In the end of the year.

I have already sent a greeting mail to some friends of mine. Here I would like to extend my greetings to all of you visiting here with hearty thanks for your friendship and concern toward me. I would like to write about a few thoughts and opinions on the things around me here for the greetings.

First of all, it was a year of full retirement for me this year. I am still ambivalent about my decision. It is a question if I should go out the step into retirement at this age. Have I worked much enough to be worth of the training I have had in my young days? No one might be able to answer to such a question. It is still the time for me to go forward. Remembering all the lovely patients I have cared for, I would step out forward.

                              My former office I have had taken over
                             by another doctor 2 years ago. All my
                             efforts and loves are packed there.

                            

 

                              This is the desk of the outpatient ward

                              I have worked for the past 2 years.

                              Nice staff and good payment.

                              Unfortunately, there  was little human

                              relationship with the patients, which

                              urged me to quit there this summer. 

 

I am becoming more a perfect house husband now. Enjoying gardening, farming a small farm, doing house chores and cooking. I know what a pleasure it is to to see family enjoying the dishes I cooked. Struggling with the mannerism of recipes, I am trying to add new recipes to my repertoire. Farming is another deep world. I have so many things to learn from my experience. The right time to plant and how much nutrient I should give them and so forth. Maybe, I will do better with tomatoes, which i have made a bit mistake in growing them this year.

 

 

 

 

Ham radio has still been my love and first concern. Unfortunately, it looks deteriorating to me. No real human communication but only game like exchange of meaningless symbols. The absolute activities on HF bands are declining as whole. They may try to compensate it with such as contesting or special event activities. These may enhance the activities on the radio but only for a short while. It may result in even more inactive states on the rebound.

On CW, there are two kinds of communications. One is doing with meaningless symbols. The other is a tool for real human communication. The former seems to prevail compared with the latter. In my observation, the former won't give us real pleasure in CW communication, which we could feel in the latter. Taking the meanings of the messages in the communication is the origin of the pleasure. I would summarize what goes on in this process very soon. It was what I wrote in my New Year's resolution last year. Ideas might be more ripened as time goes by.

I would go on enjoying good quality of communication from now on. But I won't spend time with calling CQ purposelessly for a long time. It won't deserve spending time in that way. Look for me and go on telling your story to me.

I found it more difficult to read score now. I should take the surgery for cataracts sooner. And I didn't want to bother my ensemble partners now. I have put an end or a pause to our piano trio. The other two are busy young professionals, so that I wanted them to spend time for the other activities. I would go on practising cello despite the pause of that ensemble. I am still trying to record some pieces with a video camera with PCM recording function.  Since my wife has been an enthusiast for flute for over a year, I might have a tiny trio together with her and our daughter, a violinist, soon. We should be patient to each other since there could be quarrel in the family very easily. It would be, however, a big fun for me.

 

Joe AJ2Y at my messy shack.

I am much concerned about the future of this country. The present government is trying to transform our country from a pacifism to a warlike country. The Prtime Minister won't hide his intention for that purpose at all. Our country has started exporting armaments to overseas freely. It would ruin the past history of our country after WWII as a pacifist one. I would protest against this movement especially for the next generation.

The econofinancial policy by the present government seems to turn out to be a total failure. The average wages is not going on declining while the inflation has started. The QE is only a monetization of the debt, which would result in bad inflation in the very near future. Our government is trying to distribute cash to the local governments, which may have only a brief lifting effect. These policies must aggravate the resultant inflation. Through the collapse of the economy in the near future, out country may revivie. It is the question who would govern it and what end of the country we would choose in the future. the bureaucracy should be fundamentally reformed and the policies should be based on and for the people. There could be so much difficulties and pains for the people to realize it. I am fearful of the process. But we have gone over the point of no return now.

May your holidays be blessed with many good things as well as good health. See you on line or on the air. Thanks again for your warm and courteous attitude toward me.

Shin Onisawa

A friend of mine with the early onset type Alzheimer

My sister has sent me a letter reporting on an old friend of mine. It enclosed a copy of his wife's writing submitted to some journal. He had worked as a neurosurgeon and, with his firm belief in Christianity, had been served as a doctor staff of JOCS;Japan Overseas Medical Cooperative Service in a few developing countries in Asia. Three or four years after he had been assigned as a professor at his mother school, the faculty of medicine in the Tokyo University, he has been found to suffer from the early onset Alzheimer's disease.

I have known him at a church where I used to attend in my late teenage through early twenties days. Being 2 or 3 years older than me, he has just started learning medicine. He was a very intelligent person confident in himself. He has been kind to me since I was turning my way from engineering to medicine those days. I could not forget a circle for reading after the church on Sunday afternoon, where both he and I joined together. We have read together such as a work by Bonhoeffer. A quiet and intellectually stimulating time was shared with him and the others. He has taught me how to prepare for the entrance exam for med. universities as well.

We have worked at the same med school hospital near by herein '80s. Since both of us belonged to different departments, we scarecely met and talked each other. Whenever we met on corridor etc, we exchanged a few words with smile. One time, fallen on icy road in a mid winter, my father has got pretty severe subdural hematoma dut to trauma on head. He and his colleagues have eagerly treated him. My father has recovered without serious sequelle thanks to him and the other doctors. I am still thankful to him. As written earlier, he has come back to his mother school as a professor. I guess he has had many projects to conduct as a boss there. But the illness has deprived him of that chance.

About 6 years ago, he has publicized of his own illness through a newspaper. I was surprised to see him doing that. It could never be done without his courage. With his wife's loyal support, he seemed to have made speeches as a patient of the diseas at various places. The above mentioned writing by her told me he had had the illness gradually progressed and had lost chances for most of the social activities. Since he has been a man of independence on the side to help the others, he seemed to have difficulty to be helped by the others. It seems God might have him learn how to be helped by the others, as his wife wrote.

