2017年2月10日金曜日

2017年2月10日金曜日 -

William: A Canadian living in Japan

As a Canadian living in Japan, I've found temperature is a real factor to consider from season to season. Walking around Osaka with nothing but a t-shirt on during the Japanese autumn earned me more than a few strange looks from convenience and grocery store clerks, and staggering into the air-conditioned office during the sweltering summer heat – more sweat than human being – were certainly common occurrences during my first few months here. However, as winter has settled over Japan, I find myself reaching for my sweater more often.
              Going outside with a brisk gust of cool air is so much more refreshing than what I had grown used to in September and October. It also reminded me a bit more of home, even if by now they're likely buried under ten feet of snow. And while I can't help but chuckle at all the Japanese people going around, bundled up in their thick, downy winter coats and faces covered with scarves, I have to wonder how strange I might look at the same time, with nothing but my suit jacket on as I waltz to work.
              This resistance to the Japanese cold – and my weakness to its heat – leads me to wonder when, or if, I'll become acclimatized to this drastically different weather. When I was here in 2015 on an exchange semester, I was garbed in literally the exact same sweater at almost the exact same time of the year (late January), so I'm certainly still used to Canadian weather despite living here for almost five months now. How will I handle the not-so-gradual transition from winter to spring, when the temperature starts to climb again? In September, I found myself imagining some jerry-rigged contraption to wear under my shirt that would hold ice packs against my overheated body.  And that was at the end of summer, so how will I fare during that season's peak? Will my ice-vest become a reality?
              All I know is that I'm relishing this colder temperature. I wasn't expecting any accumulation of snow living here in Osaka, but I still look forward to the rare occasion that we get it. I hear Kinkakuji looks stunning with a layer of snow on its roof. And while I certainly won't miss shovelling snow, seeing the slightest, barely-detectable dusting of the stuff a few days ago was enough to make me smile and think of home.

factor ：要因
with nothing but a t-shirt ：Tシャツしか着ないで
earned me more than a few strange looks ：かなりの人から奇異の目で見られる
staggering　：ふらつきながら
occurrences ：発生数
gust ：突風
reminded me ：思い出させる
I can't help but chuckle ：ほくそ笑まずにはいられない
thick ：分厚い
downy ：ふかふかの
waltz ：（ワルツを踊るように）足取りも軽く
acclimatized ：順応する
drastically ：大幅に
garbed ：身につけていた
despite ：～にもかかわらず
jerry-rigged ：ゼリー（保冷剤）を装備した
contraption ：奇妙な仕掛け機械
fare ：暮らす
relishing ：楽しんでいる
accumulation of snow ：積雪
stunning ：気絶するほど素晴らしい
shovelling snow：雪かき/雪下ろし

barely-detectable ：ほとんど見えない