update

No updates recently... why's that? No reason. It's starting to feel like things I want to post about are things that I have already posted about in previous years (look here, for example). This gets me to thinking about the future of "Chris in Japan." Will I continue blogging when I leave this island? Time will tell...

Anyway,

Snowboarding season is in full swing. I've already made two weekend trips to Hakkoda, the powder-lover's dream mountain. Unfortunately, this year there has been much less snow than in previous years. Like America, we are experiencing a warmer than usual winter. The ski slopes on Mt. Kamafuse, very close to Mutsu, opened a month later than usual. When I open my apartment door there is only a thin layer of crusty, icy snow, as opposed to the so-deep-you-have-to-wear-giant-boots snow of last year. It's depressing.

Luckily, high up on Hakkoda, there is still more than enough snow for snowboarding. The difference in snow levels from previous years is still noticable, however. For example, on one course you must cross a river. In past years there was always a giant bridge of snow going right over the water that you could easily slide across.　Now there is just water. We must stop, step out of our boards and step across very carefully on a few flat rocks. I accidentally stepped in the water and soaked my foot. Fortunately, that was my last run of the day and I quickly finished and changed my socks.

Other news:

-I've been playing a lot of Nintendo Wii lately. I'm trying to get some good, embarrassing pictures of people playing to upload here.

-My friend Alex is in town, hanging out in Japan before he returns to Australia and then heads to Laos for his new job with the UN.

-My brother, Patrick, and his friend, Mike, made a funny sequel to their funny "Roommates" video. Click here to check it out.