2019: Fighting Each Season

As much as I love Japan, there are certain things that bother me on various levels. One of the things that I would love to avoid in whatever way I can is the harsh condition that each season comes with.

Spring: Hay fever
Summer: Heat
Autumn: Typhoon
Winter: Cold

It feels like there is always something with the nature to make me enjoy my everyday life slightly less. Of course, there are many things to appreciate as well, such as drinking under cherry blossoms and swimming in the beautiful ocean. But in all honesty, those are things I would happily give up if that would take away the negative aspect of each season.

Since that is impossible, obviously, I have to find my own way to deal with it, and I have my 2019 planned out that I am ready, hopefully.

Spring:
This is the big one. I used to love spring. The temperature is nice, the flowers are blooming. It used to be the perfect time for me to head out, that is, until a couple of years ago when I suddenly started suffering from hay fever. Since then, it is just runny noise on a daily basis and always looking like I am about to cry.

I have tried nasal sprays and medicine but nothing really helped. However, I have read (on the internet) that some people started eating yogurt and that somehow gave them super power (or built up their immunity) to fight against the hay fever. They have said, however, that it takes time for it to work, so they would start their 100-200 grams of yogurt at least a couple months before spring comes.

I am not a big fan of yogurt myself, especially not the ones that the internet recommended. They are just so sour, but if it means relieving me of my hay fever pain, I would be more than happy to give it a try. Therefore, cereal and yogurt every morning for a while for me!

Summer:
What can I do about heat besides staying in air conditioned rooms all day? It is definitely not environmentally friendly, and I end up being in-doors the whole day. Not to mention, it racks up your electricity bill at the end of the month.

The best way to handle it in the summer, if your job/time/money permits, is to take a trip to somewhere cooler. Nagano and Hokkaido are two places that are often recommended, and even if I can be there for just a week, that is a week away from the heat hell I am in right now. This year, it looks like we have quite a nice long Obon week, so on top of that, I am going to try to take a week off to avoid the heat.

Autumn:
Honestly, autumn is the only season that I can stand outside and feel okay. When a typhoon arrives, I guess I will just have to appreciate the indoor days and plan the rest of my events around them.

Winter:
The problem with the cold is similar to summer: I end up spending most of my free time under my futon, in the kotatsu, or in heated rooms. My electricity bill tripled last month due to my reliance on them. At the beginning of this year, however, I got a yutanpo so you can fill it up with hot water and keep it around you to provide you some warmth.

As for the outdoors, my lovely girlfriend bought me these wind-blocking gloves and a face mask for when I ride my scooter, and they worked amazingly well. For the coming year, I am going to slowly assemble the rest of my riding gear so that no wind will ever come through when I stroll around town.

Like this year, I also went to Okinawa during winter, and that was just awesome.

I have a complaint (at least one) with every season and so far, I have done little besides complaining. 2019 is going to be the year that I will do something about them!