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| Although prairie temperatures are tough, I'd gladly take a couple weeks of unbelievably bitter cold over several months of unending grey and bite-to-the-bone snow-rain. Tottori winters have taught me that I can never live in Vancouver. |
There are certain things that a person
needs to know to survive a Japanese winter, and more specifically, winter in Tottori. Here are ten:
1. Layers are your friend. In a land where you
wear your heating devices (be they fleece-lined, thermal or kairo*), rockin’ sweaters on top of
sweaters and other fashion faux-pas are expected.
2. Eat whatever you want whenever you want, as long as you don’t have
to buy new clothes. Chocolate, cheese, cake, carbs
– if it’ll contribute to your caloric intake and thus, increase your core
temperature – go crazy. Furthermore, the serotonin and endorphins that
these treats release are essential to emotional (and consequently,
physical) health.**
3. There is no shame in coming home, feeding, and crawling into bed
with a book or laptop. In fact, it’s comfortable
and economical. Furthermore, as a wise woman (who may be
my mother) once told me, there aren’t a lot of things in this world that a
good night’s sleep can’t cure. Words worth remembering when working with mini-humanity
and their ever-suspect hygiene all week.
4. Treat yourself to a musical buffet. Like candy, J-pop and K-pop*** are great for satisfying a sweet-tooth, but when you’re craving real Canadian
beef and potatoes, streaming everything emerging and indie on CBC
Radio 3 with your fancy-dancy iPod (how are you going to live without this
thing?) is the only option.
5. Celebrate Christmas endlessly. Cinnamon apple crisp. Copious chocolate from around the world. The Christmas card tree with
contributions that arrived before Halloween and after New Year's. A festive wreath your
neighbors surely wish you’d take down already. Christmas carols in a
belated January 24th winter wonderland. Christmas presents from November until January 25th.
6. Indulge in guilty pleasures. Cake dates. Saturday afternoon rom-coms in bed. A second cup of cocoa, followed by a fourth cookie. As much overpriced fruit as you can carry. Justin and Adele.
 |
| Thanks, G & G! |
6. Indulge in guilty pleasures. Cake dates. Saturday afternoon rom-coms in bed. A second cup of cocoa, followed by a fourth cookie. As much overpriced fruit as you can carry. Justin and Adele.
 |
| Care for a curiously-named cookie? |
7. Follow the sun. Literally, weather-permitting. Figuratively, if
not.
8. Find comfort in the company of fellow survivors and be open to them
when they seek it of you.
 |
| So much colder than it looks! |
9. Ignore the chilling rain and slippery streets, and walk anyway. Chase
your students around the gym at morning recess and lunch break on your
weekly visits to elementary school. Dance around your room. Just move.
10. Take a deep breath, stretch your cold, crumbling limbs, and remind yourself that spring is just around the corner.
10. Take a deep breath, stretch your cold, crumbling limbs, and remind yourself that spring is just around the corner.
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| Even grey days are beautiful in Mochigase. |
* Kairo are disposable packets that
produce heat. For a more detailed description, please see http://www.japanmarketingnews.com/2007/11/kairo-keeps-tok.html
** Oh yeah, this
is totally scientifically sound.
*** pop music from Japan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9yihAK-4Jw) and from Korea (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_rGyJ-c7ps), respectively
