[EMERY] Winter Garden  

I rubbed my hands together, hoping the warm knitted gloves would get even hotter. The cold was biting even after all the preparations and research I did. 

Oh, how I wish that someone would invent heated gloves and jacket.

Winter in Hokkaido sure is harsh.

Even with all the winter clothes and mufflers and coats and boots and earmuffs and gloves, the cold still penetrated me to the bones. The layers of clothes on me weren't enough to combat the cold. 

I was used to winter, and harsh cold climates since New York also have this kind of weather during winter, but the cold right now was much harsher than the previous years. I thought I was well prepared until it bit me on the face.

Global warming. I thought.

I glanced at my surroundings. There were a lot of people, mostly tourists and locals, enjoying the winter garden view in one of Hokkaido's favorite tourists spot.