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.

Sendai Down-town

I spend the last 2 days checking out Sendai Down-town. First things first: I got there by bus. Quite an adventure if you do not understand a thing said or written and on top of that have to figure out the different pay system used. But hey, you know me, adventures are my thing :) (The bus system: You enter the rear-door, pick a number and next to the driver a board displays the fare you have to pay if you exit at the next stop. At the front door you exit and throw the amount of money together with the number in a box. It looks like they are not controlling how much you pay)

For Sendai, it was a rainy day, like most of the days here during rainy season :)

Still, there obviously was something to celebrate, even though I have no idea what :) The party contained kids being the small version of the Yamamoto drummers or performing traditional dances (both very skilled) and older folks singing and carrying shrines (seemed to be a lot of fun).

I am eating a lot of sushi lately (after 6 p.m. or something you get 20 - 50% off on Sushi-take-away-boxes at the supermarket, making it one of the cheapest foods available), still I went to a really classy Sushi bar for lunch today. It was traditionally styled with the chefs making the Sushi right in front of you. It was great Sushi, nevertheless during my stay I seemed to be the bigger attraction as the only not-Asian in the room trying to fight the food with my chop-sticks. And then, let the rice of your nigiri drop into the soja-sauce… twice. Next time I go there, I have to take pictures.

And, I got a new job option here in Japan: Sign-holder! :) (the sign is a commercial for a noodle restaurant or something).

My room, my work and lots of pictures

My room
I have not mentioned my room yet! My room is a “traditional” room, meaning nice floor but no bed. You have to make your bed out of two thinks I would call “Gartenstuhlauflagen”. It comes close to the samurai-bed Kiarash likes to sleep on :) . But check the pictures.

Today I am writing from a Manga kissa, an amusment center where you can rent a small room with TV, PC or just sit on a sofa up to 12 hours (they have showers, too)!!! They have a huge library of manga comics and DVD’s to enjoy, free drinks and soft ice. If you only want to use the internet it is rather expensive (15 min. = 105 Yen = 80 cent, you get discount if you stay longer than 3 hours ) but if you are interested in let’s say all episodes of “One Piece” it would be worth the money ;)

My work
My work yesterday was not the most pleasant one; I “sacrificed” mice that were not needed anymore by injecting them an overdose of barbiturate. After that, we brought them to the experimental animal grave yard at the 12th floor, a huge deep freezer. Next to it was a standing-Buddha statue and a “Räucherstäbchenschale”, wo wir 2 Räucherstäbchen für die Mäuse angezündet haben und uns mit gefalteten Händen verbeugt haben. Eigentlich ein schönes Ritual, ich glaube allerdings nicht, dass sich das bei uns an der Uni durchsetzen lässt.

“We” are Mrs. Ohashi and I. She is supervising me for the next weeks. Eine sehr nette Frau, der man ihre 36 Jahre absolut nicht ansieht. Durch ihr ruhiges, sehr höfliches, zurückhaltendes Verhalten und ihr junges Aussehen hätte ich sie vielleicht Mitte 20 geschätzt. Sie kümmert sich sehr gut um mich und ist sehr bemüht mir alles gut zu erklären, auch wenn ihr Englisch als rudimentär mit starkem Akzent zu beschreiben wäre :) Außerdem glaube ich, klaue ich ihr ihre Trainingszeit. Sie trainiert einen bestimmten Experimentablauf, den sie mir jetzt auch beibringt und das geht dann mehr oder weniger von ihrer Zeit ab, wenn ich das richtig interpretiere. Sie scheint es mir nicht übel zu nehmen und nimmt mich trotzdem immer zum Mittagessen mit Maki, einer anderen Labormitarbeiterin hier, mit. Und sie hat mir heute für meine Unterlagen einen Mummin-Plastikumschlag geschenkt. Most likely weil meine Protokolblätter alle schon hart mitgenommen aussehen und das in so nem aufgeräumtem Labor nicht klar geht.


And, by the way, I got a hand signed version of the latest article of Professor Shimokawa dedicated to “Dr. Theres”. I could get used to this titel… :D

And, last but not least: I got my own locker, gaijin (foreigner) style :)

Some things...

Some things I noticed so far:

Eating
Everybody here (at least in the Mensa) eats incredibly fast! And Japanese doctors are the fastest eaters I have ever seen live (I am not sure if they swallow at all). Lunch normaly takes about 20 min. incl. 10 min. walk to the Mensa and back, buying the food and taking a seat. I am always last (I know, I am a slow eater, but maaan, they are fast). This might be one of their secrets of productivity. What ever, I stated to eat less during lunch until I am (at least nearly) as fast as they are. Further food is good, relativly cheap (I bought sushi bento, a luchbox with sushi, for around 2,20 Euro. In Germany this would have cost me at least 6 Euros), but different.

People
Everybody I have met so far was really nice and helpful even though their english-skills are often close to 0. Furthermore, women support the shoe-industry by not lifting their feet when they walk, creating an interessting sound while they walk.

Later more :)

First impressions

I was picked up from the airport by Mr. Kato, a assistant researcher not much older than I am, who speaks a bit German (I was surprised and impressed), likes Germany very much (he has seen more German cities than I have) and guided me around the rest of the day. In general, it is less formal than I expected. Everyone laughs a lot, they bow not so much as I expected (/was told), until now it find it rather normal :)

My lab
Again, an interesting fact first: Everyone here knows that I do Karate and want to train at a local dojo. On our way through the department and to the Mensa I meet a lot of my future colleagues/superiors and everyone made a comment about me doing Karate, reaching from “Oh, you’re the guy doing Karate” to a smile and the typical hand gesture associated with Karate. Even that night at a Student supermarket (connected to the University building) we meet a friend of Mr. Kato (I have to ask for his first name…), who instantly associated me with “the Karate-guy”… There is no such thing as bad publicity :)


I meet Professor Shimokawa in his office and after a short talk he introduced me to my colleagues and showed me my desk, than left me there with the Instruction “Talk to your colleagues”. I did and it seems they are planning on giving a welcome-party for me, with lots of beer. I like :)

My flight to Tokyo

Important thinks first: Lufthansa charges 1 kg of extra baggage with 30 €. That makes 120 € for 4 kg of extra baggage… Keep that in mind if you travel with Lufthansa. I did not.

The flight itself (Frankfurt to Tokyo) took 11 hours and I made first contact with the Japanese people. My seat neighbor, a nice older Japanese lady, taught me good Japanese eating habits. That is, saying “Itadakimasu” before starting to eat and “Goshiso-sama deshita” after finishing a meal. The travel guide tells us that is some kind of grace, meaning “I will receive” and “It was a real feast”, respectively. The seat neighbor next to my etiquette teacher, a younger Japanese lady, told me about the extremely full subways in Tokyo during rush hours and did not forget to mention that, even if I may stand very close to woman, I should never touch her (intentionally). So much about the creepy first impression I must have made.

Special praise to the very nice stewardess staff :)

Background

By the way,
For those who do not know what this is about: I was accepted for a 6-week internship at the Tohoku University Graduated School of Medicin at the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Sendai, Japan (http://www.cardio.med.tohoku.ac.jp/english/index.html).

Special thanks to Professor Jo de Mey and Professor Hiroaki Shimokawa for their support.

The beginning

Hey guys,
This is my Japan-blog. Never tried it before, so be merciful with me :)
I won't have time to speak to everybody in person (most of you will be asleep when I'm awake) or send photos etc. so I thought this would be a good idee. I'm leaving sunday, so from monday on you can expect posts.

Regards,
David