Spring's Encroachment

There are seasons in Japan. Growing up in Southern California, it is hard to notice the changing of the seasons, since they are not very different from each other. But yes, friends, Japan has seasons and they live in them quite happily. The most common topic starter of conversations is usually some comment on the state of the weather.
Rainy, cold, foggy winter weather---寒いですね。Cold, isn't it?
Warm, sunny breezey--いい天気ですね？Good weather, isn't it?
hot, humid, summer---あついですね？Hot, isn't it?

I admire the relationship that the Japanese hold with the seasons, and spring is by far my favorite.

In Mr. Hepler's senior English class, we were forced to read Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales". At the time, I had no appreciation for literature. Don't get me wrong, I now find Chaucer to be quite close-minded and just merely a product of his generation. The introductory lines of the prologue describes the onset of Spring, but words, however famous or beautiful, cannot compare to riding your bike down the roads watching the newly sprouted flowers attacking the trees.


THE PROLOGUE
'Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye'

===============VS====================-=











And this is only the beginning.