Natural & Unnatural Fall Beauty

Mountain Fall Foliage in Japan

Fall in northern Illinois -- my home

        The Japanese are extraordinarily proud of having four seasons (though they actually have five if you consider the June "tsuyu" rainy season to be one of them.)  I'd never deny that fall is gorgeous in Japan, with the mountains cloaked in trees of different colors that make them look like they're wearing a brocade obi.  The TV news programs announce the "Fall Foliage Front" during which they tell viewers how far down the archipelago the leaves have changed to their fall colors.  Then those same newscasters tell us about the long traffic jams and standstill traffic as people turn out in masses to view those leaves.  

      But I've just returned from a month in both Japan and the States and I don't know when I've ever seen a more glorious fall as they were having in America while I was there.  It was a joy to be alive there in the marvelous weather and scenery.  They even had fall-colored M&Ms you could buy, just to put you in the mood for fall.  So much for crunchy apples and salted pumpkin seeds!

           It was Halloween season while I was there.  I couldn't help but notice that Americans take this holiday incredibly seriously these days. In fact, I saw a factoid saying that two billion dollars or so was spent on this recent Presidential election.  It's a shockingly huge amount to spend without having concrete improvements (like schools, hospitals, national parks, for example) to show for it.  I hate to see such waste of good money and Americans who came to despise all those expensive and never-ending political ads on TV would probably agree.  But, just to put two billion bucks into perspective, the announcer added that Americans spent roughly the same amount on Halloween Trick or Treat candy this fall.  No wonder we and our kids are fat!

Light-skinned pumpkin all gussied up!

   

Relatively tasteful home decor for Halloween

          The stores had put out masses of Halloween decorations, and Christmas stuff as well.  Thanksgiving seems to get lost between those two holidays nowadays.  Gone are the days of simply plopping a hand-carved Jack-O-Lantern on the front step.  Americans now decorate their homes for Halloween with elaborate displays both inside and out, some homemade, some store-bought.  There are whole pop-up stores devoted exclusively to Halloween costumes and decor.  American women delight in 'decorating themselves" and so Halloween jewelry and sweatshirts are enormously popular.  I'll admit to having my share of Halloween earrings and brooches myself.  We American teachers generally feel the urge to "wear the holidays" and I did my share of it, too.  

     Even pumpkins wear Halloween costumes & masks, judging by these.  Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy happened the day or two before Halloween and, for much of America, put that holiday in the backs of people's minds.  It was a frightful enough night even without Halloween festivities.  We all send our positive thoughts and support to those who are still suffering in its aftermath.

    On another note, I did see one almost frighteningly unnatural thing while I traversed the States and here it is -- genetic engineering employed to make orchids grow in ghastly artificial colors like turquoise and electric blue.   I found them so distressing, I took two photos and here they are.  See the little natural yellow one down in the lower left corner?  Isn't it refreshing?