I was shocked to read her sentence. I should have visited him before . Why does God give such a trial to such a good person? Why him but not me? I might ask his wife if I could do anything for him.

Clarinet trio by Brahms

The clarinet trio by Brahms has been one of my favorite chamber musics since student days. Maybe, I have already quoted this piece somewhere in this blog. I clearly remember as if yesterday when I listened to this music for the first time. It was at a hall in a temple near to my school in Tokyo at some late afternoon.  When the cello played by Sumiko Kurata in her young days started singing the first theme in solo, it has fully grasped my mind. I have imagined how Brahms had felt for his last years in his life. A passion in loneliness. Compromise and resistance. It was attractive to me but was just a thing away from me.

 

 

 

 

It was natural that it was difficult for me, in my twenties, to understand this piece in its depth originally Brahms had intended to express. Now I could fully appreciate the passion in the loneliness in the last years of his life, which Brahms might intend to represent with this piece.

 

In addition, I listened a kind of clarity in this piece. Its style and ensemble both sound clear and transparent. Not like his earlier chamber musics. Of course, it might be due to the number of the instruments playing it. However, whether the composer has intended to do that or not, this sounds simple and clear. It won't ruin the deep emotion and thought proper to the age Brahms composed it at. Through the simplicity and clarity of this piece, we could sympathize it even deeper. 

 

The cellist, Hagen, from the Hagen Quartet, suppresed vibrato on the most parts except for the solistic melody line in his performance. This style in his performance also contributed, I believe, to express the clarity of his piece.

 

Aging is not bad. We could become to understand more of such music as this one when we get older.



Meeting an old friend of mine again, Tim, VK3IM.

Tonight, I happened to meet one of the oldest friends in ham radio, Tim, VK3IM, whom I had known since early '80s. Exactly speaking, I used to work him as VK3AZY in '60s when both of us were teenage kids. He had just given me a comment in this blog several days ago. I have written about him there.

                             I have uploaded this same picture before.
                             Tim on his "old" Mazda van in '80s.
                            A whip with a top hat is on the roof carrier of
                            the car. He was teaching statistics at a college
                           those days.

He was working with Rod K5BGB, another old friend of mine, who used to be one of the sponsors for FOC in late '80s. Rod went into QRP operation years ago, so that he has been rarely heard for the past years at this end. Rod had a good signal as well as Tim did this evening. I wondered if he upgraded his set up. Or did the condition make it? I was perplexed at the question which one I should call. Since it has been a long time since I talked to Tim, I decided to give him a call.

Tim was using an deformed inverted vee at the max height of 30 ft. The radio was old FT897, which he used to use for mobile operation. Despite of such small set up, his signal was coming here very lound and clear. Most surprising was that his fist sounded quite the same as years, I should say, decades ago. In addition to his keying, his story proved that he was still very sharp. It surprsed me a lot that he was about 10 years older than me. Everything has not changed a bit except for the slight chirp from his old FT101B.

He is living on alone and by himself. He is driving to a shopping center near by by himself. He was even climbing on the roof to fix one leg of his antenna fallen on the roon. He is living with company, a young cat named Joy, 4 or 5 years old. he would outlive her, that is, for 10 or even 15 more years! as he said. She is keeping him home. He has had a health problem for the past several years. As he told me, he was almost bed ridden one time. Through his eager rehabilitation, however, he has returned home now.

I remember he has been operating CW all the way from the office in Melbourne back to home. It took him more than an hour, I believe. As soon as he arrived home, taking his FT101B in the shack, he used to start the other session from home. How often we have had such a long QSO! His company was vermouth with dry ginger, as i was told this evening. This QSO has reminded me of those good old days. Both of us were a bit younger and ambitious for lives. Much water has flown under the bridge since then. We still, however, have love for CW and intersts in each other.

With the condition being on downhill, we have got QRM from a pile up. I told him we had better wrap it up tonight. hopefully, he will keep himself in good condition and active on the air. I would catch him often as I used to in '80s. He has taught me to connect the radials of the vertical put up at the dormitory of the medical school hospital to the metal roof structure. I have just started ham radio there again after 10 years of hiatus. It was a real fun for me to experiment such a thing following his advice. Our QSO will bring back us to those good old days.

I realized that it had passed even 80 minutes since we started the QSO.

Happy Birthday to Tim in advance! He will add one year to his age on 26th this month.

Shrimp and vegetables seasoned with nam pla

Shrimp and various vegetables were seasoned with nam pla and oyster sauce. Pretty good. A new recipe for me.

The government aiming to have our country to be that of merchant of death.

In this April, out government has decided to permit the armaments industry to export some of their products, which had been strictly banned since the end of WWII.

Now the government is subsidizing them. It seems our government has given up the respectable position as a pacifist country in the international society. It has turned our country to that of merchant of death.

Together with the use of the collective defence right abroad, this decision should have our country confronted the risk of terrorism. It seems the government would trad the economical benefit of the armament industry with the peace of the people as well as the position of the country of pacifism.

Of course, the politicians in the government will get kick backs from the companies involved in this export.  What a shame and disgrace! When will the people learn about such a diathesis of the present government? I wonder if they won't realize it until they have any damage or victims.

The QE is a total failure.

The QE by BOJ is aimed to prevent the price of the natl bond from falling down. Most of the money from QE is deposited at the checking account of BOJ, not circulating in the market. It is monetization of the debt but not a financial policy to activate our economy at all.

It will be followed by the severe inflation like after WWII. The people was not informed about it. They are deceived of this fact by the government and the mass media.

