Not so long ago ago, I did a fair amount of complaining about how hot and muggy it was here in Nagano.
Different season — different complaint. It’s cold!
The temperate fall season here was tragically short-lived. This past week has brought temperatures not normally seen in this area for another couple weeks. Snow fell in towns not far from Nagano the other day, and one ski resort between here and Tokyo is optimistically pumping out artificial snow.
Speaking of snow, I just entered my name in a lottery for a cheap season snow pass to all ski areas in Nagano Prefecture (that’s a lot of options). Two hundred lucky people will be allowed to purchase this pass for ¥30,000 (about $250). I’m not holding my breath, but I am practicing a few basic Japanese phrases that might come in handy should I get a call.
In the meantime, the air conditioning unit in my apartment has been switched over to heating duty, and my favorite knit wool socks (thanks Tama!) have been pulled out of summer hibernation.