It’s that time of year again. The temperature is starting to
rise, the humidity is setting in, and it’s raining every day; Always burdened
by having to carry an umbrella everywhere, hoping the rain lets up just in time
for you to commute to work by bike instead of walking. To me, the rainy season
is the precursor to hell, the hell known as Japanese summer. Having a long
summer break doesn’t even alleviate much of my depression that peaks in early
July to late September because the placement of the break is so poor. The last
thing I want to do is step outside into a moist inescapable sauna and leave the
comfort of my “cool” apartment. Summer breaks often go to waste avoiding the
heat and saturated air, if you can actually call it "air."
There is one thing, however, that helps ease me into the
impending doom. That is hydrangeas. Hydrangeas, or “ajisai” in Japanese, are the symbol flower of the rainy season, and
they just so happen to be my favorite flower. I look forward to their blooming
as much as I do cherry blossoms. Hues of magenta, purple, and blue (occasionally
a rare white or pale pink) soothe my eyes…and my soul. They remind me of
coolness and rain, things that relax me and I pray for in the blistering
summer. I particularly enjoy the ones that are clusters of little buds with
rings of flowers around the outside. So intricate. I hope they bring you some
comfort as well.
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