Translator: Sarah McNally
From Canada, Sarah has been in Japan for almost 5 years. If you are interested in a Japanese to English translation, please feel free to contact her at sa.honyaku@gmail.com

Sarah. 来日五年目のカナダ人。日本の高校では英語の教師して教壇に立つ一 方、日本語検定一級の資格も活かし翻訳も行う。問い合わせは上記アドレスへ。


After Word: Day 8
On the way to Abbey Road's EMI Studios, I had the feeling that I was going through a residential area. If one re-examines the map occasionally, one shouldn't get too far off track. If it seems that you really are getting lost, try asking the way from a passer-by. Try something like "Where's the studio the Beatles used?" Although of course those who speak English very well might have a better expression, that's what I tried asking.

The guy I asked for directions from was a construction worker. He had quite an intimidating appearance, but thanks to our common interest in The Beatles, he responded very enthusiastically.

There's a lot of traffic, so please take care. Take a look at the web cam to see for yourself (click to open). When I last looked, 3 Japanese people were there taking pictures. It's quite interesting, please check it out!

Here you'll find some personal notes I took during my trip.
I didn't really write this to be read by others, but you can take a look if you like. This is about what happened in London during the week or so I was there.
*Diary written between September and October of 2000

    London Diary: Day 8 - Baker Street and Abbey Road

    I didn't really have any special purpose for going to Baker Street, but I ended up walking there anyways. Or actually, yesterday I couldn't really find it, so I suppose you could say that I decided to go and find it once and for all.

    In travel magazines it's often written that it isn't very safe in London, but I think that in general you shouldn't have any real problems.

    Going about with loads of shopping bags in both arms isn't a very good idea, even in Japan. On the streets in Soho where the porn shops are lined up, the people you pass will say some shocking things, but if you just ignore them you shouldn't have any problems. Actually, on the streets with all the porn shops, there are also many used record shops, and many young people are there for that reason, so in the afternoon you shouldn't have any problems. That being said, if you just go wandering about aimlessly you could run into trouble.



    I passed by Buckingham palace just in time to see the Changing of the Guard, so I stopped to watch for a bit. The traditional guard symbolizes England.

    I suppose it might compare to the traditional court music of the Imperial Household Agency in Japan. They also have a ceremony every day, and it's very impressive. As in Japan, it's always good to be able to come into close contact with tradition. There were swarms of tourists, and many students on overseas school trips.


    At around noon (actually it was summer time, so it was about 11), I went up to the gates of Buckingham Palace but didn't enter, and then went for a walk in Green Park. There were squirrels and pelicans, as well as many kinds of birds I had never seen before. They allowed people to approach very closely, which I thought was quite a privilege.



    In the afternoon, rather than watching TV to my hearts content, I went to Abbey Road.

    Of course EMI Studios is in that area. On the walls there was terrible graffiti. I suppose that everyone who wrote graffiti around there was a Beetles fan, but that doesn't mean it was all nice. Not only The Beatles but also many other artists have recorded there, including Oasis, so it was really chaos. I should have added a non-existent band name and some imaginary fan comments. Maybe "IKA-MONTAN Love!" or something like that.
    Ika-Montan is a name I just came up with now, so don't go use it!

    Well, I think it's about time to sleep now.



    This is the crossing just across from Abbey Road Studios, which is famous as the place The Beatles did their recording. This location was also used for the picture on the Abbey Road album cover. There was heavy traffic here with few breaks in the flow of cars.