That means something to some and nothing to others, but, put simply, it's getting cold (mid-November now, time to dig the woolies out). It's been a curious, coincident-lain, few months bringing us to this point. In six months it's gone from insufferably hot to finding the warm corner in the izakaya. Shooting stars may have been overhead last night but are somewhat difficult to see under the lights of the worlds brightest city (and I mean that by street lights before anyone asks).
One curious phenomena over the last few months has been the toll age is taking on us all (and our gratitude to the incredible Japanese medical services). In a matter of not so long, I've experienced the enjoyment outlined in the pervious article, one friend broke his arm falling off his bike (pedal variety); another ripping tendons fall off his and having to be re-sewn together (hint bicycles are getting more opinionated as we grow old; yet another standing up in restaurant and turning to leave only for his lower leg to remain targetted targeted in the seated direction from the knee down, refusing to to join the rest of him in his strove for the checkout.
But one friend wins it all hands down. Three hospital visits in six months (but only three pins so I still have that over him though, to be fair, he wins hands down on stitches). We all picked ourselves up and pretended we were twenty five again. Which brings me back to Winter is Coming. Tokyo enjoys a few centimeters of snow every five years or so. Which leaves a blessing and a curse in its wake. Blessing, we don't have much; curse, no one has a clue how to respond. Salarymen still wear slick, leather soled shoes and slide every which way you can imagine and taxis drive as if it's a beautiful sunny day, until they encounter said out of control salarymen.
But the trains, the trains run on time, no "wrong type of snow" here (you need to be British to get that one). And over the next few months, as temperatures decline further, I'm sure we'll have opportunity aplenty to thank the medical staff who've dodged those taxis and flailing salarymen to help us out. After all, just look at what we achieved in a short few months when it was nothing more challenging than dry and sunny. Winter Is Coming.
