Dr.YELLOW, ARE YOU A SMITH’S TRAIN?
“Look teacher! Mr. Yellow! I took a picture coming back from Tokyo today, it seems like Mr.Smith’s English School shinkansen”- this is how a conversation at Smith’s English School in Fukushima began today.
If you have not visited Japan yet, you probably do not know what I am talking about when I say things like shinkansen (bullet train), or magical phrases like “going and coming back from Osaka to Tokyo in a couple of hours without delay” (fantastic), and of course , Dr. Yellow. Who is Dr.Yellow
In England, there is another very famous “Yellow” The Beatles – Yellow submarine but I think possibly the Beatles yellow may not be as popular a “Yellow” as Dr. Yellow in Japan.
Before chatting with this student of English conversation in Fukushima I was of course aware how frequently people use shinkansen in Japan but, Dr. Yellow, is a very special shinkansen which you can see only on rare occasions. It is bright yellow, the same as Smith’s English School’s logo and its role is to check any problems on the lines or with the equipment of the well-known Japanese bullet train.
Doctor Yellow only runs 3 or 4 times a month on an unknown and quite secretive timetable. Chances of spotting Dr. Yellow are very low; and thus, only those people who are lucky to be in the right place and at the right moment can see it.
There is a rumour here in Japan that “Spotting Doctor Yellow brings happiness.” After talking with one of the eyewitnesses at Smith’s English School in Fukushima I can confirm two things: it shares the same colour as Smith’s English School, and second, our students are within those lucky ones. Amazing Japan! isn’t it?
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