The recent humongous snowstorm in the Northeast US was being called "snowmageddon" at The Atlantic website – which I thought was funny. As an adoptive Minnesotan, the idea that anything under a meter of snow could shut things down seems rather weak-hearted. But, that being said, Americans (except Californians and other Sunbelters) are actually pretty good at dealing with snow. Koreans, on the other hand…
Let's just say that I don't think they really enjoy coping with substantial snowfalls. Yeonggwang is allegedly much snowier than Seoul, but here we are, with less than 10 cm on the ground, and lo, I've been notified that school (or, er, Winter Camp) has been cancelled. Heh. Actually, I'm flattered and pleased that I was notified. Then again… I would be willing to bet that Yeonggwang County possesses at most 1 or 2 snowplows, and I've never seen a snowplow in Seoul – even in the wake of the huge storm last January.
Yesterday, riding the bus home, I saw old men with green jackets ("citizen brigade" types) and carrying shovels, spreading salt on the steep hill on the north end of Beopseongpo – it definitely seemed like a hazardous highway condition – and I think that's probably a typical extent of Korean snow emergency procedures.
So, what shall I do with my SNOW DAY? Sigh. Not exactly a great day for going out adventuring, is it? I suppose I could bundle up and go snow hiking. We'll see how my motivational matrix develops.
Last night, for dinner for myself, I made some really delicious curried vegetable dhal, using some of my yellow split lentils that I'd bought at the foreign grocery in Gwangju quite some time ago. I will say this – rice cookers are the way to go, when it comes to trying to make dhal! Amazing.
Now I have a terrible problem, though: my apartment smells delicious.
Happy New Year! Hope to see you in 2011, one way or another. Keep up the good work. We miss you. Be well, be safe.
Mark and the rest of us. 🙂
I vote for snow hiking. Or not. Happy New Year!