Boxes

I finally figured out what it is I despise about cities. They're boxes. You live in a box, you work in a box, you take a box-shaped metro to work. The streets are laid out in boxes. Our civilization revolves around boxes. Boxes, boxes, boxes!! Boxes aren't natural. I'm much more a fan of triangles--trees, mountains, tents. I also prefer circles and curves--the side cut on my skis, the sun, the stars. Snowflakes are hexagons--overlapping triangles. You can't make a snowflake out of squares, and you can't sketch a mountain with squares. It explains why I hate being in my room so much--everything comes together at right angles--I've had to cover the walls of my room with ski posters--mountains--to make it inhabitable. At least in Switzerland when I look out the window, most of the buildings have triangle roofs--unique to areas with snow.
So with that, I need to stop pushing these little squares on my square keyboard and square computer, and go do my math homework, where I can play with curves.

Far Away For Far Too Long

I sort of stopped writing for what, eight months? My bad. Life got busy, and I didn't have time to write. Then life got boring, and I didn't have anything to write about. And then to be completely honest, I sort of forgot that I was supposed to be writing. So I'm back. Maybe. Kinda Sorta. Hopefully I'll stick with it this time.
So. Switzerland. In the snow. We had almost a meter last weekend. I was in Zermatt, where the winds were so high the lifts were closed one day, and by the time they'd opened all the happy snow had blown away. More skiing this weekend. Leysin is opening, so I'll be up on first chair with Kuba on Saturday and we'll enjoy not doing what we're supposed to for a few hours. "What we're supposed to" being homework and studying. Exams are coming up. They start in a week. And between now and then I have two math tests, an English test, and a History Internal Assessment. Yeah that thing. *DIE, HISTORY, DIE*
In the meantime, I'll continue procrastinating.

The Tragic Demise of the Red Ramen Bowl

Funny story:
I was just about to get in the shower when Sam started screeching that there was a bee in the room. Has nobody ever taught the girl how to get rid of a bee before?? So, I put my clothes back on and grabbed my trusty, big, sturdy red bowl, and trapped the bee up next to the window. Sam slid a couple of sheets of paper between the bowl and the window, and we scooped the bee up and tossed it out the window. Sam shrieked again, and I sort of dropped my bowl out the window. And then it fell... two floors... and crashed on the windowsill on the 1sst floor, where it shattered, and all the little bits floated down to the ground floor patio.
Laughter. Hysterical laughter. almost for minutes on end.

Still snowing

When I first came to Switzerland, everyone told me I'd be sick of snow by March. They told me all I'd want for spring break was a beach, a big city, and no more hiking from class to class. Its almost spring break and they were wrong. They were SOOO wrong. I'm going to Sweden for break, and I'm honestly disappointed I'm not spending two weeks at Verbier or even back home skiing. I've already had 36 days on the hill this year (hopefully 39 or 40 by the time break rolls around), and I've learned an entirely new and amazing sport (telemarking). I can't believe its already March. Its getting to be that time of year where I have to think about putting my ski boots away, hit up end-of-season sales, and resign myself to six or seven months without skiing. It happens every year. I just don't want it to. I always wonder if I'll end up with the life of a migratory ski instructor--New Zealand in the summer, Switzerland or Colorado in the winter. I think it'd be fun, but I'd rather get a sponsorship for big-mountain skiing, find someone to pay me to go heli skiing in Alaska, someone to pay me to love my life. I know society wants me to live up to my intellectual potential, but the more I live my life, the more I want to live it. The prospect of another twelve years of school to earn a PhD and squeeze all the juice out of my brain just seems...depressing. I know I've got potential, and I know people will tell me that if I abandon my intellect even for a few years to pursue adrenaline I'll regret it later. The thing is, I don't know if I will. Maybe I'm just being impulsive, maybe its just spring homework fever, but I'm sort of getting annoyed with this whole concept of school. I'd rather just go ski, volunteer somewhere cool, spend my time pushing my limits and getting really in touch with who I am, what I'm made of, and what makes me tick. I don't want to live life in a textbook. There's room for both, but it's hard to balance it. I don't see any reason to live without action, to die with regrets. If I die never having gone bungee jumping or skydiving, if I die without ever going heli-skiing, if I die without skiing on every continent, if I die without volunteering to the point I feel satisfied with my life, I'll die regretting how I lived my life.
So, its still snowing. I'm still in love with the snow. For every flake that falls outside my window, I am more enthralled by it. For every flake that sticks to the ground, I get happier, because I know that there will be fresh snow to play in. I want to live in snow all year round. I don't like it when its hot. I don't like flatness. I don't like large numbers of people. I like mountains, small towns, cowbells, snow, and deep powder on a crowdless mountain.

Past pains and pleasures

I suddenly really want a six foot aluminum pole with a hideous yellow silk. (Hannah may be the only one who truly comprehends this statement)

Swiss fortune cookies and extended

Swiss fortune cookies are funny. They have trilingual fortunes. It's pretty crazy, I must say. Not as crazy as my extended essay, I must say, which is going to be the most exciting and interesting and fun paper I've ever written.
Go check out todays XKCD. My nerd friend pointed out that it doesn't entirely work. If you understand why not, leave a comment!

