winter wonderings

It is winter.  I know because I`ve woken up to a light dusting of snow on the ground the last two days. 

I also know because the path I have to take to work everyday is treacherous now. There is a place that goes downhill that will be perpetually covered in ice.  I slid down it on my ass the first snowy morning. Today I recognized that it was in fact ice and not just a puddle, so I dragged myself along the railing on the side of the road.    

It`s the time of year when it becomes obvious that I have never lived in a cold climate before now.  Not only do I slip comically (and dangeorusly) on ice patches, but I also don`t know how to dress properly.  My outfits are a hodge podge of whatever warm things my sisters decided to give me before I left the U.S.  Schoolgirls walk around with nothing more than a tiny plaid skirt and knee socks, and I`ve already busted out my white waterproof coat and gloves.  I also have several scarves that don`t match anything.  Sometimes I wear black and brown and stripes and plaid all at the same time.  It seems that a legitimately cold winter is all it takes for me to start putting function over fashion.  I`m worried that my fashion sense will be completely screwed up by the time I make it back to sunny Georgia.  (Although rumor has it that it`s actually snowing there too.  Wtf, climate change?)

I think I`m going to take up jumproping (or is it jumping rope?).  Since the ground is suddenly laced with  booby traps, I can`t go running at night.  I twisted my ankle the last time I tried to do that anyways.  And since the sun sets at about 4:30 in the afternoon, it`s dark by the time I get home.  But, according to the Internet, jumping rope for 15 minutes is the same as running for 30 minutes.  I`m going in search of a jumprope this weekend.  I`m not really good at jumping rope, because it requires coordination, but I hope to get good at it.  I refuse to lose my regular-exercise body.  I`m no Greek statue but I look a lot better than I did this time last year.

It`s weird to be done with the GRE.  I find myself feeling guilty for not drilling vocabulary in my free time.  I have to remind myself that it`s over, and that I never have to think about the Pythagorean theorem again.  It really wasn`t so bad.  I followed the advice of my friend Kiki and did a few practice tests and I think that helped.  My math score was pretty awful, but it was standard for a person in my field.  My verbal score was above average, which shocked the hell out of me.  I`m still waiting to hear about the crappy writing part (analyze an argument and present your perspective on an issue).  I`m definitely a better writer than I was when I took the Graduation Test in high school and the Regents` Test in college, but I think it takes me longer to develop an idea than it used to.  I could whip out an all-right essay in no time when I took the Regents` Test, but now, I really like to think things through and do it right.  So I`m not sure what my score on those sections will be.

I had a fantastic time in Tokyo during the dreaded GRE weekend.  I got there early on Saturday and wandered around Shinjuku and visited the Meiji shrine.  There was even a Japanese wedding going on in the shrine!  I slept in a nice hostel out in a weird area where there were no restaurants.  It was in a huge youth complex that was very easy to get lost in.  I had to eat dinner from a convenience store. The next morning, I had to sprint to catch the subway to get to the test on time.  But I made it.  And before I knew it, I was on a bus home, with snow-capped Mt. Fuji in the distance.  I felt more at peace than I had in a long time.

We`re planning a trip for our Christmas break.  Hiroshima, Miyajima, Himeji Castle, and maybe Osaka.  Nagoya for New Year`s.  And we get to do it all with our buddy Andy, who lives about 4 hours away. He was our good friend in college and it`s a shame we don`t get to see him more often. 

This will be the first Christmas that Zack and I have gotten to spend with each other.  I`m sad that I don`t get to see my family, but it`ll be nice to be with him for once.  I`m also hoping that it will be a white Christmas.  I`ve only had one white Christmas in my whole life so far.

I`ve been writing and plan on submitting a short story to some journals in the next couple of days (after I get a little more feedback from my online writers` workshop). 

It`s been strange and difficult at times, but I must say that this has been the best year of my life so far.  And it`s looking like next year can only get better.