After I finally forced myself out of my cozy bed, I performed my morning ritual of cranking up the temperature for my ondol (underfloor heating), throwing on my favourite blue robe and standing in the bathroom with my eyes closed while fighting every urge to run back to bed. Despite my disoriented state, I noticed that hardly any sunlight was streaming through my frosted and translucent windows. Suddenly, I heard a disheartening sound through my poorly insulated windows. It was the sound of a car driving through something wet. I automatically cursed out loud. "More rain?!" I thought. In the past week, it had rained about 4 times! I opened my kitchen window to see how much rain was coming down. Upon seeing the scene that was unfolding outside my window, a huge smile took over my face. It was snowing! Snoooooooooooowing! I hadn't seen snow like that since my last winter in Canada. Busan has the mildest winters compared to the rest of Korea, thus snowfalls are extremely rare in the city that I live in. Low and behold, it was snowing today!! There was a blanket of the white fluff over everything in sight! Cars, motorcycles, trees, streets, buildings, garbage cans, mailboxes; everything was covered!
One doesn't have to know me well to be aware of my everlasting and unconditional love for snow. I, Amarta Saini-born and raised in Canada, land of the unrelenting cold- LOVE the tiny white ice crystals known as "snow!" I consider myself to be a deeply nostalgic person. When it snows, I'm reminded of the warm and carefree feeling that defined the happy times of my childhood. If you could peer into my mind, the mention of "snow" would evoke memorable images of grade 4 snow fort battles during recess; disproportionate snowmen built by my brothers and me; "skating" with my friends on the make-shift ice rink behind my elementary school; shoveling the driveway alongside my father, even though I wasn't much help; my mom setting steaming mugs of hot chocolate before my brothers and me; snowflakes falling gracefully to the already covered ground and being illuminated by the street lights at night, while I watch from the large window in my computer room. Almost everyone I know cannot understand my irrational love for snow. I don't expect them to.
Getting back to the snow in Busan, as I walked to school in the snow today, I felt more out of place than usual, if that's even possible. I was the only person on the street without an open umbrella as protection from the falling snow. Unheard of back home! Next, I was decked out in a toque, mittens, a scarf, a winter jacket and boots. Meanwhile, I came across kids wearing sweaters with bubble vests. No mittens! No hat! NOTHING! It was one of those "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas any more" moments. One of the school caretakers was even wearing a straw hat while he shoveled the walkway. Furthermore, the heavy snow was apparently not significant enough for the Korean women to trade in their stylish shoes for footwear more suitable to the wet weather. On the way to the beach after school (I couldn't resist going even though it was snowing!), I saw countless women trudging slowly through the snow in their super high stiletto heels while their men obediently held their luxuriously large purses. Finally, in Canada, I'm accustomed to using shovels to remove snow. Today, I learned that citizens of Busan use brooms to clear pathways of snow...interesting. This country never fails to amaze me!
I wish the snow outside would last for at least one more day but I'm glad I got to experience at least a little bit of home from all the way over here in Busan. I was in a good mood all day!
Mondays are no fun. Today is Monday. Today shouldn't have been fun but it was thanks to the snow! :)
Gwangalli Beach
Straw hat in the snow. Because Korea...
Umbrellas in snow!
Students playing in the school yard.
yo whatsup
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