Thursday, November 4, 2010

Now is the Fall of My Discontent...

I am a Floridian. Last winter, in my hometown, the temperature dipped below 32 for 14 days straight. This was a record. However, following this freak cold snap, the temperature returned to normalcy (normalcy = a bit nippy).

Japan is known (and proud) of their 4 distinct seasons. Summers are hot, Fall and Spring are pleasant, and Winter is cold. As Fall continues, the temperature gets lower and lower. Japan doesn't get cold fronts like Florida. It just gets cold. I am slowly coping with the idea that my legs will be imprisoned in long pants until April or May.

I am gathering all the materials necessary to survive the winter. I bought a few fleeces (and long underwear), a box of winter clothes are on the way from home, and my heater arrived in the mail last week. I am physically prepared for my first REAL Winter, but mentally...I'm trying to stay positive.

The weather right now is actually pleasant. Long pants (or jeans) and a light sweater are all I require for now. However, I can feel winter's wrath descending upon Nara.

Consider me a bit culture shocked.

On a positive note, the leaves have started to change colors and they really are beautiful! Fall has arrived!

Schizophrenic Post = Complete.

5 comments:

  1. I will soon know how you feel. Currently, its been 60s and I was warned that it will get COLD here. In fact, I noticed that flip flops are no longer for sale anywhere!

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  2. @Aiden

    Me = No room to complain. Gomen ne.

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  3. As I'm sure you'll discover - it really doesn't have much to do with how cold it is outside (JETs come from much colder places than Japan - like Canada), but it's how cold it is inside and how little you can do to change that.

    All people who haven't gone thru a rural Japan winter always say 5.C isn't cold - where I'm from it gets down to blah blah, and yet every JET from somewhere cold back in the World will tell you they've never been as constantly cold as when they lived in Japan.

    Ganbatte!

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  4. Good point Jason! Hopefully my AC (which can also heat), my heater, and my kotatsu will take me into their warm embrace.

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