February 25, 2014

10 reasons why I don’t give a s**t about the Sochi Olympics

by M.

 
1. Way too much mixing of sports and politics. Rink Rivalry? Cool Runnings? Incessant media clichés about national stereotypes test my patience...and I am still not forming complete sentences.


2. Ditto on mixing sports and sexual preference.

3. I’m not quite sure what “Olympics” means…bobsled dudes? Science and skill of curling? Wazzat?

4. My older sister likes watching it on TV…therefore I hate it.

5. Russian rock n’ roll: enough already about Pussy Riot.


6. Never trust a commie, even ex-commies. Greater transparency blah blah blah.

7. I can’t reconcile the paradox of the Russian economy emblematic in Sochi: corruption and cronyism, yet it works!

8. I’m in a bad mood generally. We got the most snow in four decades this month in Yokohama and I am getting cabin fever. Snow always falls on the weekends!

9. “Until I see some skin from the male figure skaters, I ain’t buyin’ in.”

10. Olympic spirit and the camaraderie of nations? Luge this!


Editor's postscript: in retrospect, Sochi ended with no terrorism, no boycotts and no cheating scandals. So M.'s analysis is unduly harsh :)

February 9, 2014

In yer face, Mr. Summer

Snow!

Mother Nature has exacted her revenge in response to my cyclical griping about winter and championing of summertime. The heaviest snow in two decades has struck the Tokyo area and other regions across Japan. By Canadian standards, not a big deal: about 27 cm (11 inches) blanketed our part of Yokohama during Friday-Saturday. Still, this inflicted some havoc on the transportation system and forced us to forgo our plans for the weekend. We stayed at home instead. Boo-hoo.
E & M enjoyed spry frolicking in the snow and the novelty of snowballs, wet jeans, shoveling, and catching snowflakes on one’s tongue. Many friends have adorned their Facebook pages with similar descriptions and images of happy kids romping around in the white stuff.
 
I even got into the spirit of things and helped build a slightly demented-looking snowman.
 
Of course, no activity is complete without some kind of strife between the sisters. 

The snow had stopped falling in Tokyo by early morning Sunday and started to melt before noon. Tomorrow morning I expect the roads to remind me of home with surfaces as icy as hockey rinks. And no zambonis on the horizon.