A country where you get a dirty look if you order red wine with a steak
Hello
I'm Mikio Harada, a motivational speaker from Chiba City.
It's hot this summer, even in mid-September.
For many people, beer is synonymous with summer, isn't it?
Now, there are countries all over the world that serve delicious beer.
The UK has a culture of pubs, so of course the beer is delicious.
And speaking of big beer halls, Germany has the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, where the beer is very delicious, and Germany itself can be said to be a country with delicious beer.
There used to be a catchphrase called Munich, Sapporo, Milwaukee, so Japan and the US can also be said to be countries with delicious beer. In fact, there are many different craft beers in the US, and they are all quite delicious.
Budweiser is a famous beer in the US, but did you know that the word Budweiser actually comes from the Czech Republic? It is said that the Czech brand Budvar came to the US and became Budweiser.
Budvar is said to have a history of 700 years, far longer than the history of the United States. In fact, the Czech Republic has had the highest beer consumption per capita in the world for over 20 years in a row.
In other words, it is by far the number one country when it comes to beer. Of course, there are many different types of beer. From major brands to craft beer.
I once took a beer tour in Prague. According to the guide, in the Czech Republic, beer is the drink of choice.
For example, when friends get together and ask what to drink, they naturally choose beer, regardless of age or gender. Even on a first date, the first thing a couple drinks is beer.
Therefore, when tourists go out to eat, they will almost never run out of beer, not only at night, but also during the day. Moreover, the price is often not much different whether you order a pint (about 500ml) or a half pint (about 250ml), and if you order a regular beer, you will get a pint (about 500ml) of beer.
In the past, churches often brewed beer as a source of income. In other words, they made beer on the church grounds. That is how closely beer is linked to the country of the Czech Republic.
Even outside the capital, Prague, in regional cities, there are many restaurants that sell delicious craft beer. Beer is usually not as expensive as wine, so you can enjoy a delicious meal without breaking the wallet.
I once ordered a steak at a restaurant near Prague Central Station. Red wine is usually the drink that goes well with steak, so I ordered red wine. Two waiters were there at the time, and they looked at each other with a puzzled look, as if to say, "Huh!?" This made me realize just how deeply rooted beer is in life in this country.
Next time I order a steak at a Czech restaurant, I'll follow the local custom and order a beer. By the way, the Czech Republic is also a country with delicious meat.
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
I've been doing core strengthening training to improve my tennis recently. It's pretty tough.
However, the muscle training program that a personal trainer made for me was also very tough at first, but now I can do it without any problems.
I'm hoping that if I can do this core strengthening training without any problems, I will be able to improve my tennis even more.
By the way, my wife was in a very bad mood yesterday.
That's because she couldn't watch Kei Nishikori's match again.
My wife doesn't know the rules of tennis, but she is a big fan of Kei Nishikori.
So, Kei Nishikori was supposed to play doubles in the Davis Cup match against Colombia yesterday, but the Japanese pair was suddenly changed to Mochizuki instead of Kei Nishikori. Furthermore, because Nishioka won the fourth match, the fifth match, in which Kei Nishikori was scheduled to play, was cancelled, and my wife, who went to Ariake Arena to watch, was unable to see Kei Nishikori's matches.
In fact, there have been a few times in the past when my wife has gone to see Kei Nishikori's matches but has not been able to see them.
- Australian Open (Melbourne): Kei Nishikori was absent due to injury.
- Tokyo Olympics: We were able to get tickets for the tennis matches, but the matches were held without spectators.
- Rakuten Open: Kei Nishikori was absent due to injury.
In other words, this is the fourth time.
However, even though I have not particularly had a strong desire to see Kei Nishikori's matches, I have already watched his matches as a third-year student.
The first of those matches was intense.
While I was in Paris, I happened to find out on the official French Open website that Kei Nishikori was playing today.
The match was actually yesterday, but it was postponed due to rain.
Luckily, I was able to get tickets online.
The opponent was Benoit Paire, a local French player.
He was a big man, 196cm tall, and in the final set, it was 4-5, and Paire was serving. Every point was a huge cheer for the local player, and even though it was a completely away game, he made a huge comeback and won.
Wow, I was so moved! It was a match I will probably never forget.
Because of that, the time for our reserved lunch passed, and I missed it, but it was a match that made me think that it didn't matter.
However, even someone like me sometimes wonders why I'm so unlucky? Or why I'm not compatible with the game.
1: Whenever I go to Amanohashidate, it's always rainy or foggy, and I haven't been able to see the view that is said to be one of the Three Most Scenic Views of Japan yet.
2: I've been to Switzerland a few times, but the last three times something bad has happened.
But even I've never had a bad experience in Bangkok or Paris, where Japanese people often encounter crime overseas.
I've been taking precautions, such as using Uber when I go to Paris, rather than taking the dangerous and time-consuming subway.
I've been to India many times, but I've never had stomach problems, even when I stayed in a cheap hotel as a student.
However, in Barcelona in the 1980s, I experienced severe diarrhea, probably due to the poisoned wine that was going around in Europe at the time, and in Egypt, I experienced diarrhea that lasted for about a month even after returning home.
Many Japanese travelers experienced diarrhea in Egypt at the time.
I've been to Barcelona several times since then, but I've never gotten sick.
I guess it can be divided into things that you can take precautions for, such as avoiding becoming a victim of crime, and things that depend on luck, such as not being able to see Kei Nishikori's matches, but if I think it's not my fate, I try to give up immediately. In other words, I've decided that it's fine that I won't go to Switzerland or Amanohashidate.
If I were to go to Switzerland for unavoidable reasons, such as work, I would make sure to get thorough overseas travel insurance.
Even so, Kei Nishikori will probably retire within the next five years, so I wonder if my wife will be able to watch one of his matches live before then? If it were me, I would give up, but I want to somehow make my wife's wish come true.
Why you shouldn't sit in the front seats on ANA international long-distance economy flights
Flights from Japan to Europe or the United States are quite long. For example, to go from Tokyo to Frankfurt, as of June 2024, you cannot fly over Russia, so you have to fly over Alaska, Iceland, and even the UK before getting to Germany. It's a long detour, so it takes about 14 hours.
So which seat you sit in will determine whether you will be comfortable when you arrive at your destination.
In economy class, some people say that the front seats are good because you can stretch your legs.
I used to think so too, but in fact, this may only apply to ANA aircraft, but it was quite torture, and I had to stand up from my seat many times before arriving at my destination to keep my body from stiffening.
In fact, the armrests of the front seats, so-called matchmaking seats, do not move. This is because there is a table and monitor inside. Because of this, the width of the seat is narrower due to the thickness. In addition, the armrests are blocked from top to bottom.
If this is not the front seat, you can lift the armrest up, so if there is an empty seat next to you, you can use it as two seats.
There is space under the armrest, so you can stretch your elbow out to the side.
When eating, the front seats have a table that is pulled out from the armrest on the side. The seat is narrow and the table is in front of your body, so your body is sandwiched in between, which is very cramped.
In economy class, there are many passengers, so it takes a long time for food and drinks to be served. I always wish the meal time would end quickly and the dishes would be cleared away.
The monitor is pulled out from the bottom right, but the screen is to the right of your body, so you have to look to the right to watch it. You turn your neck and body to the right in an already bad posture, which puts a strain on your body without you realizing it.
Also, even if your bag is small, you have to put it in the overhead bin during takeoff and landing.
So, when I fly economy class, I always sit in a seat other than the front seats.