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Shotokutaishi is one of the most important leaders in Japanese history. There are many stories showing how great he was. According to Nihon Shoki, he could understand 10 people speaking to him at the same time. The other day, I turned on my computer while I was listening to my wife. I started to read an email while she was speaking. In the middle of the email, she finished what she was saying. I knew that I should say something, but I hadn’t been listening to her. I apologized and said, “What did you say?” My wife said jokingly, “I’m disappointed. I thought you were Prince Shotoku.” (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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Notes
the Suez Canal 地中海と紅海とを結ぶスエズ運河;
the Mediterranean Sea 地中海
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What happened on this day 160 years ago? Work began on the Suez Canal. This canal goes from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Red Sea in the south. It is 193.3 km long. Ships don’t use locks to go up and down like the Panama Canal because the Suez Canal is at sea level all the way. Actually, the idea of a canal is very old. The first canal that connected the two seas probably goes back 4,000 years. However, the old canals were not kept up. When the Suez Canal opened in 1869, it changed the world. Asia was 7,000 kilometers closer, so trade between Europe and Asia boomed.　(by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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