japanese pepper. "Hitsumabushi" is a portmanteau word which consists of "Ohitsu", the rice tub and "mabusu", the way you put the grilled pieces of eel, wasabi and Japanese pepper on the rice. It was the first time to have the traditional Hitsumabushi. A waitress gave us a short lecture how to enjoy them.
　　She advised us to eat Hitsumabushi divided into four times. At first we scooped out a quarter of the eel and rice into the empty bowl. Then we ate them without any spices enjoying plain but delicious eel. Next, you can enjoy them with several spices and toppings. Lastly, you pour dashi - soup stock in English - onto the rice and eel. This was indescribably tasty. During our gorgeous lunch, my car was also charged.
　　This highway is relatively newly built and various novel ideas are seen. One of following pictures show an electric bulletin board showing the number of vacancies.

(Vocabulary)
at a stretch without a rest 途中で休まず一気に
at a stretch 連続で, 続けて
Doctors are forced to work 36 hours at a stretch. 医師は36時間連続で働かなければならない．
Japanese pepper 山椒

Supercharger Otsu

　　I drove my car from Osaka port to Otsu Tesla charging spot in one go, then charged my car and ourselves quickly with breakfast from a nearby supermarket. We'd like to have breakfast here leisurely, but we had a long distance to drive. As soon as the charging finished, we headed for the east.

(Vocabulary)
in one go 一気に、一編に、まとめて（１回の試みで）、一回で
leisurely ゆったりした, のんびりした; [副](書き言葉) ゆっくりと
a leisurely pace/speed ゆっくりとした歩調［スピード］

Why Did I Pick Tesla Model 3 up

　　Are the electric vehicles (EVs) eco-friendly? I often come across these arguments here and there. A huge amount of carbon dioxide is apparently produced in the process of manufacturing and discarding batteries, so some people insist that EVs are not always eco-friendly. I understand their position, but once built or completed, cars with ICE(internal-combustion engine) continue to emit carbon dioxide as long as they run, but EVs don't however long they run.
　　Prior to the arguments, are the EV owners concerned about the issue of climate change? As for me, I don't take it into consideration at all if it's eco-friendly, or not.
　　It's fun to own one of the most cutting-edge cars in the world. Amazing accelerating performance, the security by the full self-driving with pretty good chemistry with EVs, and above all, its unbelievable silence. I figured out that these were the reasons why I bought Tesla Model 3.

(Vocabulary)
silence 静粛性

Trip to Hakone Hot Spa

　　I own a timeshare condominium in Hawaii, but I wasn't able to use it in recent years due to the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The ownership of the condominium can be exchanged with other resorts' accommodations, so I decided to stay at Hakone Spa Resort for a few days instead of visiting Hawaii. The exclusive Tokyu Harvest Club for members only was really gorgeous. It was located in the middle of the forest and was covered with a serene atmosphere. My wife and I spent a relaxing vacation. (hotel link)
　　Among a few options for transportation to Hakone, we chose our car as we could drop in at places as we liked. Additionally we utilized a night ferry(link) from Ehime to Osaka to effectively use our sleeping time. At every generation change, Japan's ferry became gorgeous. The ferry boat which we got on board was built in 2018. All cabins are single or group occupancy. We used a twin room whose picture is shown below. I thought that the room was elaborately designed. We took a bath and then enjoyed quintessential Japanese cuisine, sushi.

Hotel:
https://www.harvestclub.com/Un/Hotel/Hm/
Ferry:
https://www.orange-ferry.co.jp/en/osaka.html

(Vocabulary)
night bus 夜行バス

Inverter

　　Electric cars (EVs) have no engine and consequently, they are considerably quiet even in motion. The passengers only hear the noise from the tires. This contributes to the enhancement of comfort. The air-conditioner can quietly work without engines though the EVs don't have engines originally.
　　I often eat meals in the car rather than visit restaurants. It's very comfortable as I don't mind people around and enjoy YouTube or other contents on the net. Experiencing the ownership of an EV, I find it convenient and suited to camping. If you use tents designed for use along with the car, you can utilize the air-conditioner even in the tent.
　　I'm budgeting for camping gears recently and bought an inverter for my car at first. By using it, I don't need to worry about the shortage of the battery of my note PC. I can even take a freshly brewed coffee in my car. However, it's not enough for electric appliances which require much electricity like hair dryers and hot plates. I'm also thinking of buying a portable power station for camping.

TESLA SUPERCHARGER V3

　　I own a Tesla car, Model 3. As you know, it's an EV. I usually charge it at home at midnight. Its charging speed is slow, but the charge is done while I sleep and it finishes before I start next morning, so I don't mind its slowness. You would understand what I mean if you imagine the charging of your smartphone.
　　On the other hand, I utilize a public charging service while being away from home. Not only Tesla cars but every EV can be charged from this service and its speed is higher than that of the charger of my home. However, its speed is not ideally high.
　　Tesla, Inc. is building their exclusive charging facilities across the world. The third generation of the charger was set in the adjacent prefecture recently. You have only to put the plug in the car and your car is automatically identified and the bill is also automatically charged to your credit card. The charging speed is marvelous. The electricity for the 1100km drive can be charged in an hour as you see in the following picture.
　　Then, the Tesla-charger will be apparently launched in my home town. I'd not use it, as I have a charger in my home, but even people who don't live in detached houses would purchase Tesla cars. The number of Tesla cars from outside the city would increase I hope.

(Vocabulary)
detached〈家が〉一戸建ての, 独立した

RUSSIAN MOTORCYCLE

　　When I was taking a rest on the path of my drive, an unfamiliar motorcycle with a sidecar came in the parking space. I originally love motorcycles, though I don't have any now, and I've changed my motorcycles several times from an off-road type to a cruiser, or a touring bike. However, I haven't wanted to get this bike and haven't even see it.
　　It reads "URAL" on its gasoline tank. I wouldn't have thought that there is a Russian-made motorcycle in Japan, the motorcycle kingdom. The world championship has been competed among the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers for years. Tastes differ. I don't mean to offend the owner.
　　I remembered some surprising news. It said that a Russian reconnaissance drone which was shot down in Ukraine was equipped with an engine for radio-controlled model airplanes which was smuggled from Japan. Russia is a developed country in the weapon-producing field, but it cannot manufacture even decent consumer products like cars, fridges, TVs, and so on. Taking a close look at the bike's engine, it seemed to me that the engine was a horizontally opposed engine from BMW.

(Vocabulary)
Tastes differ. 蓼食う虫も好き好き
horizontally opposed engine 水平対向エンジン

AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

　　Shikoku, the 4th largest island of Japan, on which I live, would be a tiny island, especially from the eyes of U.S. citizens, Canadians, or Australians whose land is vast. However, its cycle of change is unexpectedly rapid. My car is an EV, Tesla Model 3. This car is very driver-friendly and I feel that the burden of driving the car is lessened by 80%. Furthermore, the cost of energy is a third of the same class of cars. My wife and I have begun to go for a spin more often than before.
　　We dropped in at the automobile museum. I didn't know the museum until I happened to pass in front of it. A variety of cars from all over the world were displayed there. A museum worker told us that each car has its owner and the museum was asked to keep the car. Cars whose engines are alive seem to be sometimes driven in the parking lot for the maintenance of its function.
　　The DeLorean time machine, which was used in the movie, "Back To The Future", was arranged in the line of super cars of yesteryear. I forget to ask about the origin of the car. It might be a replica.

(Vocabulary)
yesteryear existing in the past: 往年の
the steam trains of yesteryear