The real wages as well s the GDP have been declining for some time. It means our economy is in the process of recession. The budget for civil engineering construction is not actually increased, as the government insists. Our budget has no room to increase that item. It was operated with replacement of items in the budget.

The QE will aggravate the injury to the economy when it collapses. It is not the question if it would occur but when it would occur is the question.

The time of hibernation.

It is close to the winer solstice even on the air. The path to DX is open mainly that to south from here. Not very good for the paths over the arctic areas.

Early in the evening yesterday, I could hear the QRS net in VK on 40m. I have made a short QSO with the boss Garry VK4YA. The others were hardly copiable here. It seemed they had made very simple QSOs with Garry. The others might run QRP. Compliment to Garry handling such a net for the beginners in VK.

Later at night, there was a big round table of bug users, WB6BEE, K5KV, W0VTT and NN6T going on. All FOC gang as well. They were not loud enough for me to break in. I just listened and then beamed to Eu. Worked a few Eu in rubber stamp, I went off the air. Only northern and eastern Eu were coming in. Not so loud as well. Kjell SM5CCE, with KW and 2el, was only 559.

I seldom heard any USA on 15m this morning. By 9 AM here, the band has returned to total quiet. I could hardly believe there had been a number of statessides, like canned sardines, coming in on this band until noon a few weeks ago.

This condition may last for a while until it gets like spring on the air. In the end of Jan. or the beginning of feb. 20m might start opening to Eu at midnight. It would be the earliest sign of spring's arrival.

it is the time of hibernation.

Joining an ensemble in Tokyo with my wife.

I have been to an ensemble meeting in tokyo with my wife today. It was for instrument beginners to play easy pieces. I got out of my house 30 minutes before the train bound for Tokyo departing at a local station. Unfotunately, I have missed that train. I was forced to realize how far it was from my home to the station nearby.

Anyway, I arrived at the ensemble place in a downtown of Tokyo an hour late after it had started. The place was a gorgeous music practise room underground at a public facility. I have known some of the members. It was not to musically accomplish much but to enjoy ensemble together. Three violins, one viola, three cellos and two flutes, including my wife, who has come there almost 2 hours later. A Christmas medley and the famous tune from the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony arranged for a string quartet. Sometimes discordant in tune as well as in rhythm. But it was a fun to make an ensemble with those comapany. My wife has never been to such an ensemble in the past. As soon as I asked her if she would join this ensemble, she has started preparing for that, which made me surprised. Because she is rather reserved and shy to attend such a meeting. She seemed to be even friendly with the gang.

I noticed my eyes' cataract has progressed much. It was difficult for me to read the score in the not very bright room. I should undergo the surgery very soon.

I have not gone out with my wife so often. I have enjoyed talking something and some attendees at the ensemble on the way back home. I knew how enthusiastic she was for flute and music now. We sometimes wonder if it is too late for us to practise instruments. However, I would believe it would never be too late. It is just for own satisfaction. Sometime, we could enjoy such an ensemble together. Ensemble is singing together. Singing is made of breathing. Breathing is our life itself. Our relationship is not so ardent and passhionate as in our young days. Through this same hobby, which is closely related with our life, we may have fun together for a while. It might be an Indian summer for us.

When we took off the train at the station nearby, it was really chilly. It might be around the freezing point. We felt, however, warmed inside. I would go out for such an ensemble with her as often as possible.     

The winter has arrived here.

In northern Japan, they have already had much snow. It is getting chilly here, even though we have luckily no snow yet. It is the real winter here for now.

It is the time when I should pray for my friends. Junko, the XYL of K7UQH, was supposed to have had a surgery today. Tom W6NLK, whom I have met on 15m this morning, will have a surgery tomorrow. Though I am not a Christian, I could not help praying for them least pain and quick recovery.

It is the time I should consider my greeting mail for the holiday season and the New Year. I should reflect what has happened to me and what I should do in the coming year. I am definitely thankful for the peaceful life I could spend.

The gingko trees in my entrance are getting colorful. Some leaves have already fallen on the ground.

WWCW 2014

I have looked around on 40 and 15m for a while last week end. It was the WW CW contest 2014 being held then. The band conditions were terrific especially on the higher bands. Fifteen m had been open to any DX except during midnight.

CN2AA seems to claim the world record score with more than 10K QSOs. It is hard to believe to make such a score. It seemed that, regardless of the set ups they were using, the contesters around the Atlantic ocean had had much more advantages over the other parts of the world. Of course, it is because of the high density of ham populations in the East Coast and Europe. On the other hand, the West Coast has a handicap since the number of japanese contesters have decreased in number for the past ten or twenty years, so far as I have observed. If you wish to win in such a world wide contest, you should move to somewhere along the coast of Atlantic ocean.

It was a fun for me to give some points to friends on 15m just before the contest was over. Japanese big guns have got some pile ups from the north America, while the latter has not necessarily had any pile ups from Asia. In JA, there were less club stations' activity, as in the other contests. Famout contesters were active. Some of them seemed to be operated by a few crew. It has been a year or two since I heard Aki JA5DQH, either in plain QSO or in contest.

It was the best condition ever for the past several years. Even with such a condition, there was only this activity. Considering together with the average age of the contesters, I would say this might be the last feast for the contesters in the history. As a used to be an avid contester in the past, I still hope such a major contest as WW CW would survive. However, the future of contests won't be so promising, I am afraid.

Another point I would add to this post is that there were literally no one left on the band after the contest had been over. There used to be some contesters who would talk about it after the enthusiasm was over. I was sorry to know that as well.

Sorry for negative and pessimistic view on the contest. But it was what I had felt in this contest. I am glad to have experienced this contest this year which might be remembered as a historical one ever in the future.

Talking like leaving our will to the younger people.

