Once the weather warms and the snow begins to melt, the streets transform into a nightmarish landscape of ice, slush, muddy water, massive puddles, and remnants of snowbanks〓a mess I’ve never seen in my life.

The road conditions change with every few steps. To make matters worse, drivers seem completely oblivious to the existence of us pedestrians. They don't even slow down at crosswalks, sending massive splashes of dirty water flying. It’s absolutely impossible to enjoy a leisurely walk while listening to my Walkman.

However, there is a glimmer of hope: the harshest part of the Hokkaido winter seems to be nearing its end (or at least, that’s what my hairdresser told me〓and I’m choosing to believe him). Yay!