Monday, January 23, 2006

A Suprise Snowfall


Last year it snowed twice. The first time was a sort of dandruffy snow that amounted to a cold, dry version of sleet, and it was gone before it hit the ground. The second time it melted the next morning, but we did get sopping wet playing in it, and the snowman we made in the park took nearly a week to collapse in the heat (I gave him my good hat, too...).

Well this year we got some real snow. Even the roads had ice! It nearly felt like home. Except here we can walk around in sneakers and not worry about frostbite, unlike back home. Also, there are no snow-plows or trucks spreading rock salt on the roads--just neighbors who, lacking anything resembling a driveway, take it upon themselves to shovel out a sizeable part of the street instead [see below]. Which means that we've had to risk breaking our necks (or backs, or arses) every time we go out of the apartment, because most of the roads and sidewalks are left untouched.



Still, the snow is beautiful and reminds us of what we're probably missing, and it justifies my having bought a nice poofy down-filled winter coat this year, too. Anyway, on to today's quiz quesiton:

What's the difference between a snowman in the U.S. and a snowman in Japan (other than the language they speak)?