A philosopher, Tatsuru Uchida, told that, getting older than certain age, we are divided into two categories, those who just brag their past and the other who leave their wills to the younger generation.

Of course, I would like to be the latter, even though I know how difficult it is. At old age, we are apt to recall old things. It is a natural wisdom for aged to live their lives which they could not expect much in their future. We should allow ourselves to do so from time to time. Or life could be discouraging us too much. But, hopefully, it won't become just bragging ourselves. Filtering old  things in exaggerated way. It is not beautiful and making young people disgusted at us.

Talking like leaving our wills to young people. It is preferable way of living for me after my age.

Chicken cooked with vegetables

I am trying to use chicken for the dinner dish in order to lower the calory and the fat content as much as possible. This dish has various vegetables. Among them, shiitake, a kind of mushroom, seems to add something to the dried powder seasoning. A pretty good menue.

Celebrating our 36th anniversary at a french restaurant in Shikoku

It was our 36th anniversary on Nov. 22. We were on a trip to Shikoku. My wife has booked a french restaurant there yesterday. We have celebrated it there by ourselves. A course of french dishes was served. We have had a bottle of beer. She rarely drinks alcoholnow. It was an exceptional day for her. Saying she would do Romberg's sign on a street there, she and I have had glasses of beer. She used to dance on the street near our mother school after taking some alcohol in our young days. It looked like a neurological sign of Romberg. She was shouting Romber's sign positive dancing on the street. A silly behaviour which was allowed only for young people. The dish shown below is deer cooked with wine.  

 

We have met my wife's parents at the assisted living facility there. Father in law has had a cataract surgery recently, which looked successful for him. He was pretty sharp at the age of 89 years. Inquired about the days of internment in the South East Asia after the WWII, he has told a story how he and his colleagues had been in the camp on an island near to Singapore. He was interested in some papers regarding that internment at the same place which was published in the internet. It might be meaningful for him to describe his experience there. I wondered if he could do that or not. Mother in law suffering from Alzheimer just opened her eyes gazing at my wife. Her mouth looked moving as if she wanted to say something to her. Unfortunately, the illness won't hesitate to progress. Her dropping memory still held that with her daughter. She also always looked at her husband when he was in her sight, as my wife told me. Her family was the main thing in her memory, if it was diminished greatly.  

 

We have had lunch with my wife's folks before leaving for home. A nephew has brought his daughter, one year old, to the restaurant. Vivid and lovely. Four generations of floks were there. It was impressive to see life had been delivered from a generation to the other. 

 

It was crowded on the trains as well as at the stations on the way back home. Tired so much, we have come home at 9 PM tonight. Routine will be starting again for us from tomorrow. I have got a bit of gastroenteritis, which I scarcely have had in the past. Maybe, it was due to the tight schedule or to too much foods during the trip. I should take good rest.   

Manuel LU5OM

A friend of mine, Manuel, LU5OM. I began talking to him often since he had entered FOC a few years ago. A superb CW operator. It turned out that he used to be CR6IK in '60s and I had worked him on 15 meters those days. The world is small. He is 67 years old and has a command of 3 languages.

I often read about him in the posts Mukai JF1TTN had made. But he hasn't been on his topics for some time. He told me he had been to his homeland Portugual in September. On the way back home, he got an gastroenteritis, that kept him inactive for a while.

Manuel and his wife Mariana

 

His neat shack. The antenna is HEX at "3" meters of height. He has sent me the photo of the antenna, which I have lost in the file box, sorry. He might put it up higher soon.

 

Visit to a place to be remembered. Pasture at the foot of a mountain nearby

It was in the last year at a college when I decided to change my profession and to be a medical doctor. I should have prepared for the entrance exam for a faculty of medicine at university. It was quite competitive to be admitted to any medical university those days. The license of medical doctor shoul be attractive to many young people then. It was the days when so called baby boomers were entering universities as well, which was causing even harder competetion in the entrance. However, it was the days of the campus disturbance at the college i was attending to, which I was involved in for months. At graduation from that college, I took the examinations for two schools without much preparation, which turned out to be failure at both.   I should go on a life preparing for the next chance.

 

I was attending to a preparatory school. In the summer, the school went into the days off. I wondered how to spend the precious days without getting lazy. I thought I could be lazy at home. At that time, my elder sister has just married to a vet doctor who was working in a dairy farming area on the outskirt of a mountain north of here. It looked a quiet place suitable for studying. My sister and her husband kindly let me go and stay for almost a month there. I took it for granted that they would have me at their home. Considering of their care for me at that time, I know I have made a thorough mistake. 

 

I could not recall on the place accurately but had an obscure image on the map. This afternoon, it was so fine and even mild that it was too bad to stay home. I drove up there. It took me about 90 minutes. It was located adjacently north of the crowded resort area. Surrounded with vast pasture and forest, it was deserted and quiet. It could be because that the cattle was gone into the ranch houses. It looked as calm as in the days when I used to stay there.

 

 

 

My sister and her husband have prepared a room for me in a shed house. Very quiet without any distraction. A good place for me to concentrate on studying.

 

Before evening meal, I was often taking a walk around by myself. I have never met anyone on the way. I can't remember what I had thought about at that time. I might have a vague anxiety for the future. I might wonder what I should do if I failed the exam in the year after. This quiet environment without any disturbing things have helped me so much. 

 

 

In a few weeks when the summer vacation was over, I headed back home in the noisy and busy town.

I could never be more thankful to my sister and her husband for having given me such a place and time for studying. I should have expressed my thanks to them before. Without their support, I could never have gone the way in my life.

