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Friday, December 28, 2012

Thoughts on Snow

I'm not usually openly negative. I'm usually the person to take something negative and turn it into a positive. But on this one, negativity is all there is to it.

I hate the snow.

There. I said it. Last year was my first real winter and experience with snow and ice and slush. I didn't fall once. It was pretty. Magical. Peaceful. Then again, last year I lived in Gwangju, in the south of the country and quite near the coast. Maximum snow buildup was about an inch on a good day and it was almost always melted by the time I next had to walk outside to go to work.

This year I live 2 hours north. More inland. And in one of the *supposedly* coldest winters in a while. Every week there is a snow fall, so far usually on Fridays, and temperatures seldom get above freezing so it never melts, turning the shoveled streets into black ice for what have been weeks at a time. And it's only December. Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of falling on my ass. I've sprained my foot. Skinned my knee. Almost put a hole through my brand new jeans that I had to ship from home. And I'm bruised. Good thing I'm single or people might start to suspect domestic abuse. I can only move about 3 inches with every step. My street has been covered in black ice for weeks, have I mentioned that? Taxi drivers don't even want to drive down it. I have to beg them. 'Chae-bal,' I say, 'Pleeeeeaaaasssseeee.' It only works about half the time. I should also tell you that my entire neighborhood is covered in hills. That old saying, 'I used to walk to school, it was uphill both ways!' That is actually true for me. And if it's not uphill, it's downhill. On black ice. Did I mention that?

Every once in a while the snow and ice does melt and I do get to walk normally down my street with no fear of injury. But then it snows again and I just can't take it.

I hate the snow.

P.S. It doesn't help that this country is covered in slippery granite sidewalks, curbs, store entrances, stairs, etc. Whoever had that bright idea, well, they weren't very bright. I'd like to have a heart to heart with them. Well, maybe just a me-screaming-at-them 'What the hell were you thinking?!' session. Complete with injury photos. And a powerpoint.

North of the tropics, Earth is uninhabitable in winter.

P.P.S. Florida winter is fall everywhere else. I'm happy with that. That's normal to me. This? This is just insane. 

2 comments:

  1. hi kate,

    would you like to take a winter vacation to the alps?? i hear they have some great skiing and trekking up and down the snowy mountains. haha
    seriously, i hope winter will be over soon and the country will be back to its normal tropical temperatures. i'll keep my fingers crossed.
    love,
    mom

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    1. haha! the alps. that's funny. maybe in a helicopter. on a positive note, i did see some kids having a grand old time sliding their little red snow sleds down a snow-covered ramp from street level to the parking area underneath their building. it actually looked like fun and, from the warmth of the taxi, i thought how fun it would have been to join them. :)

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