Summertime fever

Your favorite weather and why you like it

Growing up in Northern Canada for the majority of my childhood, I am more than familiar with the epic trials and tribulations that come with the first foreboding wisp of cold winter air that runs a shiver down my spine at the cusp of late October. Winters in Canada are not to be taken lightly and one must prepare adequately in order to avoid a nasty frostbite or permanent numbing sensation of cold wet toes. I would like to say that there were some anticipated highlights of winter that helped ease the pain of sharp freezing wind that stung your eyes as you trudged through the knee deep mounds of heavy, never-ending fields of snow on the way to school every morning, but to be honest I rarely took part in such famous winter festivities as skiing or snowboarding or children’s activities like building a snowman or playing hockey. I was never very good at dealing with the snow, and much preferred to take shelter inside wrapped up in a warm wooly blanket warming my hands up near a blazing hot fireplace with a mug full of hot chocolate.

Since I have grown up facing the constant winter chill that lingers in the north for the better part of the year, I think it is easy to understand why I tend to be drawn to countries with a much more inviting, sunny climate, even if the humidity can lead to muggy days.

Many of my co- workers and friends from all corners of the globe often tell me that they find the typical Japanese summer to be unbearably suffocating and intolerable. Japan is famous for its muggy humidity in the summer and lack of a cool breeze that many other island nations were blessed with. However, being from Canada, where the summer is for the most part a mild version of autumn, I find the sweltering hot summers of Japan to be quite comfortable in comparison to the northern Ontario weather.

In Canada, summers were often warm and sunny in the morning. From mid June to mid August is probably one of the most comfortable times of year to visit Canada. However, if it is raining or cloudy on that day, you may find yourself in need of a raincoat to fight off the chill. With the exception of sunny days, Canada’s weather in summer can be fickle, and it is difficult to dress appropriately. At nighttime, if you want to sit on the porch and enjoy a glass of wine under the stars, it’s best to have a thick sweater or even a few light blankets on hand to fight off the cool evening air.

Regardless of where I am during the summer, I can always find a way to enjoy the pleasures that the season brings. In Canada we have an expression, “Summertime fever”, which basically means that once the sunny weather sets in, people enjoy summer to the fullest and become full of energy and want to embrace the summer atmosphere as much as possible. Swimming, fireworks, country fairs, beer festivals, barbeques, pool parties, hiking, there are endless activities that come along with the wonderful weather that you simply can’t enjoy to the fullest extent except in summer.

Kailey

Vocabulary

foreboding (n) - a feeling that something bad will happen; fearful apprehension
adequately (adv.) - to a satisfactory or acceptable extent
permanent (adj.) - lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely
cusp (n) ? a point of transition between two different states
trudge (v) ? walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of harsh conditions
suffocating (adj.) ? making one feel trapped and oppressed
fickle (adj.) ? changing frequently