Sunday, March 9, 2003

What I did today Today, I... Wrote my newsletter article for April; Went to Konan shopping (primarily to get out of writing my newsletter article...).

The wind was extremely strong today. In fact, riding back from Izumi a gust from my left nearly blew me off my bike. In some parts of Japan the haru-ichiban- the first wind of spring- has been announced, but not yet here. Even so, the wind is no longer the bitter, cutting wind of mid-winter, for which I am thankful. It's not quite a spring zephyr yet (not least because nobody would refer to wind as strong as today's as a 'zephyr' in any circumstance), but it's getting there.

J-List Old names for the Japanese months mutsuki (month of harmony) kisaragi (month of wearing extra layers of clothes) yayoi (month of growth) uzuki (month of Deutzia) satsuki (month of planting rice sprouts) minazuki (month of no water) fumizuki (month of literature) hazuki (month of leaves) nagatsuki (autumn long month) kannazuki (month of no Gods) shimotsuki (month of frost) shiwasu (month of running priests)