When I got home, an email from my sister had arrived, reporting her trip with her elder son and his family to our brother and his wife in Sendai city. I found she had made quite a few mistakes in spelling and sentences, which I scarecely noticed in her mails in the past. She told me she would downsize her life at present. She has put an end to the chorus this fall, which she has been enthusiastic for the past 25 years. Maybe, she has realized of her own age. She told me that she had been pleased to be celebrated for her 68th birthday in this trip to to Sendai. I would see her sometime and, expressing my thanks to them, talk of the days of my stay at her honeymoon house some 45 years ago.

Seeing Joe AJ2Y

I and my wife have met Joe AJ2Y from Atlanta GA today. One week prior to his business trip to Tokyo, we have met a couple of times on 40m. Hearing that he had been interested in the japanese culture etc, I have invited him to our area. Arriving Tokyo yesterday, he has attended a mass at a catholic church there. He could come here on Sunday. Yes, he is a faithful Catholic christian.

 

We headed to Mashiko, where I took him to Saimyouji, an old temple. This temple was told to have been established in 8th century, while the buildings were constructed in 15 to 16th century. It is not a renowned place as a temple. It is still a quiet and beautiful place on a top of a hill. I hoped him  such a temple as this one, not famous as a sightseeing place at all, are still kept as a cultural monument in every countryside in Japan.

 

Joe in front of a straw roofed hall.

 

 

Two of us.

 

 

In front of the stone steps to the main building. 

 

 

He is working for a software division at a major related comapny. He seems to have worked for software developemt and sales for nuclear power plant management. We have exchanged frank opinions about nuclear power generation. I told him I had been concerned about the safety of such generation plant while he was sure that the latest model of nuclear power plants were constructed in failure proof. The market of the nuclear power generation plant has, however, declined since 3・11.   

 

He has been an avid ham for 51 years since he started it in New Jersy. He majored in Architecture at MIT.  From 1979 to 1884, so far as I understood, he has lived in Louisianna, where he had a high tower with a beam on it. In the other period, he has been enjoying radio with simple wire antennas. He is considering retirement very soon and would move to a suburb where he could fully enjoy radio with a bigger antenna.

 

After shopping of Mashiko pottery, one of the famous potteries in Japan, we headed to our home. He has enjoyed listening the bands from my station. He told me he had been a bug user until he started using a single lever paddle 2 years ago.

 

With my wife joinied us, we had a fine dinner at Oyama together. Nabe dish, fresh sashimi and the others. Even though he was not strong for alcohol, he had a glass of beer while I got a couple of them. Promising seeing again either in Atlanta or here again, we farewelled to him at the station of Oyama.

The 95th Concert of Ochanomizu Symphony Orchestra

I have been to a concert held in Kawasaki city south of Tokyo last night. It was the 95th of the university orchestra I used to play as a cellist in my med school days. I might say I have spent, literally, all my young days in that orchestra. Candidly, I havent been to any concert of the orchestra since I quit there. The main reason why I hadn't been there was that I was kept too busy at work. In addition, I might look down its performace since it was just an  amateur orchestra. This prejudice was overthrown completely last night.  

 

A few days ago, I have arranged the post cards and letters I received from friends in the orchestra 3 or 4 decades ago. Reading them back, I felt I would listen to the orchestra again. I had a vague hope that I might meet old friends of mine at the concert hall as well, that ,of course, turned out not up to my expectation at the hall later.

 

The concert hall named Kawasaki Muza was not near to my town at all. It took me 2.5 hours to go there door to door. Again, I was a bit perplexed at the crowds of the people and the unknown style of cafe etc. I had an early supper at a cafe in the same building and hurried to the hall on the 4th floor. It was a gorgeous hall with 5 stories for the audience seats. The orchestra was surrounded by the audience seats all around. There was a formal pipe organ equipped at the back of the stage. The seats on the back stage were not used for this concert. 

 

 

This orchestra had been a joint of two universities, Ochanomizu Women's University and Tokyo Medical and Dental University. It was surprising that the members of the latter, my mother school, had decreased greatly in number. Seemingly about 20 or 30% of the total at present. Instead, the major part of the members were composed of the students from the former university as well as the other universities. It is not an important issue. But it used to be led by the students of our university when I was a member. I felt a bit sorry to know there was such a change in membership.

 

It was conducted by a person whom I had known. He has become a vice president of a music university. Oh, such a topic is not important...

 

As a conclusion, I was very happy to have listened to this concert. It deserved travelling that long way to the concert.

The program was;

Wagner  Prelude of Meistersinger

Liszt      Les Preludes

Brahms  Symphony Nr 4 e moll

In the beginning, I was overwhelmed by powerfully roaring brass and lower string instruments. It might be thanks to the hall ot to the orchestra. Maybe, both have made such a sound. The wind instruments were elegant. Oboe was always fascinating in such a big orchestra. The oboeist was not an exception. They have made a pleasant ensemble as well. The string instruments were a bit inclined to be overwhelmed by the brass. It might be due to my seat positioned in the front of the orchestra on the left side.

Was most remarkable performance Brahms. Among his 4 symphonies, this one, the last symphony for him, is rich in content, expressing yearning in resignation in the end of life. We could hear what brahms has felt in the end of his life. The orchestra has performed with breath of youth, though. The famous variation sung by flute in the 4th movement sounded like walking in a tree lined street. Even if the trees are in a riot of color in fall, the steps are that of young people. I prefer a performance as if the player was almost falling down in this variation to this youthful vivid one. It was a limit of such student orchestra but was attractive to me as well. I used to spend young days as they do right now. In my mind, I uttered "It was your turn. Enjoy your young days and don't forget the days you have played this touching music now." The theme of 4th movement was realized. And it rushed into a brilliant ending of the symphony. It has moved my mind a lot. I have never had such a feeling for a long time.

