Tuesday 24 January 2012

Let it snow let it snow let it snow!



The picture really isn't much to look at, and lots of people I know wouldn't consider it much snow, but it made me very very happy.

Last night it started snowing as I was heading home - big fat white slushy flakes. I figured it wouldn't stick, melting when it landed. So finding a world covered in a (thin) layer of white when I emerged from the train station thrilled me to no end. I sat watching it fall before I went to sleep - loving the hush it throws over everything.

I was sure it'd be gone by the time I got up this morning and was delighted to find the world still white when I woke up. His turned to worry when I realized it wasn't so much snow as frozen slush - very slippery!

There was even still some white (the bush above) when I went for lunch, and some patches still hanging on when I left for home this evening. The white stuff made me happy, satisfying this Canadian's need for at least one snow day every year and, better yet, didn't mess up the trains all that much in the process.

It also gave me the opportunity to laugh at the behaviour of Tokyoites unused to snow... The complete uselessness of most Japanese boots (flimsy gumboots or stiletto heeled leather affairs) on ice, a short little police officer using a broom to clean snow off the roof and lights of his police "van", and a shop owner using water (cold water from a hose) to "clean" off the sidewalk in front of his store (he's really lucky it is supposed to warm up over the next few days, or else the drug store next door is going to be selling out of pain meds!).

3 comments:

  1. OMG! He was using water to clear off the snow? Yes, he is VERY lucky it's supposed to warm up! Glad you got a taste of the white stuff =)

    - Colette (problems again with posting comments using my wordpress id . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I miss the snow! We didn't get much of it where I lived, so it was even more special when we did. There is something magical about waking up and the world is white :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Colette - Hot water to clear of ice I understand, but cold tap water, eh?!

    Melanie - I love snow in the evening, something about the hush as it falls and the brightness in the darkness I think. It is special when you don't get much of it though when you get lots of it you could do without it! :)

    ReplyDelete