My last day at the laboratory

Today is my last day at the laboratory. I gave a “last-day-party” (the secretary, who wrote the Japanese invitations called it that), basically consisting of a sushi lunch (with dessert) for the Professor and the laboratory staff. Today I got a lot of presents, for example pictures from the last party, a luck-amulet, a face mask (the Swine flu is quite present here) etc. .

Kakunodate

As already mentioned, here some photos from my trip to Kakunodate, a small town famous for its well preserved old samurai district.


And, of course, the most important part if you are in a old samurai district: Swords, blades and armor :)


The rest of the town was rather unspectacular, but Oliver Kahn seems to be quite famous around here :)

Matsushima

I know, have not posted in a while, I am a lazy skunk, my apologies. Still, I used my time and travelled around Northern Honshu, more specific Matsushima (a coast town from where you can see about 260 small islands) and Kakunodate (an old castle town with a well preserved samurai district, see next post). I also made a shopping tour through Sendai, the department stores here are CRAAAAZZZZZYYYYY, but more about that later. So, here some pics of Matsushima. As you can see, as expected, I have slit eyes now (food DOES have a major impact on your body).


The temple seen on the pictures opens its interior only all 33 years, and, unfortunately, I missed the last opening 2006. It’s still a very nice sight, though.


This beautiful red bridge is 252 m long and leads to an island with a botanical garden. It is as spectacular as it looks... :)


Since Japan only catches whale for “scientific reasons”, this whale meat, as the picture indicates, comes from happy free-range whales...

Party cannot be everything during my stay in Japan :) On my second day in Japan I visited the Meiji Shrine, the East Palace Garden (Garden of the Emperor) and the Nippon Budokan (Tokyo’s arena for Material Arts). On the first photos you can see one of the tori (gate) of the Meiji shrine, the entrance gate of the shrine from the inside, the entrance to the great hall (where you pray, photos from inside the great hall were not allowed) and a place where you rinse your hands and mouth before entering the shrine.


A photo from central Tokyo (on my way to the Palace Garden).


A lawn in front of the Palace Garden, I have never seen a lawn that flawless, no weeds and the grass was perfectly cut.


Entrance gate to the actual palace of the Emperor and his family.


After the Palace Garden I went to the Nippon Budokan where a Judo youth tournament took place.


I like the idea of everyone having the same hair cut, we should try the same at Kinran :)


I am sorry, but fat Asian kids are hilarious :)


During my last hours in Tokyo I rode to Shinjuku station, the busiest train station in the world (serving an average of 3.64 million people per day) and walked through Shinjuku and apparently its red light district.

My Japanese Beer Party

Before I post about my second day in Tokyo, I have to tell about the last night :) I was invited to a Japanese Beer Party of the department, an event only occurring 3 times a year. 70 members (professors, doctors, laboratory staff, nurses etc.) of the department jointed the party in a restaurant, where we were served a wide variety of Japanese dishes (sashimi – raw fish, soba – a sort of noodle etc.) and endless beer pitchers. So the party went the usual Japanese party way: Food and beer until everyone reached his or her personal drunk level. At this point a lot of people started to speak English quite fluently (or at least the local Japenglish) and Dr. Satoh, an assistant professor, introduced me to a 25-year old nurse, who spoke not a word English but still thought I was cute and obviously liked my nose, what she was showing by touching it (my nose!) frequently. Later Dr. Satoh (who took an obvious interest in getting me home with a Japanese woman and mentioned several times that “life is only one time”) introduced me to another single nurse, this time 23 and with basic English skills. Even though the conversation was bumpy we became the main attraction for the nurses table behind us and were surrounded by male and female nurses with uncertain motives (conversation, making fun, curiosity) a few minutes later. Around 11 p.m. the event at the restaurant ended and I joined a party of doctors and nurses who were heading to another pub nearby. It was a nice, relatively small bar/restaurant and I was invited to more food (yakitori – chicken skin/liver/legs on a wooden stick, sashimi, octopus and more), sake and Shōchū (a kind of Japanese whisky). Around 1 a.m. I left the restaurant quite drunk with two doctors and another medical student (all even more drunk than me) to head to a ramen (spaghetti like noodles) shop to eat again :)
Around 2 a.m. I had found my way home to my youth hostel, recognizing that it was closed during night time. I had to stay next to my bike in the bicycle shed for 5 hours, than got 1 hour of sleep in my bed (in a room with 7 other men...) before I had my breakfast, took a shower and had to leave the youth hostel for work.
Quite a party experience.

