Today was spent skiing again. I took the day off because there were exams all day, and that would have meant me sitting at my desk doing absolutely ziltch. The weather was atrocious again. On the road to Ajigasawa ski resort (I didn't go to Hakkouda today because the ropeway was bound to have been closed) very, very strong winds were throwing thick clouds of snow into the road and visibility at times was zero. I had to put on the brakes quickly two or three times when random blizzard clouds covered everything in front of me. It was pretty cool though because I like extreme weather conditions and todays blizzard was something I've never really seen before. Last year, the snow fell without too much wind behind it. But this year there have been two or three days when blizzards have hit hard.
Of course, when there's wind, there's wind-chill, so the temperature today felt like - 15c. In the city it sat at around -5c all day. I arrived at the bottom of the mountain looking like a snow monster each run, and I couln't feel my face for about two hours. I've also noticed that the wind effects the snow quality as well. Today's snow was windswept, falling as small round balls that look just like hail, but soft like snow.
Enough about the snow.
Last night I went out with my old buddy Chiba Kenji, the student who I tutored before he went to America to study. He's been back for three weeks, so we went out to do some drinking together. It was a bit dodgey because he's still under the legal age of twenty, but we had a good night and he proved that he can drink me under the table. He arrived dressed like a super star rapper, and he now has a weird American accent (and he wonders why he can't get an American girlfriend!)
I've been cooking more sweet potatoe curry tonight, basically because I'm skint and I can't afford to go shopping for fancy stuff. I get paid next week though, so it's back to caviar and champagne soon!!