Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Hilton London Heathrow Airport

　　The arrival time was supposed to be 19:40 on Oct. 3rd. and I was afraid I'd waste more than an hour at immigration control. That was why I chose this hotel, whose name made me feel its good accessibility from the airport. However, the hotel was located at a site 20 minutes' walk, then 10 minutes by tube, and then 20 minutes' walk on an uneven pathway from terminal 2, in which our aircraft arrived. I should have reached Paddington Station even in case of a late arrival taking the time and labor of moving with heavy suitcases into account.
　　The type of outlets in Japan and the U.K. are different from each other. I had only one outlet adapter, and there were enough usb outlets in the room. Unexpectedly I wasn't able to use the equipped hair dryer in the bathroom due to the difference of outlets. It was just the same at the next hotel, Best Western in Oxford, so it might be the overall rule of the hotels in the U.K.. No toothbrushes and combs were offered and it was the same in both hotels. The structure of the hotel was curious and looked like a combination of two buildings. Our room was inside and the reception desk was beneath the window. I wanted to see aircraft taking off and landing, but in vain. Though the room was clean, I'd never put up at this hotel again.

 夜遅い到着だったのと、ヒルトンのポイントがたくさんたまっていたので空港の名前を冠したこのホテルを利用した。空港に隣接するというので選んだが、アクセスが思ったよりも悪かった。到着した第２ターミナルから２０分以上歩いて電車を待ち、電車で１０分でターミナル４、そして更にでこぼこのある通路を２０分。これだけ歩くのなら、遅い到着でも一気にパディントン駅まで行った方が良かった。

日本とイギリスではコンセントの形状が違う。変換アダプタはひとつしか用意していなかった。二人の旅行には少なすぎたが、ＵＳＢ端子は十分に用意されていたのでスマホなどの充電には困らなかった。意外だったのが、バスルームではドライヤーを使えない。ドライヤーの端子とバスルームのコンセントが合わないから。これはこの次に泊まったオックスフォードのベストウエスタンも同様だった。国内のホテル全てに共通なのか？また、ハブラシや櫛などがなかった。持参していたので困りはしなかったがこれも次に泊まったホテルと同様だったのでイギリスのホテルはみな同じかも知れない。部屋は建物の内側に位置しており、窓からフロントを見下ろすことができた。空港そばなのに離発着の飛行機は見えず、バスタブなし。多分このホテルは２度と使わない。ただ、部屋はきれいだった。

Comfortable Flight

　　As soon as Matsuyama Airport opened, we headed for the ANA counter. Even then, we had only an hour until the departure time. We wanted to ask a counter person to have our luggage transported through to Heathrow Airport, because we would change aircraft in Haneda and Munich Airport and it wasn't acceptable to move with our luggage in these vast airports.
　　Additionally we had asked her to upgrade our seats of the international flight from economy class to premium economy class. As one of the membership privileges of the Super Flyers' Club of ANA, this upgrade is free of additional charge if there were vacant seats on the departure day. Therefore, before other passengers upgraded their seats, we needed to get our seat upgrade done. That's why we rushed to the counter. However, the computer system in Haneda Airport was busy and wasn't able to receive a favorable reply from ANA in Matsuyama Airport. Finally we received the definitive answer from ANA at Haneda Airport. The upgrade was successful! The flight between Haneda and Munich was really comfortable.
　　Our ticket was offered free corresponding to the obtained mileage and we had no option other than the route via Munich. However, we had high expectations in Munich. Oct 3rd is a German holiday called "Tag der deutschen Einheit", which means the unification of the former west and east Germany. We hoped that we would come across various social gatherings or entertainment concerning the day in Munich Airport, but in vain.
　　Another interest is: The U.K. is still in the EU, but out of the Schengen Agreement. Did that mean that we had to go through two immigration inspections in Munich and Heathrow Airport? Actually we had to pass the carry-on baggage inspection in Munich Airport, but didn't pass passport control. We had just run in Munich Airport. There was no appropriate guidance and I felt an obnoxious aspect of German. It seemed that we were the only passengers who changed aircraft from ANA to Lufthansa bound for Heathrow Airport. We hurried in the deserted and dark passage. It was a little hard work for me who had drank a lot of wine.
　　I understood that the inspection at Heathrow Airport was strict under the influence of repeated terrorism, but it was done in a minute. Because of our nationality? The Japanese Passport is said to be the strongest in the world. Anyway, we arrived in the U.K.

