Furthermore, on the way from the airport to my hotel in distant Mukdahan, I was treated to some long-awaited Isan cuisine. My thanks go to Mr. Niwat, the physics teacher who looked after me this time.

This is the installation of Thailand's second-oldest homemade seismometer. It's been operating somehow since its installation in 2019. This time, we did a thorough cleaning and adjustment. It should hold up for a few more years now. Being an all-metal machine, if I were asked to build one again now, I simply wouldn't have the energy. However, if adjusted well, the recordings are stable and more reliable than plastic ones. I still have metal materials at home, so if anyone wants to take on the challenge, I'll assist.

We're currently processing three years' worth of data using a new data processing program developed with Claude. Due to differences in the PC's record folder locations, I had to ask Claude each time to modify the code for adjustments. This kind of GUI processing is precisely where this AI excels. For the graphical progress bar showing processing status, I just pitched the idea, and it built it entirely on its own. It's more than worth the $20/month.

A teacher specializing in the physics of electronic circuits who manufactures amplifier printed circuit boards. He apparently worked in electronic circuit development when he was younger. This teacher will be manufacturing the circuits needed for the workshop (for all 12 groups), plus about 10 more boards.

Meanwhile, Mr. P, the physics lab teacher, is single-handedly handling the acrylic plate processing. He's currently working on it to make the first prototype unit. In the back right, you can see the sample unit I sent from Japan. Using this as a reference for now, he aims to complete one unit every two days. Mr. P is tackling tasks like tapping threads with an unfamiliar touch.

They booked me into some fancy lodging. It's apparently the most famous hotel in town, which makes me feel a bit embarrassed. A relatively young physics professor from Brapa University, who was also here to supervise student projects stays the same hotel. He'll be guiding students for three days before heading back. We chatted a bit during the airport transfer; he also uses Linux for calculations, so we ended up talking about AI applications and such.

The sunrise from the hotel room is magnificent. You can see the Mekong River far below and Laos on the opposite bank. Although it's the northeast, the temperature isn't too low this time. There are mosquitoes at night, so I lit an electronic mosquito repellent.

Now, on the second day, P Sensei quickly fixes the modified parts on the PC and operates the large laser cutter. With this machine, we could mass-produce seismometers in Japan too—I wish we could borrow one somewhere. This is a machine you usually see at science high schools here, but you don't see them much in Japan. It's huge, though. There's more than enough acrylic sheet material too. You can really feel the passion this country has for science.

These are the acrylic materials for the skeleton seismometer set he had pre-cut with the laser cutter. They were prepared like plastic model parts. We need at least 12 of these sets. The red part on the right is a component that holds down the thin phosphor bronze leaf spring. The overview of the construction is at http://www.yossi-okamoto.net/2023_Shiga/Shin_Recipe.html Once this is done, I'd like to see it commercialized.

Well, after two days of hard work, I've finally gotten it into shape. The coil isn't finished yet (or rather, I still need to order the urethane wire, so I'm a bit worried if it'll be ready in time for the main event), so for now, I made a sensor by hand-winding thick enameled wire from the physics lab about 100 times. Once he get this far, he should be able to mass-produce them. The only problem is, I still haven't figured out the design for the additional weights. It looks like it'll be cutting it close. That's another cause for concern.

Somehow, we connected the amplifier, the Arduino-compatible board, and my PC, and managed to get the waveform displayed. It was already an hour before my ride home was scheduled to leave. It was truly a last-minute prototype. Well, I think I've conveyed all the rather complicated know-how that could be problematic in production. Now it's up to the teachers here to push forward. Seeing the actual device and explaining it in person was essential—otherwise, the teachers  wouldn't grasp the production challenges. I'm glad I managed to come here.

To the teacherss who helped with the work despite it being a holiday—thank you. This should get us through to January somehow.

Now, after nearly three hours from school, I'm at Ubon Ratchathani Airport waiting for the evening flight to Bangkok. The southern part of this province is currently a border area in conflict with Cambodia, but the airport is surprisingly relaxed, as if that turmoil doesn't exist. Ubon apparently means “lotus flower,” as you can see. Quite a typically Thai decoration. This local airport has no lounge, so I just waited at the gate for the delayed flight. I arrived in Bangkok just before 8 PM. After an hour, I reached my usual, familiar lodging, and now I can finally relax.

Back in Bangkok for a two-day stay, so I bought pizza for the first time in ages. It wasn't my usual Pizza Hut, but Pizza Company...

I'm sure I ordered one by one, but when I picked it up, they charged me for two pizzas. Maybe I didn't explain it clearly, or maybe the staff just didn't notice. It's only a little, but it feels like such a waste. Guess I'm just cheap.

Rushing to catch my flight out of Bangkok, I spotted this rare Aeroflot plane at Suvarnabhumi Airport. With sanctions over the Ukraine war, I wonder if they can even maintain their American-made aircraft.

This one's an Israeli airline too. I'd never seen either before.

Air China's in-flight meal. It was pretty tasty. This was on the Bangkok-Shanghai flight, I think.

At the entrance to the Kansai Airport flight, they had this Chinese newspaper with a bold headline placed conspicuously. Well, I think I sort of get what it means. Naturally, I brought it back as a souvenir.

Added a photo. It's the image of the $9 billion check mentioned in the book. A single check worth 1.35 trillion yen (in today's value)! It's hard to believe such a story actually happened. This photo was likely taken by Mitsubishi UFJ staff as verification and evidence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uma1578o7D0 concisely explains the causes of the Lehman Shock in a short time.

The passageway connecting Kansai Airport to the station had a rather elegant and pleasant atmosphere. Immigration was automated too, so it seems Japan is gradually aligning with global standards. At Shanghai Airport, I finally started hearing a little Japanese here and there, which was somehow reassuring. In Thailand, perhaps because I was traveling around the provinces, I never once heard Japanese spoken. Maybe there are fewer tourists? The Thai baht had also slipped to nearly 5 yen per baht, fully reflecting the weak yen. Considering prices when it was around 3 yen, costs have definitely risen. I occasionally have leftover local baht from honoraria received, so I generally don't exchange currency, but it's become a tough time for travelers. I fear young people will become increasingly inward-looking.