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Letter from Boston

Warm Winter

By MASAKO YAMADA


暖冬

今年は米国でも暖冬です。今年こそ新しいコートを買おうと思っていた雅子さんも、今のところは手持ちのジャケットで十分だそうです。さて、2月2日は米国ではグランドホッグデーといい、春の到来を占う日です。今年の春はどの辺りまで来ているのでしょうか…。

There is a holiday on February 2nd called "Groundhog Day." Tradition says that on this day, the groundhog wakes up from its long winter sleep and sticks its head out of its hole in the ground. If it sees its shadow, it gets a shock and runs back into its hole. Winter will continue for six more weeks. However, if it doesn't see its shadow, it emerges from its hole and moves about. Spring will be coming soon. . . .

I don't know which groundhog is the "official" one different groundhogs in different parts of America are sure to see different things but local TV news crews usually take a shot of a random groundhog on this day. They probably lure some poor zoo creature from its warm crevice and scare it back into its hole with the spotlights. In that case, it's sure to have seen a very clear shadow, I guess.

I didn't catch the evening news this year, but I get the sense that the groundhogs in New England this year didn't hibernate in the first place. They must have been scurrying about all winter, since it's been unnaturally warm.

"White Christmas" is a dream situation that even appears in ballad titles, but a couple of days before this Christmas, my friend Matt and I had lunch outside on a bench along the Charles River. Yesterday, I was feeling under the weather, but it was so sunny and bright outside, it made me feel better just walking from my apartment to the T-stop.

A year ago, the Boston dailies had "Blizzard of 1997" blazing across the front page for days on end. There were many days in which walking from my dorm room to class seemed to be like an expedition in the Himalayas. Even when I wore heavy-duty, waterproof boots, my feet would be wet and cold by the time I got there. There were many times in which I wished for a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers to be waiting at the Science Center entrance. That hasn't happened once this winter.

Sometimes, it's nice to wear a long coat, muffler and hat and to hear the snow crunching underfoot as you walk along. My friend Eric told me that he hates the sound of snow crunching, but as long the snow is clean, it's not too cold, you're not in a hurry and your feet are dry, I think it's a very pleasant winter experience. I think it's too bad I couldn't do that this year. It's nice to have reminders that time is always going forward.

Apparently, the ski resorts in the area are not making much money this winter. Although most large resorts have efficient snow-making machines that cover the mountains adequately, this hasn't helped business much. Most people associate skiing with "snow on the ground," and as long as they don't see it in their backyard, they can't picture it on a mountain. I suppose coat companies haven't been doing too well, either. All winter long, I've vowed to buy myself a new wool coat, but so far, I've been doing fine with my lined leather jacket. I haven't taken the plunge yet, and I doubt I will.

I recently took a walk around Boston Garden in my leather jacket, and although it was a bit chilly, I didn't even need a hat. The pond had ice on its surface and along its edges, but the layer wasn't too thick. Pretty soon, the pond will melt, and the foot-powered duck-shaped boats will re-emerge from storage. The flowers have yet to bloom but it's clear that the shoots will be emerging soon. The benches will be full of people who are going nowhere in particular, and Boston children will be lined up on the docks to ride the duck boats.


Shukan ST: Feb. 28, 1997

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