I haven’t had a snow day since I left the States. Still don’t have one today, but everyone else in this neck of the woods does! Six students came to class today, out of twenty-five. Since most of them are residents, I find this a little disconcerting. I’m here! Where are you?
In Taiwan, no snow days. Obviously. We did have typhoon days, though. I was only there for one, and it was actually before school started, during the teacher prep time. No biggie.
Switzerland doesn’t have them and neither does Sweden. Ya’d think Sweden would have snow days, but Swedes will travel through anything. And when you have snow five or six months a year, you just get used to it.
Over the weekend, people started to talk about the possibility of a snow day, and I scoffed at them. Sweden has toughened me to the elements, I guess. But by Sunday night, I was hoping. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go out in the snow; no, I just wanted the day off.
I woke up this morning and turned on the local news to hear the cancellations. Everything around us is closed, so I was happy. Then I saw that we weren’t listed. I changed channels “in case. No joy there, either. Finally, I called the school and heard “sure we’re open”.
Actually, there’s no reason not to be open. It’s snowing and raining, but the roads are slushy, not icy. Of course, they won’t be fun after sunset, but I plan on being home for that.
But I sure enjoyed Sunday night, thinking there wouldn’t be school. It was a feeling I haven’t had in a long time. Nothing to do with culture, per se, other than the fact that snow days are a pretty American thing. I’m hoping to survive the semester without one, that’s for sure. Too little time, too much to do.
