“And finally, Winter, with its bitin’, whinin’ wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow.”
– Roy Bean

I don’t know but I am no longer enjoying the snow. Maybe it’s because the winter here in Hokkaido is quite long (nearly half the year). Or maybe because the rest of Japan is already enjoying the cherry blossoms. I can really feel why the word “Winter” in the “Game of Thrones” is so negative for the House of Starks (lol).

It was February 29th yesterday of the leap year 2016 and we had the heaviest snow this winter. It was snowing for the whole day making the whole Obihiro covered with so much snow. It was also the first time in all my years there that the Director of our Center has asked everyone to leave early due to heavy snow.

Amidst the snow, my Sri Lankan friend asked me to go with her to visit the horse ranch at the back of the University. Unwillfully (haha!), we went there to see the horses. The horses were kinda agitated, maybe because they were feeling cold. I was afraid that it might jump over the fence with the horse literally leaping into us in that extra day of the leap year.

Anyway, the dark colored horses looked so beautiful against the all-white background brought by the heavy snow. This might be a sign that I should look at this long winter in a happy perspective again.