Snow Abounds!

Today brings with it the most snow I've seen in Kumamoto in years! I guess about 2 or 3 years ago we got a bunch of sticking snow that made Mt Aso a winter wonderland. I watched it as it started last night...when I went to bed I had lost all thought of it. When I woke up this morning, I was enthralled to see a blanket of fresh, white snow. I wished I was skiing! And his brought back mem'ries of my kidhood in Pa (Pennsylvania that is) when we would get mega days like this and canceled school. Yes! I think here classes were canceled once or twice at Tokai Uni coz of the location right at the heart of Aso.

As I look out my window I see the white wondrous curiosity...what?... of snow in Kumamoto, a place which doesn't get snow often you must understand. And here we are in the midst of it. I'M used to driving in these conditions and walking around with just my hat and NOT an umbrella (a common practice in the rising sun land)...but are the Japanese? I tend to stay away from cars on days like this just to avoid any possible problems and confrontations.

I'm about to leave here in a minute to go out and take a walk. Let's see how it is...have a nice fine view!

Movies

Movies...everybody loves them. Me too, of course. I always try to see a movie or two if I have time. While in America, I always went to movies with friends because movies are cheap there. Maybe they're about half the price of Japanese movie theaters...roughly 7 or 8 bucks (dollars). You can see a lot of movies for that price! In Japan, movies are pretty expensive. I can't pay 1,600 yen every time to see a movie. Maybe I go once every two years. I wait until the movie I want to see comes out on DVD or wait until I go to America to see it. Recently, many good movies are shown on airplanes. When I travel, I always take advantage of watching movies, as I did when I went to the US for Christmas and New Year's holidays last and this year. I watched four movies on the airplane, and saw three movies at the movie theater near my family's home in Florida. I saw, Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks, Spectre,(the new Bond film), and Black Mass with Johnny Depp. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Star Wars! I asked my niece if she wanted to see it, but she hadn't seen any of them. Boo. I asked my mother. She didn't want to sit through an action-packed movie. My step father hadn't seen any of them either. Boo again. My sister and brother-in-law didn't want to go without my niece. My step brother was busy. What was I to do? I guess I could've gone alone, but I didn't want to try to have fun alone. Oh well, I guess I'll have to see it here in Japan, and pay that big price. I was told that it's cheaper for senior citizens. Me, a seniro citizen? I'm not that old Grimace. Wait, maybe it's a good thing...but I've heard there is a special price for over 50 people one weekend per month, I guess. Maybe I'll try that one! Hey, wait, are buses, shopping, onsens, traveling, etc. cheaper for seniors too? What? Half price off?!