Springtime

In the last week it has gotten so warm!  I suddenly don't need to wear a coat outside, and every so often I catch the intoxicating scent of flowers on the breeze.  I assume weather here in March can be as unpredictable as it is at home, but I'm loving this for as long as it lasts.  This afternoon John and I had a picnic lunch on the roof!

In other exciting news, the herbs I planted are finally sprouting - I had almost given up on them.  I'm now looking at them about a hundred times a day, like a proud mother, while John shakes his head and laughs at me.

See that tiny bit of green?

Speaking of seasons and plants, did you know that strawberry season in Japan is January through March?  I didn't believe it the first time someone told me, but it really is.  I don't know why they put in all the extra effort to grow them in greenhouses so they're ready now - but it's a nice welcome for spring.  I've been adjusting to the way that produce is available so seasonally here.  There are days when I get really annoyed that it's not grape season or something, but for the most part I'm enjoying finding which foods are available and shaping our diet around that.  It makes me feel just a little more in touch with the earth, even though I'm living in an enormous city.

To be sure that I don't miss anymore important seasons I just bought this book - A Guide to Food Buying in Japan.  It's actually really useful.  It explains and has pictures of a lot of the foods in the grocery stores, and lists which fruits and vegetables are in season at what time of year.  It also tells their Japanese names, and shows the kanji for them.  Hopefully now I can stop asking Raku to text me pictures of the labels of different ingredients so that I can find them in the stores.