Last of Summer

It's 30° here still, the trees are still all green, the rice fields are rich and full, crickets are chirping and the evenings have a golden late-summer glow. But this will change next week already, with rain and dropping temperatures forecast for Osaka.

We're going to Sweden for a week starting day after tomorrow, and there the autumn has already arrived, with temperatures in the 10-15° range and unsteady, windy weather. By the time we come back home to Osaka summer will be over here as well.

So I celebrated the end of summer today, with the last summer ice cream. Took a break for a few minutes on a sun-drenched bench outside the department, eating the ice cream and watching students pass by. Summers here are hot and uncomfortable, but moments like this are good.

Last summer ice