My first day in Tokyo

So, this is my report about my 2-day trip to Tokyo. I got there after a 2 h Shinkansen (Bullet train/ICE) ride, which was quite relaxing because here my fellow passengers are actually quite.


After arriving in Tokyo I went to the Tourist Information Center (Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan Bldg., 10 Fl., I highly recommend it!) were a volunteer with good English skills (regularly occupied as a wine importer) basically planed my complet stay in Tokyo, explaining where, how and why I should get to certain attractions and provided me with all sorts of maps of Tokyo, its districts and the subway system. Simply a perfect service.

After that I went to the Sony Bldg. where they have an outside salt water aquarium with some kind of small shark in it… Inside are a lot of new Sony gadgets displayed (there will be a Vaio netbook series soon), and, as already mentioned, I need one of these 350cm 3D-Flatscreens.

Some impressions, while I was wandering around Tokyo...


I was lucky to hit the weekend of a festival where a huge firework is displayed at a riverside. It seems to be very popular and gave me the possibility to experience a real Tokyo subway ride at the heavily overcrowded Sinjunku line on a weekend day :)


To experience some nightlife I went to Shibuya, obviously a tourist magnet, nowhere else did I see more non-Asians.


I spend my night in a manga kissa, with 1200 yen by far the cheapest place to stay. And it had internet :)


So much about my first day in Tokyo, next time I will post the pictures of the second day.
Greetz

Rockin` Tokyo

I finaly made my trip to Tokyo. Big city, a lot of Japanese people here :) You will get the full story tomorrow or monday, with the best pic`s and videos. Still, I can already tell you: I am saving my money from now on for a new gadget I saw at the Sony Bldg., a 350 cm 3D Flat screen incl. the 3D Movie "42nd Sony Aquarium". Further, I got the original Tokyo-feeling riding an insanly overcrowded metro train to the longest and biggest firework I have ever seen (again, big celebration and as usual I do not know why:). Right now, I am writhing you from a manga kissa were I will spend my night for only 1200 yen (about 15 Euro). I will tell you tomorrow, if my back survived sleeping in an apparently comfy chair.

My 15 minutes of fame

Yesterday I had my 15 min. of fame, literally. One of my mouse aorta rings (my research is about contractile responses of mice artery) did not relax to ACh (what was perfectly fine, because I blocked NO-production, but I did not know that back then…). However, because the organ chambers here are really crappy and prone to failure, I checked the chamber and the right fit of the aorta using a portable microscope and a cold-light-lamp. While doing so, the aorta relaxed, and after I finished, contracted again! It seemed to be related with the light, so I switched it on again, and viola, it relaxed again and stayed relaxed as long as I kept the light on. I showed my new trick to Dr. Ohashi to ask for an explanation, but she had none. After 5 min. half of the laboratory staff surrounded my organ chambers and debated possible explanations and even tested the effect with a quickly organized UV-light (the effect was even stronger with pure UV-light). Dr. Ohashi suggested the repetition of the experiment, and, if successful, the presentation of my results to the professor. I could smell the freshly printed pages of an article with my name on it (at least somewhere at the end of the author list). Highly motivated, I started a literature search and… the phenomenon of “Photosensitivity of mouse aorta” is known since 1955!



So kids, next time you are working with a precontracted mouse (or rat) aorta, just show your friends how you relax it by simply illuminating it with a flashlight. Your nerd-friends will high-5 and worship you forever!

And let’s not forget, another beautiful Igor-photo of Dr. Ohashi and me :)

Second Karate Training

I have collected all photos & videos from my last Karate training (thanks to Ms. Chiba for taking them). It may not be obvious to the eye, but I was dying inside and my legs wanted to fall off. I’m still trying to get a video of a team kata performance from the little ones, they are very good. Below, it is the main Sensei and I. The photo was taken before the training, outside of the community hall were we train. Oh, and in the video, I am the TALLEST guy (damn you freakishly tall Dutch) without slit eyes :)

Long time no see

Hey guys,
Long time no see, I know. As a small compensation I will try to integrate videos from now on. First, a short summary of the past days. Friday: I had my welcome-party! 7 members of the laboratory and I went to a restaurant that mainly serves chicken. I had my personalized menu card (see picture edited with paint:) but I do not remember all the dishes we had. Still, I can remember the chicken liver; let’s say it is what you would call a onetime experience :)


Saturday: Slept long, cleaned room and did laundry (awesome!). Sunday: Went once more to Sendai down-town, and there was (again) some kind of Japanese carnival (see video & pic’s).

There also was a "Tacko Bell" and a "got milk?" group :)

...as well as some traditionally pimped-out women...


