August 31, 2024: Watermelon （スイカ）

The other day, my wife gave me some slices of a watermelon. I was happy to see it. I have been urged to have it since I had read a blog by Jacqueline-san which was about a watermelon. It was the first one I have had this summer. It was so juicy and sweet that I enjoyed it. It also made me feel something new that I had not had in this year. It made me feel the water seeping into every inch of my body. It was as if the water had been flowing in the blood vessels to cool my body. It was the feeling I had never had with other cold food, such as cold drinks and ice cream. I love them very much. In particular, I love ice cream so much that I have it even in the winter. I also prefer cold drinks to hot ones. And I tend to have cold drinks in the water.
But I had never had the feeling with them as I had with the watermelon. Of course, the cold drinks are full of water, more than the watermelon. But the water is not the same as in the watermelon. I admit that it has refreshed me after walking. But it has never made me feel the water seeping into every inch of my body.
Scientifically, the water may be the same as that in the watermelon. But my body feels that the water in the watermelon tastes much better and is likely to make my body more succulent. I must be grateful for the bounty of nature. I now have a strong urge to have a whole watermelon.

　先日、妻がスイカを数切れ、出してくれました。嬉しかったです。Jacquelineさんのブログを読んで以来、ずっとスイカが食べたかったのです。このスイカがこの夏初めてのスイカでした。とてもみずみずしく、甘くておいしかったです。そして、今年味わったことがない新しい感覚を覚えました。スイカの水分が体の隅々まで染渡るような感覚になったのです。まるで水分が血管の中を流れて体を冷やしているようでした。冷たい飲み物やアイスクリームなどの他の冷たいものでは味わえない感覚でした。ボクは、冷たいものが大好きです。特に、アイスクリームが大好きで、冬でも食べるほどです。飲み物も熱いものより冷たいものの方が好きです。こちらも、冬でも冷たいものを飲むことが多いです。
　でも、こうした冷たいもので、スイカの水分で味わったような感覚を味わったことはありませんでした。もちろん、冷たい飲み物はスイカよりも水分をたくさん含んでいます。でも、スイカの水分とは違います。冷たい水は、ウオーキングの後に体を生き返らせてくれます。
でも、体の隅々まで水分が染み渡るような感覚はありません。
　科学的にはスイカの水分と同じなのかもしれません。でも、ボクの体はスイカの水分の方がずっと美味しく、体をみずみずしくしてくれそうと感じます。自然の恵みに感謝です。そして今、スイカを丸ごと一個食べたい気分です。