Medical specialty

Even though I have four years of study and clinical rotations left before I must select my medical specialty, like all medical students, I often think about what area of medicine would be a best fit for me.

I have no idea!
Luckily, I am not without guidance:







Emergency medicine???

Tastes are rapidly changing

Woke up. I was inside the club.
Success had now become a dirty word.
I didn't mind it.
The only thing on my mind was the smell
of that perfume, and even that didn't really matter.
Life, like the food you eat and your growing
stockpile of clothes, is a matter of taste,
And tastes are rapidly changing.

An incomparable dancer

Today is Saturday, it is normally a day off.

But I went to work today.

Having missed a day of laboratory work, due to the snowstorm,

I came in today to complete unfinished research.

But now, I:m relaxing,

drinking a Corona beer with fresh lime.

I am visiting my girlfriend,

drinking cold beer and updating my blog while she is making tempura.

As always, I took the subway to get back home from work.

As always, I took the subway to visit my girlfriend.

Riding on the New York subway is rarely a dull experience.

-----

As always, I was preparing to transfer trains at R------ station.

R------ was only one stop away,

when an unusual stranger sat down next to me on the train,

dressed like Michael Jackson.

I payed no attention.

A very common occurence in New York.

The stranger carried a bag in one hand,

a radio in the other.

He was wearing sneakers.

From the bag, he removed two shiny black leather dance shoes,

and removed his sneakers on the subway.

The dance shoes were now in place.

He stood up as we arrived at R------ station.

"I am the greatest dancer in New York," he announced to my fellow passengers,

as he prepared to disembark the train.

"And now it is time for my performance."

Who is this mysterious person?

I must see him dance!

Exiting into the commotion of R------ station,

my ears were greeted by an unexpected sound.

The music of Michael Jackson was already playing.

The mysterious dancer ascended the stairway leading from the train platform to the central area.

I followed.

A gigantic crowd was gathered in a circle.

The music of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" was already playing.

The sound of cheering and applause filled the air of the terminal.

Who were these people watching??

. . .

Inside the circle,

a young child was dancing.

Dressed as Michael Jackson, the child was amazingly skilled.

"He is greatest dancer I have ever seen!" exclaimed a young woman.

"Amazing!" exclaimed others.

The mysterious dancer from the subway car stood next to me,

looking on in amazement.

I, too, looked on in amazement.

This was not a child.

It was a man.

More than thirty years old.

Half a meter in height,

he danced, jumped, spinned and slid on the floor like Michael Jackson.

An incomparable dancer.

. . .

Hanging his head low,

the mysterious dancer from the subway reached into his bag,

placing a hat on his head.

"I will not dance today,

I have been defeated."

Even this myterious stranger stands in awe of the small dancer!

"I will return when I am again the greatest dancer,

now,

I can not compete."

I stood in amazement.

The radio clicked off and the crowd cheered.

The mysterious dancer was already gone.

The small dance master bowed in response to the cheers of the audience.

They filled his hat with money.

I left to catch my train.

-----

Sitting down in my girlfriend's apartment,

Michael Jackson's "Beat It"has just come on the radio.

Fate.

My tempura is ready.

The earth is a bubble, and it is about to burst

In the U.S., it is very common for university students,
after having completed a course,
to help the professor instruct new students in subsequent years.

As a university student,
I also worked as an assistant instructor of chemistry,
teaching a few small lectures each week.

I often keep in contact with my former students.
Sometimes, they seek advice,
and so, sometimes I meet with former students,
to speak with them concerning their studies.
It is a tradition.

Today after finishing work in the laboratory,
I went to meet with a former student for dinner.
Tradition.

However, I was slightly tired after work, so I first stopped at a bar for a drink.
This is also a tradition.

Perhaps, I thought, a few drinks would help me wake up.
This proved to be a poor strategy.

-----

Today's student happened to be a girl named Erica, an intelligent girl two years younger than I.
She was not accustomed to seeing me drunk.
This development was unexpected on her part.

And for some unexplainable reason, I was having trouble staying awake:


"Domitori...your soba is getting cold, why don't you eat??"

"ZzzzzzzZzzzzzzZZZzZZ"

"Domitori?????"

"ZzzzZZZzzzzZZZZZZzZZZZZZ"

"DOMIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Huh??? Yes! Hello??! What is the problem???"

"Your soba is getting cold! You're sleeping!!"

"Oh...yes. I like cold soba! I am not sleeping! I am waiting for it to cool down. I will enjoy it soon. I'm looking forward to it."

"You are sleeping at the table!"

"I wanted cold soba but they brought a hot dish instead. I am not sleeping...just waiting. Really."

"That doesn't make any sense...why not ask them to replace your dish?"

Boy, I was really struggling. Clearly, she was still a sharp student, a very clever one indeed. Somehow, she saw right through my coverup. Her instructor was making a fool of himself. I needed some way to distract her, to take attention away from my terrible lack of refinement...

. . .

"The earth is a big bubble and it's about to burst!"

"What??? You're drunk aren't you?!"

"Yes."

. . .

The earth is a big bubble, and it's about to burst.

I enjoyed cold soba.

Snow day, blog day

Today is a snow day.
Outside, there sits half a meter of snow.
Inside, I sit at my computer.
I am not at work today.

Instead, I am trying to figure out my blog.
It is not an easy task.

Unable to decipher the Japanese characters, I click randomly.
Sometimes, near the writing, I notice a small picture.
These pictures are my lifeline.
Like a child, I navigate the pictures,
clicking the wrong link again and again, until I find the correct one.
It is very perplexing!

My readers may have similar troubles.
Illiterate and unable to write or read Japanese characters,
I have resorted to English.
Some readers will have no problem with this.
Others will.

I often read the blog of my mentor, Dr. Bermuda. ( http://ameblo.jp/sanfujinka/ )
I do this through the Google translation service.
It is a very terrible translation.

While the original Japanese text discusses topics such as work or the weather, the translation is completely different. The reader seeking an accurate translation finds themselves navigating a confusing maze.
with the translation documenting completely unrelated topics, such as mythological creatures or piracy.

It is quite difficult to understand, at times.



My writing, already poor, will doubtlessly produce additional difficulties to the Google translator.

In the meantime, I will strive to memorize this website.
---

(Okay,
I've written my post...)

. . .


Now what button do I press???