Going out of the hall, I found a cold evening there. My mind was, however, full of deep satisfaction. I should return to such a concert from now. I hurried back home.

Camellia sasanqua

Again, these trees are the gift from my father. He has planted them years ago. Has he imagined it would come the days we appreciate them so much.

Among trees and plants dying this season, this ever green tree bears beautiful flowers. It is as if they told us it was not a bad season now when everything was going to die. Lives could shine throughout a year.

 

 

A close up of the flower.

 

 

Fallen flowers on the ground.

 



A small but substantial step

It has been a year since my wife started practising flute. In the beginning, she has complained that it was terribly difficult for her to remember fingering or to make good tone etc. Practising it for a couple of hours, literally, every evening and attending lesson every Tuesday, she could play some pieces now. I was impressed at her diligence for the instrument. i have not expected her such enthusiasm at flute. If she worked so hard at her profession as with flute, she would have been promoted at the med school. She might be able to devote herself to music since it was not her profession but her hobby.

She has brought me a score of flute trio, a tune arranged for 3 flutes, last night. It is the famous Disney tune titled "When you wish upon a star". I am supposed to play the 3rd flute part while our daughter would be forced to play the 2nd part with violin. Even if it is the 3rd part, the range of tune is pretty high. All notes are written in G clef. It is a good practise for me to sing in high positions. Confirming every note with a tuner, I found my scale was not so accurate as I expected. It is a good chance to learn the scale in high position again.

Tonight, before our daughter is cominb home tomorrow, we have made a secret ensemble with part 1 and 3 only. Some portion sounded like an ultramodern music with discordants. But it sounded pretty good as a whole.
A warm and peaceful moment.

It was my dream for a long time to make an ensemble at home. It is a very tiny piece that we are going to play now. My dream is, however, still being realized now. Our daughter has stopped playing her violin in her teenage days after practising for almost 10 years. This chance may let her start playing violin again  I hope this ensemble will grow and flourish from now. May we be able to play something like Bach, Corelli or Quantz in the future!

Another elmer, Bill, WA6YVT

Bill WA6YVT was another elmer for me. I used to work with him on 40m CW in my teen age days. It was usually early in the evening in our time when his sharp bug CW was coming in here. I can't remember what we talked. Only thing I could remember is that he used to tell me to come to his home and to study there. Even though it was impossible for me to go abroad for study, I was delighted to hear such an offer from him. I first knew how open minded and generous an American could be. This impression for American people has never been changed in my mind thereafter.

 

I have kep this photo of him at his shack. The receiver was Drake R2B while his transmitter/amplifier should be home brew. What a big consle on the floor! BC342 is on the shelf as well. The antenna should be a vertical. On the opposite side of this photo, he wrote his age was 65 years at this time. It also touches me a lot since I am now at the same age as he was at this time.

 

 

I haven't met him on the radio since I came back on the air in 1980. When I visited the states in '80s for the first time, I have given him a call. I wanted to thank him for his kindness to a teenage boy in Japan in '60s. His family was on the phone, telling me he could not speak on the phone but was thankful to me for calling. Few years later, I knew he had gone silent key.  

 

This is his QSL. He was a pioneer in ham radio starting radio in 1921in the era of spark as 9DWX. He was a member of QCWA. He might have loved CW so much throughout his life, I believe. He wrote in the remarks that it had been the longest QSO he had with any JA. I might already be oriented to ragchewing in those days.

Nowadays, such an old timer is decreasing in number. I sure miss him. Maybe, he would tell me it is my turn to be such an elmer for the beginners on CW.

MIsappropriating our pension fund by the government and the bureaucrats

The MOF, along with the policy of our government, has decided to have our pension fund invested up to 67% of the total into the stock market. It used to be 24% before. The amount of money that could be invested into the stock market is up to 87 trillion JPY, that is, 8.7 hundred billion USD.

They say it is aimed at the better investment than the bonds etc. But, needless to say, the investment into stock market could be risky. The MOF won't make any rules to do with the possible deficit from this investment. The pensionary in the future should be burdened with less pension and more tax. The MOF  as well as the government is too irresponsible for this decision.

What makes me upset is that it is believed to maintain the high stock prices. It is to pretend that the economical and financial policies by the government has been successful. The presently going on soared market is due to investment mainly by the foreign funds. I am afraid the pension fund invested into stocks would be taken away by those hedge funds etc from the oversea. Namely, our government is misappropriating the pension fund, which is precious fortune for the people.

Secondly, the mutual aid pension fund for governmental employees, which has been managed in the system independent from the pension for the other people, won't take this risk with stock investments. They say the stock investment should be remained to 8% of the total fund.
Clearly, the governmental employees intend to keep their pension fund safe. What a moral hazard! The bureaucrats inventing this scheme should be punished.

I could not help feeling our country is going to collapse from such an evil policy and management by the bureaucrats as well as the politicians in the government.

Just a moment!

Today, I could not access to "any" blogspot blogs all of sudden. It is possible for me to access to the other providers' blogs. I could post through the dash board of blogspot to this blog like this. The display says the present page can't be shown. I am trying to shoot the trouble. If you should have any suggestion, would you give me an e mail to nuttycellist2006 at yahoo.co.jp? It would be much appreciated. I could not reply to any comment here. Just a moment, please.

Shin

Harry G3ATH

When I happened to see the ham population density map in the US, I was surprised the hams are distributed mainly in the mid to eastern part of the US. Of course, California is a densely populated area in the West Coast. But the relative population is accumulated in the first two parts. It may reflect the population density itself.

When we look for English speaking hams on the air in order to train and enjoy conversation on CW, we should work with either Western Europe or the above mentioned parts in the US. They are exactly in the areas where the signal should go over the north pole. As you may know, the polar path is tough for a small set up station. The long path to the Western Europe is exceptionally good in fall. It's opening is only for a limited time in fall. It is still an exception in terms of the path suitable for ragchewing.

