editorial by Dennis Sun
読む
YOMU
means to read in Japanese
When everything seems to be bleak and grim, I wonder what is there to write about? The pandemic continues with infection rates going up and down and up again to no end, and the virus mutating into different variants. At this point, it would be difficult to laugh at those “doomsday is near” groups that tend to hog the headlines every now and then. And in Tokyo on what would be a momentous year of national pride and unity brought forth by the incoming Olympics, the mood is generally that of indifference, or at worse, increasing calls for cancellation on account of it being potentially a super spreader event. The Tokyo government is firm in saying that it will push through but there is very little positive buzz and excitement around in Tokyo, and the rest of the nation. I think the government is trying to tone it down with less fanfare and merriment because of the pandemic.
In any case, before summer starts to sizzle, and before the Olympics open, heaven needs to pour her tears, as if commiserating with the anxious and tired nation. Except for Hokkaido, Japan indeed will need to get its watering. TSUYU, as they call it, refers to the never-ending days and nights of rain and gray skies that starts from the end of May until the end of July.
06
We, Pinoys, don’t like rain. Our schedule can change drastically with a little drizzle or even with a few drops of rain. We hate going out when it rains. We would cancel at the last minute. Nobody wants to go out when it’s raining. No one wants to get wet. I, for one, don’t like the feeling of getting my socks cold and wet. And don’t get me started on the flooding that gets worse every year.
May - June 2021
