Day 29, 5 Feb: Snow!

Norfolk Terrace, Day 29. 23:59. Snow!

            The greatest thing about snow is that there is an irresistible urge to be happy and play in it. So today was naturally a play day on a campus turned from an academic cement institution into a snowy mountain range full of sledges (British for “sleds”), families, students, and snowball fights. I took my time getting outside, felt dirty and so I showered, but finally made it out to the top of Rabbit Hill (I did not know it had a name or even that it was a hill until today when it became the glorious summit for sledging) and joined Charlie, Dan, Vinnie, and Jenny on the slope.  I went down twice, speeding up on the icy bit and spiralling into this curve until I reached the bottom of the slope. We all shared Marie’s funky little red thing as our sledge, but believe me, I saw the most creative recreational snow sledges today that I had ever seen: some students used kitchen pans, others used Tupperware boxes, and still others literally brought cardboard boxes (one seen here). I have to say, anything flat or curved seemed to work, at least partially.
           A note of gratitude: I gotta say, Mom, shopping at REI was one of the best things that we did before I left. I literally wear everything, even the leg skins under my jeans. And the coat you see me in above is one that I wear just about every day (I wash it, I swear...). And the boots are legit.

            We all walked over to a part of the lake that led to a bridge and from the bridge arrived at a river. Now this part might be hard to believe, but I have proof in the form of videos: one of Steff’s (so Jenny’s  boyfriend, not Stef the birthday girl) friend Pascoe literally swam a hundred metres in the river. He strategically had Steff hand him a rope to get out and he had to push the ice away to make it closer and closer to shore. It was amazing to watch. Then another friend of Steff’s made a noble effort to do the same but retreated after his face turned a different colour. “Brave people” is all I have to say to that.

Vinnie, Jenny, Charlie, Dan, and Marie's funky red sledge

            I walked around the next part of the hour on my own, parting ways from my flatmate friends, and I took more pictures of the former running trails (as of, two days ago…hard to believe, really) near the lake.

            The fun snow day came to an end, at least outside. As I was eating the buttered salmon, broccoli, and sautéed mushrooms I cooked up for dinner, snowballs pelted the kitchen windows from the outside. Marie was more concerned about my salmon getting destroyed than I was. The friendly rivals from block B, including good ole James, soon passed our flat to pelt the Suffolk Terrace kitchen windows, so I—we—were safe.

            Well, technically speaking, I wasn’t safe. Marie had this great idea of keeping me multi-tasking while I washed my dishes by flinging anything small she could find at me from across the kitchen. Harmless play, as long as I kept ducking my head instinctively at each throw. One hit Dan.

Stephen peeping out to photograph the snow.

View of a frozen lake.

Marie: Ooh, Dan! Watch out! If you stand behind Spencer, it’s your funeral!

Then Marie proceeded to come up with a better way to distract me as I was cleaning:

Marie: < Is it all right if I strangle you?

Me: > Um, nah.

< Oh come on, it’ll be fun.

> Uh, not for me.

Stephen enters the kitchen.

The Kitchen (from the outside) (Alvin is at the window.)

Stephen: << Marie, what is with you and strangling people?

< I’m just warming my hands around his neck.

Marie following my lead with this nose balancing act.

<< And then strangling?

< I’m being friendly!

<< Yeah, murder-friendly.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop laughing—once my neck was freed.

           

Shout-out to Charlie since he wanted to be on this blog entry! Slipping on the slopes would not have been as much fun without you. And then you proceeded to grab Dan, who started falling and then I got you guys with my mighty traction-proper boots!

      The rest of the night was spent skyping Katya and family. Good ole Sunday traditions, as of two to three weeks.

      I best not keep Vinnie up since he has class tomorrow, but here’s one last word on today: Snow Day at UEA: SUCCESS!