The Amazing Race - Nippon Day 3 (Wednesday): Saitama

Day Three (Wednesday): Saitama

On the third day of our trip, we came back to Saitama exhausted.
And what better way to relieve our fatigue than to have a dip in a hot pool?
Thus, off we went to Seiganji Onsen.
This was suggested by one of my learners.

As you might have guessed, my Mom and my sisters were a little unsure of themselves upon entering the changing room.
Before we started the onsen experience, I explained all the steps involved in using a hotspring.
Thinking back now, I think they didn't really listen to my explanation.
It was more of they were a little giddy with the idea of soaking in a hot pool in their birthday suit with other people.



My exhausted mother and sisters enjoyed the treat.
Surprisingly, they were not so hesitant in joining the other naked women lounging in the pool.
Their reactions were so different from mine during my first onsen experience.
Probably, the difference could be because we were together in their first experience unlike mine (I was all alone).
Thus, I concluded that experiencing something very different from what you are accustomed to is better when done with other people.
It took the edge off.

Eco-friendly Illumination

T: Tre M: Mas

In the middle of class discussion...

T: Mas, can you give an example of an environmentally sound
　 technology?
M: What specific technology are you referring to?
T: A technology that can reduce energy consumption in
　 response to power outages and can contribute to mitigating
climate change impacts.
M: Hmmm... your question is quite hard to ponder
(thinking seriously)...
T: Let me give you an example. The use of solar panels
on the roof of houses is a viable source of clean energy.
M: Ah ok, now, I can grasp the essence of your question. I'm
thinking of LED (light- emitting diode) light bulb as
an eco-friendly illumination.
T: Really, how come? I thought about it as just another
ordinary bulb that can be easily overlooked upon by
impulsive shoppers.
M: There's more to LED light bulb when you verify its efficiency
compared to incandescent and fluorescent lamps.
T: Before we go on to that, can you explain succinctly how this
bulb works?
M: Ok, the LED light bulb uses LEDs as the source of light
as a direct current (DC) electrical power.
T: Can you give me a concrete basis for its widely reported
efficiency?
M: Several studies have shown that a 13 watt LED bulb can emit
light which is as bright as a100 watt incandescent bulb.
Moreover, it has 30,000 hours and can be utilized for up
to 25-30 years under normal use. It is definitely worth
purchasing for compared to incandescent and fluorescent bulbs
which have a service life of 1,000 and 8,000 hours, respectively.
T: I see. So that's the reason behind the increasing demand
for LED light bulbs.
By the way, are there any downsides about this type of
illumination?
M: Yes, it is quite sensitive to high temperature exposure.
The manufacturers saw this imminent weakness so they put
heat sinks and cooling fins in the LED light bulb.
In addition, the initial cost of acquiring LED light bulbs
is relatively expensive.
T: I got your point but why is it a lot of people are jumping on
"LED bandwagon"?
M: Although the initial cost is high, the running cost is minimal.
In the long run, the benefits of using LEDs outweigh its initial
cost. Further, it has low carbon footprints thereby it can be
a part of the global initiative to mitigate climate change.
T: Wow! Thank you for that relevant information. I might change
the lamps in my room.
M: Bright idea!




●Vocabulary:

★environmentally sound - 環境に優しい、環境保全型の
★specific - 仕様、明確な、特定の
★consumption - 消耗、消費量
★power outage - 停電
★contribute - 貢献する
★mitigating - 軽減する、緩和する
★impacts - 影響、衝撃、効果
★ponder - じっくり考える
★viable - 実行可能な
★clean energy - クリーンエネルギー
★grasp - 把握、しっかり掴む
★essence - 本質、核心
★emitting diode - 発光ダイオード
★eco-friendly illumination - 環境に優しい照明
★impulsive - 衝動的な
★incandescent - 白熱灯
★fluorescent lamps - 蛍光灯
★succinctly - 簡潔に
★direct current - 直流、DC
★concrete basis - 明確な、はっきりとした根拠、理由
★emit - 放射する
★service life - 耐用年数
★downside - 否定的側面、不都合な点
★imminent - 切迫した、間近の近接した、目と鼻の先の
★jumping on "LED bandwagon" - 「LEDの流れ」に飛びつく
★outweigh - 価値が勝る
★carbon footprint - 二酸化炭素排出量
★global initiative - 地球規模の取り組み
★relevant - （検討中の課題などと）関係のある、関連のある
★bright idea - 名案、うまい考え

The Amazing Race - Nippon Day 2 (Tuesday): Kyoto

Day Two (Tuesday): Kyoto

After a goodnight's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we headed to Kyoto.
The theme for the second day was traditional Japan.
To make the experience more authentic, we decided to rent a kimono for the day but the weather did not cooperate.
Unfortunately, our plan to try looking like Japanese was rained on.

After looking for big lockers to store away our stuff, we started our journey to the popular spots like Kinkakuji, Kiyomizudera, Ginkakuji, Gion among other things.
Of course the photographer in the family (that's my younger sister) tried to capture everything we saw, tasted, smelled, heard and felt.




As my mother took the grandness of everything surrounding her silently, the youngest in the group complained about his tired feet.
From a little man's point of view, seeing a temple or a shrine once is enough.

At Gion, there were some Chinese tourists and some Japanese folks who were waiting along the street.
What were we waiting for?
We wanted to catch a glimpse of a geisha or a maiko.
In a span of 15 minutes, we saw three.
As one arrived, she would make a dash towards one particular house.
I was amazed at how fast they could walk in that tight kimono.
I guess years of wearing one would enable one to move that fast.
They looked in a hurry or just pissed off that many people were chasing them.
So, we didn't dare ask them to have their picture taken with us.

As we watched them pass one by one, I felt a little sad for them.
They were being treated like an attraction while they were just doing what they trained for.
I was wondering how I would feel if somebody chased me down the street just because I teach English.
Sometimes it's good to think in another person's shoes for a different perspective.



Another interesting thing that happened in Kyoto was when we got lost.
Oh yeah! Lost tourists in Kyoto... present!!
It was when we wanted to go to Kinkakuji and we were near Gion.
According to the bus map, we should wait for a certain bus to pass at that stop and it would go to Kinkakuji.
When a bus came, I checked the number and saw that it was a different one.
The lady who was waiting as well asked if we wanted to go to Ginkakuji.
I said "no" and mentioned Kinkakuji.
She was about to get on the bus when this conversation started.
To my family's surprise, she got off the bus and walked with us to a different bus stop just around the corner.
Because of us, she missed her bus and had to wait for the next one.
We waited with her and chatted for a few minutes.
Take note that this conversation transpired in my very poor Japanese.
We were all so thankful to her.
Such a kind hearted lady!