Hidemi's Rambling No.389

During the New Year’s holidays, Japan is crammed with people everywhere. The small mountainous town I live in is no exception. Tourists flood into this usually quiet town for numerous skiing grounds and hot springs. Where it’s crowded, people’s manners get even worse for some reason. The worst is a family with a child that is my natural enemy. They resolutely ruin my relaxing holidays with crazed shrieks and barbarous behavior. The only way for me to have peaceful holidays is to hide out in my apartment and wait for the New Year’s holidays to be over. Ironically, my apartment building is used as a country house for most residents and is packed with people from the city during the holidays. Parents and kids are bawling and squalling at the parking lot and screaming and diving in the communal spa, with no holds barred. I’ve endured the similar situation in summer when they got the summer holidays, but the New Year holidays turned out to be much worse with more families staying. I’m close to regain tranquillity I cherish here, as the holidays are almost over and schools and offices are beginning. Sadly, my holidays are also over at the same time…