This is the time of year in Japan when the weather goes insane and I get headaches (guess what I have now). Except for the typhoons, it reminds me a lot of Kansas.

One of the first things you learn about a Kansas autumn and winter is that you never put anything away where you can’t get at it. All your clothes should be reasonably accessible and some of them should be in your day bag. One day will be hot, the next cold, the day after that both.

This time of year in Japan we get Kansas weather. The last four days have been 72 Fahrenheit (22 Celsius) sunny and dry; 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) cloudy, humid, rainy; 82 Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) sunny and humid; and today 63 Fahrenheit (17 Celsius) in the morning, 57 Fahrenheit (14 Celsius) in the afternoon, 61 Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) now. Even indoors we’ve been able to wear shorts and t-shirts today and then needed sweatshirts.

Adding to the fun, Typhoon 18 is on its way to Tokyo. I know that it has a name, Typhoon Phanfone, but Japan gets so many typhoons it just gives them numbers. Also, Phanfone sounds like a smartphone, not a scary typhoon name. (Where as 18 is three sixes; think about it.)

We’ve already been hit with a lot of rain and schools are being cancelled all around us. (Both our youngest and oldest have the day off). By contrast, the typhoon has given me more work by postponing a sports festival and my two cancelled classes have been uncancelled. There’s a chance tomorrow’s classes will be cancelled, but probably after I’ve been stranded on a train.

After the typhoon passes, we will get a day of hot muggy weather (probably 86 Fahrenheit 30 celsius) and then it will get cold again the next day.

Eventually it will get cold and dry, except for the days that are warm and rainy.

At least then the headaches will be gone and my blog posts will become slightly more coherent.