Let It Snow

The completely unthinkable has happened in Nagoya. That's right:

It's snowing.

As we speak (ahem), Nagoyans are out spending millions of yen on snow-related products: shovels, ice scrapers, more D&G scarves, rock salt, and Army- (excuse me, Self Defense Force-) issue parkas.

Snow, all 5 cm we've had, is completely unknown in Nagoya at this time of year, where it usually only gets white once or twice a season. Ski slopes have been forced to open early, people are beginning to rethink the lyrics to "White Christmas", and "big dump-cars with pushers on the front" have been seen roaming the streets. Apparently Old Man Winter has decided to pay central Honshu a little visit, and Nagoyans are a little confused with what to do with him; in typical Japanese fashion they're too polite to ask him to leave, but they're beginning to get worried about what to make for dinner. So far, I've seen about five times as much news coverage about our whitening as for the last three typhoons - combined.

As for me, I'm reveling in the new seasonal coloring; after months of green followed by the uber-gaudy Christmas decorations that only an uber-consumerist culture can provide, things are actually beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Yay! (Hopefully some certain people I could mention are rejoicing with me.)


Meanwhile...

When in the course of human events, some realizations about the prices of certain apartments that certain Nova instructors happen to be living in, and some some rather undesirable roommate situations (not mine) that certain instructors happen to be suffering through currently, and it becomes necessary for three Nova instructors to dissolve the housing bands which have connected them with a monstrous corporate entity, and so on and so forth, et cetera...well, we will.

This version of "Home" will hopefully be a wonderful little place called Freebell, and among other things, "the Gaijin Ghetto". It's not the homeliest place on earth, but it is a good $200 a month cheaper than the place I'm in now, and closer to other foreign teachers of various persuasions. Plus Alwyn is gone in three weeks, and Devin two months beyond that, so the getting is starting to get good. Hopefully the savings will be able to be put towards something good: a trip to Thailand, Australia, or Korea (the friendly one), or maybe even to that whole paying-down of debts thing. Oh, the possibilities!


Other than that, not a whole lot going on; spent the past couple of weekends apartment shopping, Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, etc.
Missed Mae in Nagoya and writers' group at Misfits tonight; starting to seriously reconsider this whole "teaching" thing. =)
Working on getting more sleep, blogging more consistantly, and trying to cook.
Considering grad schools and emailing my friends, to whom I apologize for being a horrible bastard who doesn't write - I think of you more than you know, and even that isn't as much as you deserve. Forgive me.
Reading "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler" by Italo Calvino - it's so deliciously post-modern that I have no idea what it's about! Next up is Murikami, Buechner, or Chesterton. We'll see.
Listening to "The End Of Heartache" by Killswitch Engage. Yes Eric, that's yours.


Yep, that's about it. I'll try to update soon. May all your Christmases be white.