Seasons
I noticed the magnolia trees that go down the road I live on starting to bud on a walk this morning, and realized this:
I tell seasons in Japan by the flowers and plants around me. The winter hits its peak when the magnolias bloom, then the plums blossom to mark the end of the winter. The cherry blossoms are the highlight and symbol of spring, and when the leaves start to grow on the cherry trees it means the summer is soon. Those leaves will then turn red and fall when the autumn and winter approach.
I think the reason why the seasons in Savannah throw me off so much is because I don't have the trees to show me generally what time of year it is. It sounds dumb, but when the only trees around you are ever-greens and the weather is generally warm all year round, you really do forget when the seasons start and end. It's really just a trivial thing but for Japanese people the 4 distinct seasons are a pretty important part of nature (and life), and without it I feel a bit off. I guess I should have a virtual cherry tree on my computer desktop or something.
I tell seasons in Japan by the flowers and plants around me. The winter hits its peak when the magnolias bloom, then the plums blossom to mark the end of the winter. The cherry blossoms are the highlight and symbol of spring, and when the leaves start to grow on the cherry trees it means the summer is soon. Those leaves will then turn red and fall when the autumn and winter approach.
I think the reason why the seasons in Savannah throw me off so much is because I don't have the trees to show me generally what time of year it is. It sounds dumb, but when the only trees around you are ever-greens and the weather is generally warm all year round, you really do forget when the seasons start and end. It's really just a trivial thing but for Japanese people the 4 distinct seasons are a pretty important part of nature (and life), and without it I feel a bit off. I guess I should have a virtual cherry tree on my computer desktop or something.