Today, my hometown of Toronto got its very first snowfall of the winter season. It was only around two centimetres but it made me wonder when Moka will see snow falling to the ground since, although it has been very cold in November, these first few days of December have felt more like autumn than winter. I can’t wait to see the snow, because I think snow makes it feel a lot like Christmas. So far, it doesn’t really feel like Christmas because of the weather. The weather is always an important subject in Canada, and people from other countries, usually America, always point out or make fun of Canadians for always talking about the weather. The weather is almost our default (or standard) conversation in everyday life. We talk about the weather so much it becomes almost a point of pride to Canadians. However, since coming to Japan I’ve realized that it’s not only a standard conversation topic for Canadians but for Japanese people as well. It is funny because the more I stay in Japan, the more similarities I see between Canadian people and Japanese people. Canadians usually say ‘How’s the weather, eh?’ when talking about the weather, while Japanese people usually say either 寒いですね or 暑いですね depending on weather its hot or cold outside. Both basically mean the same thing, as we’re always asking each other for their opinions on the weather. I guess the weather is important to both our countries because we both experience the four seasons and maybe also because we’re more observant of nature than most other countries. I like spotting the differences between our two countries, but I love even more finding the similarities be they small or big. I hope to talk to you all soon on my diary! J

Matthew

P.S. I hope to find some photos of Toronto’s first snowfall for you all to see the magical feeling of my city in the winter. Please check back soon!