So the newcomers who intend to brush up comversational CW in Japan should overcome the difficulty of the path to those areas as well as of the language barrier.

In my beginners days, I have had quite some old timers in VK/ZL as well as such as 9V land, who kindly did with me with much patience.One of such old timers was Harry G3ATH. He was a great bug user with beautiful CW. Though my memory might be idealized as the others might be, his CW, beautifully fluent, is still in my mind. It was when I had studied a bit of English at school and had obtained a bit of command of CW that he kindly talked to me often. Those QSOs with him have motivated me to enjoy such conversational QSO throughout my life.

Later, when I became a member of FOC in 1988, I accidentally knew he had been a member many years ago, possibly immediately after the WWII. Some G member got in touch with him and let me know he had retired and had done well in a countryside in UK. I wrote a letter to him. He was pleased to hear from me. We have set a schedule on 20m. He was using a tiny 2element beam then, so that the condition was not very favorable to us. It was difficult for me to copy all messages  he sent to me. But I could understand he was excited to work with me again after a quarter century absence. We have tried further schedule for a few times. They ended in failure. And in several years from that event, I heard from a friend of mine in G land that he had passed away.

Without his kind patience, I won't bave been a conversational CW lover. i was lucky to have had such an elmer in young days. Unfortunately, there are less ragchewers in south north path areas from Japan nowadays. Such as John9V1VV is an exception. We should be courteous and thankful to him as always hi. 

Chrysanthemum

We have a few clusters of chrysanthemum in our garden. A variety of colors. I could not remember when and whom they have been planted by. My wife told she has planted some of them in the garden from the pots my father used to grow them. Yellow ones were a gift from a helper who used to care for our parents. I still feel thankful to her for her love to my parents. The latter looks great in the garden as if they were really golden flower as the ancient Greek used to name it.

 

The other varieties are white and purple red.

 

 

I know they have been alive with affection of the people. My father, my wife and the helper. There is a reason why they could bear such beautiful flowers every year.  

What could I leave for the next generations?

Lee HL2DC

Lee HL2DC is a good old friend of mine. I have met him on 40m CW back in mid '60s. It will have been half a century very soon. He was HM9DC in Pusan at that time. He was a university student studying electrical engineering. I can't remember what we have talked about those days. I still have his portrait at that time.

During '70s, my inactivity on the radio kept us away each other. In '81, soon after my coming back on the air, I have met him again. I was serving residency at a med school hospital. In '80s, he was working as an engineer at a major Korean electrical company in Tokyo. In this period, I have had a couple of eye balls with him and his family. Once at our home, the other time in Tokyo. He took his two children to our home. Both children were around 10 years old or so. This photo should be a bit later than those days. I know he has served in the army as compulsory duty before or after this time.

We have met on the radio in some intervals. He has regularly given us greeting cards. It was a few years ago when he had retired and was settled down at a suburb of Seoul city. His children have grown up and quit home to have their own family. Since I have gradually transfered myself to full retirement, we both have had much free time and have talked much oftener than ever. He loves CW and is often heard on 15m in our morning hours.

A few days ago, he has given me a call on 15m. He told me that he and his wife would visit Japan in the end of next month. It won't take me so long to decide seeing them at this time. My wife would see them as well. Since we have talked on Skype 2 or 3 times recently, we might be able to recognize each other despite of our aged outlooks. It still has passed a long time since we met in person last time. I am thankful to him for his faithful friendship for such a long time. CW might make it possible for us to stay being friends for this long time.

Another trip to Tokyo

This afternoon, I suddenly took it into my mind to go for a concert in Tokyo. It was an event held at a string instrument exhibition, where some of the exhibited string instruments made by different makers would be played by professional players. Mr. Itoh, whom I have always asked for instrument repair, was going to exhibit his newly made violin to be played there. My wife has backed me up to go there.

The exhibition as well as the concert place was in the central part of Tokyo close to the imperial palace. Honestly, we were not in time for the performance of Mr. Itoh's work, which we had to listen that through the monitor in the lobby. It sounded soft and beautiful even though we sure missed listening to it directly in the hall. We could enjoy the performance of the others' works. When listening at a seat behind in the hall, they all sounded almost the same. The standard of the works might be almost constant. Or it might be related with the place we listened to them. However, the work by a maker named Mr. Sonoda sounded best so far. Powerful and brilliant. Although I don't know if the performed pieces, like Yzaye or Paganini, were chosen by the violinist or not, they were a bit too technical ones. It exaggerated the virtuosity of the player but not the difference of the violins. Anyway, we have enjoyed them much.

I was tempted to try some cellos exhibited there. However, since I had made up mind not to get fickle to the others than mine, I dared not to do that. There were much more visitors there than several years ago when I came last time. Maybe, partly because it was the mid day of a long week end. It might be thanks to a bubbly economy as well. When they get much more money than usual, they tend to spend for something like jewels or musical instruments. We have left there after looking around all the exhibited instruments.

It was a place pretty near to our mother school, that was supposed to be familiar to us. In the twilight before sunset, under the cloudy sky, we have started walking heading to the railroad station like we used to decades ago.

 

 

 

We were lost on the way, even though we were pretty sure where we had walked! We arrived at another station next to that we had headed to. Walking up on another steep slope, we finally reached the place we had intended to go. It was a bit different from young days that the walk left us a bit of tiredness. Taking simple dinner at a restaurant close to the med school we had studied, as we used to do those days, we came back home. There were a lot of people in the downtown. In the beginning of this trip, we were talking we would come for concerts oftener than before. On the way back home, however, the stress in our conversation was in the point about how tough it was to get through the crowds or how tiring it was to get on a train delayed due to some reasons. Maybe, our young days won't come back to us so easily.

