Monday 17 February 2014

Friends and Family Update on snow

Hey. Think snow is fun fun fun?

So by Friday evening the little one and I walked back from the school, there was shhhhugar-loads of snow on the ground and falling on us, it was fun though cold. I took a video, we laughed, I was expecting my week end away in Tokyo and woke up early saturday, ready to walk to the station like a warrior. I had my snow shows, my icelandic leggings... What i didn't expect is snow to my hips. And man, I'm 1m75. Walking with snow up to your hips, even with my long legs, if pretty tiring. I couldn't have walked to the train station to save my life (and hey, I had a ping pong game planned in Tokyo, which more or less equals saving my life).
So since friday, we have been stuck in the house, kids, boss, dog and cat.
We are now Monday morning, day 3 of being house bound due to 1.20 meter of snow falling in less then 24 hours. There is more snow announced for tomorrow but I cannot seem to find how much (in Japan, they forecast snow with a little snow man ranging from small to big, very effective... )

Day one was fun - we shoveled snow with my boss until I was like hey, it hurts, I'm going in with the kids, and he carried on. Kids played outside for an hour, I made French crepes and prepared a hot bath. All good.
Day 2 was fun, until we realised there would be no school Monday/Tuesday (not that we could get there anyways). I played with the kids in the snow while my boss shoveled snow for 8 hours to be able to get the car pass a steep road, in case they would come and clear the road. I made more cakes, we looked a Tom and Jerry a 4th time, and we played out while Jim was shoveling more snow.
While outside, I heard big announcement in loudspeakers in town, it sounded like a mix of 1984 and some scary contemporary horror science fiction. It was too far to understand what they were saying, so we settled for 'hey, it's very cold and snowy, be careful', which sounded like something they would say.
I focused on the sun falling on the snow (and tried to make the kids not murder each other for the use of the single sledge) and didn't worry.

This is day 3.
Today, we know that the army is in town, and that the announcements were to warn people that they are dropping food by helicopter and planes. The part you don't want to know is that when this all started friday, thousands of people were on the road towards us for a week-end of ski... some people abandoned their cars and were sheltered in schools, but some have been stuck in their vehicule since friday, with no food. This is why the army is in, and this is why we are nowhere near having any roads cleared anytime soon: they are taking care of the people stuck on the roads. Apparently about 12 people have already been found lifeless in their cars, because of the cold and the lack of food.

See, my boss shops in bulks. I laughed at him hard for buying 20 liters of soya milk for me 2 weeks ago, and having so much dry and frozen food from the buy-in-bulk place... Well, I ain't laughing now.
I am so glad he made sure the kerosene tank were filled just before the storm started, that he has a flipping fireplace in the living room and that there's food and water in the house. The guy even has a generator.
Now, nobody gets sick or hurt, and we shall be all good until the roads get cleared and we can move again.
That's if watching the same Tom and Jerry dvd played for the 12th time doesn't make us all mad first...












No comments:

Post a Comment

Ah bon?