Monday: A quite regular workday, a bit more busy than usual because I had to leave early to buy some kind of boxing-gloves for Karate. Still, it’s rainy season here, I had to jog a little to make it in time (shut up!) and even though I had an umbrella I got the sexiest white shirt in the city. The moderately hot salesgirl in the budo-shop seemed to like it and started a conversation (still, English is not their strength) about where I’m from and told me that she has been to “Schloss Neuschwanstein”, Germany (It seems to me that nearly every Japanese has been there…) and travel-worked in Austria for 6 weeks (How she survived without English or German language skills will remain a mistery to me...).

And, as promissed, a short skirt pic :)


Later more.

First Karate Training

Yesterday, after a successful workday, I trained for the first time at the local Shotokan Karate lesson. Because the training time is 18:30 – 21:00, I expected a kids class and was not sure if the training would match my needs. Well, it was a kids class and the kids where between 5 and 15, but I was the lowest rang in the room. All of them were black or brown belt (even the 5 year olds), and they were freaking good. The team kata of 3 6-year old boys was near to perfect, next time I go there I will make a video and post it. And the 2:30 h training was one of the best and for sure the hardest training I ever had (my legs hurt like hell).

It was funny to see the 5-year olds staring at me as if they had never seen a European before :) The group of children was then split and separately trained by one of 3 Sensei’s. Lucky-me was allowed to train with the ca. 15 year olds, who were all black belts and not to shy to make fun of my lack of skills. The Sensei was a funny guy in the mid-40’s who explained very good and made a lot of jokes with me and the rest of the group even though I did only understand around 50%.

I was accompanied by the secretary of the Professor, Yuka Chiba, a very nice, 28-year old, newly married women, who acted as my interpreter. She took some pictures, maybe I can get and post them next Monday.

Tonight I will get my welcome party :) If I got it right, we are going to a restaurant. I let you know, how it was.

"Medical Student Party"

I’m sorry I did not post yesterday, but it had a good reason: Professor Shimokawa invited me to something first called “a medical student party”, but later more. My day started with me, attending a conference of cardiologist (working at the Tohoku Hospital) where the Professor wanted to introduce me. I thought by that he meant HE would introduce me. In fact, I had to introduce myself in front of them. Not really knowing what to say (except my name), I was not the shining star of self-confidence I usually am :) Whaaaaat evaaaaa, the rest of the day went well and the Professors secretary told me I am “invited” (I had not the feeling a “no” would have been accepted) to the mentioned “medical student party” and I should keep my suit on (I already suited up for the morning-conference). At 7 p.m. Dr. Ohashi, who should accompany me to the party, told me, the Professor wanted us to go with him in a taxi (sweeeet!). (Photo: Dr. Ohashi and I)


We arrived at a traditional Japanese Restaurant that had a stone garden, lots of friendly servants and separated rooms for each group. Our “medical student party” contained the Professor, four assistant Professors, one doctor, 3 medical students (had their last week at the department) and me in a high class Japanese Restaurant. While eating a multiple-course-meal (*Mehr-Gänge-Menü) with different kinds of raw (extremely delicious) fish, tofu (containing sake), tempura (fried vegetables & meat), a Japanese Carpaccio, mushroom-noodle-soup and more my seat-neighbor, Dr. Fukumoto, introduced me to the world of Japanese Drinks, starting with a very rare and expensive sake and continuing with Japanese Whisky-Cocktails, more sake and always accompanied with Kirin beer. Once a little drunk, my companions became very chatty and this evening earned the title “Legen…wait for it…dary!” Alcohol works here the same way it does at home :)


And check it, only one seat away from the Professor! Order of precedence, if you know what I mean :)

Sendai Down-town 2

I, again, spend my day in Down-town Sendai, witnessed my first live-sumo tournament and watched some traditional theater (this time performed by grown-ups). But let’s start with the sumo: The association in charge was SUNMALL HAMBURG (???) and as you can see, the sumo-fighters are more at the beginning of their careers :) (I’m not quite sure if this is regular Japanese kindergartening)


The local champion was also present. Muhahaha :)


Later that day, I watched a traditional theater piece. As always, I did not know what it was about, but there was only one actor, obviously a samurai, the story-teller/drummer and some other musicians. Nice to watch, anyways.


I spend the rest of the day, sitting in the sun, planning my Tokyo trip and watching people waking by. Next time I will provide you with more people-pictures, the mini-skirts here are iiiiiiiincredibly short :)


Oh, and here a picture of my diner, it is representative for my diners the last days.