Squid cooked with radish

The same dish has been already uploaded before.

Squid has been rather expensive for the past several months, so that this dish won't come on the table for a while. This rise of the price has been told a result of expensive oil necessary for fishing squid as the light resource. Lately, coffee is getting costly. They say it is due to the bad weather in the area of manufacturing. However, I could smell something of speculation. At least, when some products are lessened in the market, such speculators won't miss a chance to make money. A few years ago, such a movement for speculation has been observed for cone in the market. Whenever I go to a supermarket, I could not help feeling such a thing at the prices of items.

Getting through the mannerism of the recipe at our home, I have prepared this last night. It was a special dinner having our daughter at home.

 

In addition to it, beef stew and fresh salad were prepared. The latter was featured with persimmon harvested in our garden. Mild sweetness of persimmon goes well with the other vegetables. 

 

 

Rice was cooked with chestnut. I have prepared a "box supper" for our daughter. Although the bad weather has prevented her from going there, she would go for a public recording of a radio program in Tokyo tomorrow. It is concerned about some social issues. She has grown up to be a sensible woman. Next spring, she would start her career as a nurse at a hospital. We are proud of her.

A story of cats in a family

Eighteen years ago or so, my wife has got a cat from her colleague person at the office she was working those days. This cat, named Aichan which stood for "Lovely", was one of the kittens an ownerless cat had given birth in the colleague's garden. She had been trained for toiletting etc there. She was told to have been most friendly to people. That was the reason she was named as it was.

 

Aichan was a smart cat. She won't be easily accoustomed with her new environment here as if she had been taught not to be by her mother. In the begininng, she won't come in our home. It was a week or so later when she came into the living room. An even more tiny kitten was following her. Of course, it was not her baby. Aichan was only a few months old at that time. That kitten was tiger patterned with grey brownish hue. It was so small as a sparrow. It was a male kitten and was named Suzume at first, which meant sparrow in Japanese. Later, being afraid people around us might be confused to hear us call him as Suzume, we have shortened the name as Suzu. He was a real astray cat descendent and has been educated by Aichan for some time. Aichan was a mother substitute for Suzu for a year or two. They have been good company throughout their lives. Suzu has been a real pet for our daughter.

 

Aichan in 2008. She always loved being in a narrow space like this box.

 

 

 

Aichan in 2007. A smart cat that was very good at grasping what was going on around her. She was loved by everyone very much.

 

Aichan and Suzu in 2010. They were son and mother, family members and good company throughout their lives.

One day in 2007 or so, we have made a regular evening walk around here. We have come across with a kitten on a street. Crying badly, she was limping. At first, she came closer to us. When embracing her with arm, she cried even worse. She seemed to have been injured, which later turned out to be a pelvic bone fracture, possibly due to a traffic accident. When I placed her on the ground, she was slowly leaving us somewhere. In a second, she turned back to us again as if she had made up her mind to be with us. It was the moment when we decided to add her to our family. She was named as Mitchan.

In 2007, Mitchan on a chair. She grew to be a fatty cat later. But her voice has been charming throughout the years she was with us.  Our son has loved her so much. She was like a dog in character. Whenever we did something in the garden, she was always around us in a radius of 1 meter. She would never go out of the property to the street. Seemingly, she could not forget having had the bad injury on a street.

They have lived with us over ten years. Really good family members. Parting with them has come for the past 4 years. At first, Aichan, suffering from some kind of respiratory tract problem, has gone somewhere at the moment she got quite ill. I first knew a cat would disappear from us when she/he knew it was the time of passing for her/him. She would not stay home by any means. We let her go out. It was the time of farewell with her. Mitchan was curious at anything narrow or closed. She disappeared from us abruptly one day. It was when a man of transport industry visited our home on a truck. We later suspected she might jump on it when we were not aware of that. It is our hope she is still spending happy life somewhere being loved by some family. This summer, Suzu has passed away. He was 18 years old and has gradually lost weight. He has vomitted if he took as much food as the other cats ate for years. Later, he got some kidney dysfunction as well. It seemed he learned it was the time to say good by to us.

Without them, our home is really empty. It could be kept clean. But something has been lost since they went away. They have been with us watching what went on in the family. Children have grown up and got out of the home. My parents have got old and ill. In an interval, both of them have passed away. Both I and my wife have been left. I would thank those lovely creatures having been with us for that period.

Since a new cat would live longer than ourselves, we decided not to keep anyone any longer. We still miss these three cats so much.

Three of them have made our lives more pleasant and even meaningful. Farewell to our beloved beings until we meet again!

An ancient tomb site

On the way to my old office, there is an old tomb site named Bentenzuka. Driving to the town there, I have stopped by the tomb. I don't know when it was constructed. Maybe, 6th or 7the century. This is rather a compact in size. Compact ones were always constructed in later era. Such tombs were constructed for the men of power those days. It is surprising there are more than ten such tomb sites in this city. This area is not necessarily more abundant with such historical monuments than the other areas. They are pretty common everywhere.

What it touches me is that it has been maintainted by the people around this area. In our tradition, we have worshiped our ancestors as gods. I am still moved by the fact there have been generations of people having taken such tomb site as an important monument and having cared for it as it is now. It is still a primitive religion. But the ancestors have had faith in some being supreme beyond our knowledge. It is touching me a lot. It is a relief for me that we have had those ancestors with religious mind.

I sometimes stopped by there on the way back home from work. I felt a kind of relief from this old tomb.

The rice paddies were already harvested. It stood quietly in the crisp atmosphere in the farms.