ain't nothin' better...

than the serenitity felt upon waking up to fresh snow outside. it's like that old folger's coffee commercial when peter comes home for christmas. just lovely. i didn't even know i missed it until i saw it--snow, that is. this weekend a group of friends and i set out to the slopes of hakuba, nagano (yes, the home of the 1998 winter olympics). we started our journey friday evening after a rigorous week at school, ha.

we rolled into the hostel, yamago's snow lover's clubhouse (yes brad, that is the name), around midnight to find our mohawked roomie catching his zzzz's.

we were a motley crew of varying skill levels so we eventually split up into three's, then two's, then individually. i found myself alone on hakuba 47 in the middle of the woods. it was extremely peaceful. just the sound of my skiis swooshing through the snow and the silence of snow falling. i don't know how this happens, but everytime i rent ski gear i end up getting whatever hot pink or purple 'dynastar' equipment they have left over from the 80's. i'm not complaining, it's just...well, not cool?



on sunday morning we awoke to a blizzard. it was so cozy in the hostel's dining room, sipping on coffee and laughing about last night's shinnanigans. we had spent saturday evening eating to our heart's content (pizza, fried chicken, fried tofu, etc., etc.--it was delicious) in the upstairs room of an izakaya in what looked like a western child's bedroom. everyone was extremely tired, but we still managed to bring out the old mario kart and play a few rounds.

skiing on sunday was a little more difficult with the blizzard-like conditions which throughout the day turned to extremely dense fog. erin and i went up to the top and on our way down lost each other (and the trail) several times. after erin and i split up i heard my name being called through the fog by lisa and john. i have no idea how they saw me considering visibility was less than a few meters. anyway, we got down and thus ended our last run at hakuba. i wish we could've stayed longer...like a week or month, but duty calls and someone has to teach these japanese kids proper english.

brad, who was "skiing for two"

at the top: erin, john, me, and brad

bridget, the first-time skier

brad and i, no doubt chuckling about something funny and/or mean i said about brad

the lunchtime crew

matty, his hobby is eating ramen

john's rental board was named 'woody'--i don't get the joke