(Vocabulary)
obnoxious 〈人・発言などが〉 ひどく不愉快な, 鼻持ちならない

松山空港が開くや否やＡＮＡのカウンターへ直行。それでもフライトまで１時間しかありません。この荷物を何とかヒースロー空港までスルーしてもらう手続きと座席のアップグレードを依頼するため。フライトは地元松山空港から羽田空港、ミュンヘン経由でロンドンヒースロー空港です。スーツケース４個を空港ごとに受け取って持ち運ぶなど考えられません。

また、ＡＮＡのＳＦＣ会員なので当日空席があればエコノミークラスからプレミアムエコノミーにアップグレードが無料なのです。そのためにも朝一でカウンターへ！ところが羽田のコンピューターが混んでいて返事が来ないとのこと。結果は羽田で聞くことにして出発しました。そして改めて羽田で尋ねるとアップグレードＯＫでした！！！足を伸ばせるし、幅は広いし、言うことなし。

ミュンヘンを経由するのは利用するのが特典航空券で他に選択種がなかったから。しかし、楽しみもありました。この日はドイツ統一記念日で何かイベントに出くわすのではないかと。しかし、結果的に何も無くがっかり。そしてもうひとつ、イギリスはシェンゲン協定未締結。なので、ミュンヘンとイギリスと両方で入国審査に出くわすのだろうかと興味がありましたが、ミュンヘンでは手荷物検査のみで書類チェックなし。結構な距離を走らされただけでした。案内もなく、ドイツの嫌な不親切な面を見ました。ワインを飲み過ぎた身体には少しきつかったです。(^_^;)　

入国に関してイギリスは厳しいと覚悟していましたが、実にあっさりと済みました。日本人だったから？ま、とにかく快適にイギリスに到着です。

departure

　　My youngest daughter is studying in Oxford as a visiting scholar. My second daughter and I were asked to take her possessions to her dormitory. It was hard work for two to carry four suitcases. Three old pairs of shoes: She's going to wear them out in the U.K. A Yukata, an informal cotton kimono and a set of tea-things: She might want to show her formalized manners of the tea-ceremony in front of her colleagues.

今回は留学中の娘にいろいろと荷物を届ける必要があり同行する次女と合わせてスーツケース４個。結構大変でした。履きつぶして捨てるつもりでしょう。靴３足とか、浴衣とか、お点前を披露するつもりなのか茶器など、、、、

 

U.K. Tour

　　I went on a trip to the U.K. in the beginning of October. I'll record my trip memos on my blog and after I finish all the entries, I'll put them in order of times. I'll start with gadgets.
　　I understand that the U.K. has relatively much precipitation so I prepared a digital camera which was designed for use in tough conditions. The red camera in the first picture works even 15 meters below sea level as it is - I mean without any protection kit. Then I bought a SIM for the U.K. and other EU countries. When I utilized a SIM free smartphone this April in Hawaii, I found it so helpful and I prepared that for this trip. This was also very useful and had nothing wrong with it. The next thing was my single lens reflex camera. It was heavy to carry with a zoom lens hanging from my neck all the way. Lastly I chose a standard lens not the zoom lens.

１０月上旬、遅くなった夏休みを頂き、ロンドン、オックスフォードを旅してきました。いつものように記録を残していきたいと思います。全て書き終わってから、記事を時系列で並べて整理します。まずは持ち物から。イギリスは雨が多いと聞きます。なので雨を気にせず使えるカメラを準備。１５メートルの水深でも使えるカメラです。つぎにイギリス用のＳＩＭ。この春、ＳＩＭフリースマホを初めてハワイで使ってみて便利さを実感。ネットの情報を参考に下記の写真のものを準備しました。そして一眼レフ。これは悩みました。重いからです。最終的に軽さから標準レンズを選びました。