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Health Comes First!September 14, 2012

To enrich our Chikyu life, Health Comes First! Ship makes you think of seasickness, though almost no researcher gets seasickness as we find no rocking to the ship. Someone says that it is easy to come to seasickness when you examine core samples with a microscope, but I have never done this before. (Actually, Doris told me she felt bad during microscopic observation.). A two month voyage is long enough to get out of our condition even we try to keep good in our health. One researcher got stomatitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth), and it seems hard to have eating and even any conversation. Some complained other illness as well. My physical condition was normal during first 10 days, though our bowels became not to work well after that. I kept seeing how our bowels go though no sign of improvement. As last resort, I decided to run to the Hospital. I wonder what sort of place is the HOSPITAL. I entered with some tension, a woman who is apparently the nurse talked on the phone about ambulance transportation. I visited out of place? While I was waiting for her, she handed the medical checklist to me. After I filled out the form, she asked "what is the matter with you?" "Well, I, I feel like XX with XX, and etc." In a moment, she suggested I cut down on my meal. What? Did I eat too much? Seriously? Her medical advice was finished by prescribing a three-day supply of medicine. For that matter, examination was free of charge.


Scientist Ijiri-san is under medical examination in the hospital.


Hospital room reminds me a dear nurse's office in Japanese elementary school! Next to the hospital, plain admission room was settled with nothing but three beds. Nurse's room was also next to the hospital so as to respond to emergency cases very quickly. This room was located at the forefront in Chikyu, where is the best location for health! Chikyu health is supported by a great nurse. She works 12 hours every day with no holiday. She stays here for one month and then is replaced with another nurse. One month later, she comes back again after refreshment. Total of 6 months on the Chikyu is her life in a year. How hard she works for our health! Do you know what conditions is the most for the crews rushing into the hospital? The answer is a slight cold based on the nurse's impression.

We must keep wears clean every day from the point of health care. Big laundry-machine factory is provided downstairs in Chikyu to wash our clothes. When we have some wears to be washed, we put our wash in a special bag we were given. Then, we put bag on the floor in the front of the door of our cabin. In a few hours, the laundries are returned to the same place with pressing and folding up very neatly. What a wonderful system!


Clean wears returned from laundry room in front of the cabins


One day, I found the pen I preferred to write with was missing (the pen is a token of thanks for my cooperation with TV program). I looked for all over the Chikyu, but I could not find it. Oh, I might have put the pen in the pocket in jersey? I left the jersey as laundry just 20 minutes before. I hurried to be back to my cabin, it was too late. The laundry was already gone into the laundry machine. Several hours later, the wears were returned, but pen was still missing. When I was almost at a loss, I came across the laundry man in the elevator. I frantically explained about missing my pen as simple three words, Pocket! Pen! Inside! He asked, "Blue?" "Yes! Blue pen." He might have something in mind, and he told me he would return my blue pen to the cabin. I finally met my dear pen again.

Today, I found someone’s Mickey Mouse T-shirts in the returned wears. The T-shirt was piled up on my familiar Mickey Mouse T-shirt. The Mickey Mouse as twins!! I do not know why. Anyway, very thanks to laundry man. Oops, I have to return a twin to his mother. What should I do?

In this manner, our Chikyu life is fully supported by such staff whom we are not aware are in the background.


Thanks to Chikyu staff in the big laundry-machine factory

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