This is an X-Ray Machine

Posted on 2005/12/21 13:57:14 (December 2005).

[Wednesday 21st December]
I had a very successful day today, and was extremely pleased with myself. Allow me to indulge my ego somewhat my listing today's small (but nonetheless proud) achievements.

I went for a medical checkup. This may not sound like an achievement so much in itself, but I went there by myself, and it was conducted entirely in Japanese. I saw six or seven different people during the course of the hour, and only one of them spoke so much as a word of English - and even that was "this is an X-ray machine", which I think I could have worked out for myself. I am a Doctor, you know. (OK not a medical one, but who is counting?)

I was particularly proud of the eye test - I had to identify shapes in Japanese - this required a fair level of interaction with the examiner rather than the standard system of guessing what they said and nodding when asked a question. It is particularly difficult to remember Japanese words when put on the spot like this, and trying to react quickly. Of course, there is always the possibility that I totally misunderstood, said all of the words wrong, and have been recorded as clinically blind!

My other big achievement was making an official stamp - again I went by myself (albeit with a note scribbled down by Chie the night before) and spoke entirely in Japanese. I got the stamp made at a shop whilst I was having my medical checkup - and managed to explain what I wanted putting on it, and what I needed it for, and so on.

I then took it to the local government office for the area I will be living in, got it registered, and got the official certificates which would by needed by the estate agents in order for me to "sign" the contract at the new flat. In Japan these official stamps get used for lots of things we would use signatures for in the West, but the system is rather complex - different types of stamps for different purposes - all with different names (hanko/inkan/jitsuin) and so on.

After all my errands were complete, I went into the office and also managed to have a very fruitful afternoon's work - wrote a very important bit of documentation, and took part in a very useful conference call with out European office.

All in all a very successful day!

Did they need special guijin medical books? Or where the Docs able to extrapolate lol ?
Do you need glasses now too John or are you still 20:20?

Posted by Kev at 2005/12/21 14:29:30.

Yea, it would be interesting to hear from a doctor (a medical one!) if there are any significant differences to take into account when doing things like blood tests for people of differing ethnic extractions.

I can't help but worry slightly if, on encountering any abnormalities, they're just going to think "Oh, he's a foreigner, they're probably all like that"...!

Posted by John at 2005/12/21 15:23:03.

Da iawn ! ..... Well done John .... I think you are quite right to be pleased with yourself....
You have showed yet again that remarkable and very special British ability of being 'able to cope' with the unusual and the truly challenging ....
Impressive ! Particularly in Japan ...one of those rare nations of the world that has (thank goodness) preserved the distinctiveness of it's unique culture and at the same time is still able to be 'global'.

Posted by Dad at 2005/12/21 20:00:32.

actually john i wa just joking about the guijin medical books. on a more serious note are there any common east asian illnesses like chicken pox and german measles that you won't have been exposed to in europe that you might catch or is it all the same Now in the global villiage. i am sure that in times past this was an issue, maybe not anymore .

Posted by kev at 2005/12/21 20:41:24.

Good work there Johnny boy!! It takes a little but the first months you will see your Japanese flying to heights that you would never imagine!! Keep up the good work!

Posted by Lox at 2005/12/21 23:29:05.

I've been thinking about going for a checkup once a year... I think I might. In English though.

Posted by tom at 2005/12/23 09:11:10.

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