Only with a nerd

Only with a nerd do you go to dinner early on a friday night, go back to the dorm, chill in said nerd-friends room and work on your homework (EE-whee!) while rocking out to movie soundtracks. Thats how friday nights should be.
I started research for my Extended Essay. This thing is going to rock. You know you picked the right topic when you are procrastinating doing your homework and find yourself reading articles on your topic just for kicks... its fabulous. I'm actually having so much fun doing my extended essay research that I don't really feel like blogging.
Wish upon a variable star in a globular cluster somewhere way out in the outer reaches of the universe!
-Sarah

God is in the Snow

I'm coming up on the end of January and day 22 of skiing, and its snowing again. Its about time, too. The snow was getting all slushy and spring-like, and it was ski-in-a-bikini weather. Cool in April, not cool in January. But its all cold and foggy and snowy now, so life is good.
Why is it that all my friends have so much better music than I do? I just spent about two hours in Sam's room having song ADD... and wow she has good music.
Right now, Sarah is not wanting to be in study hall, Sarah does not want to do homework, Sarah just wants to sleep so she can be pumped for skiing tomorrow. Thank goodness we are finally done with the chem lab. Does anyone realize how freaking hard it is to do a titration when you aren't ambidextrous or have a lovely lab partner to help you? Theres something about swirling the beaker with the left hand that I just can't do. So, I overshot. THREE TIMES IN A ROW. Which means all my data for the lab is pretty much dissolved in HCl and poured down the drain. But at least I don't have to spend all class period attempting to titrate with one hand anymore. I would find my inability to successfully titrate much less frustrating if it was going towards something productive. But honestly, who CARES about the percent composition of Calcium carbonate in eggshells?
Love,
Snowflake

T-Bars and Tea Bags

This post has nothing to do with Tea Bags. I just thought the alliteration was cool. Anyway, if you have any spare time, you should go Google-Earth Les Collons and Verbier, to see how far apart they are, and then go and select the option under "Points of Interests" that shows all the chairlifts, and then see how using a whole bunch of t-bars, pomas (or buttons as they are so known on this side of the atlantic), a couple of chairlifts and gondolas, its possible to traverse over ten miles (as the crow flies) from one town to the other. And that would be what I did this weekend. I mean, I did a whole lot more than just traverse from one end of 4 Vallees to the other. There was a lot of vertical, a little bit of powder, and a few hundred moguls in between. Anyway, in Les Collons, I discovered the magic of the T-bar. The United States (or at least Colorado) has abandoned t-bars, pomas, and gondolas in favor of their lazier counterparts: the chairlift, the one you can ski on and off of (unlike the gondola on which you must take off your skis) and the t-bar/poma (on which you must stand). Fortunately, some of my favorite skiing back home was poma-access only. This means I know how to ride one. If I didn't, I'd be in a pickle over here. But let me tell you, the Swiss have figured out half of the chairlift-deal, the Americans have the other half. The Swiss only use electronic tickets, what Americans refer to as Bee-line. It works, because there are no silly lift ops standing around directing traffic. And for some reason they work better here, nobody ever gets stuck and can't get through (big surprise-nothing works stateside). However, the Swiss lift-layout is pathetic. They've got double pomas, T-bars that go on bridges over catwalks, chairlifts with both Gondolas and chairs on them, two chairlifts that share stations at the top, and are so confusing to figure out how to get off that you might end up going back down the other side, chairlifts that criss-cross, chairlifts without safety-gates at the top, runs that cross the paths of pomas and t-bars, the list goes on. Swiss chairlift folly means they have about twice as many lifts as they need, so lines are half as long.
I also had my first-ever encounter with Swiss ski traffic. Let me tell you, ITS BAD! The Europeans are king of cutting people off, shoving to the front of the line, and altogether being a total pain in traffic. I thought the Swiss never had problems with traffic. Apparently not. But we can blame it on the German and French tourists. About half of the cars on the highway didn't have Swiss plates.
I should really stop ranting and go do my homework so I don't have to come in off the mountain early tomorrow.
BTW, still looking for new and glorious titles for my blog, because its a little cliche. So if you've got any fantastic ideas, let me know.
<3 Snowflake

Homework as Theoretical Astronomy: An Analogy

So I was sitting here, pretending to do my homework--a topic proposal for an English research paper/extended essay--and for a long time I've wanted to do my extended essay on theoretical astronomy. I think I've settled on Globular Clusters (not that important for you to know what they are, google it if you really want to know). Anyway, I was sitting here, thinking about astronomy, listening to Astronomy Cast, and thinking about how much homework I have to do. Suddenly, this vision popped into my head. My pile of homework got so big it started exerting gravitational forces on me, the longer I fight it, the harder it pulls. My pile of homework got so massive it collapsed on itself and turned into a super-massive black hole. That black hole sucked in my soul and shredded it into a thousand million tiny little pieces. It was sort of like a vision, a metaphorical prediction of the future. I can resist doing my homework, or I can just quietly get suckered into doing it. Either way, I get sucked in. The first option I just get to play a few rounds of FreeCell, check my email, update my blog, look at people's photos on facebook, and go skiing first.
Ok, so it didn't really happen like that. I didn't go into a trance. I just had the image of my homework exerting gravitation forces on me, and decided it would make for a great metaphor. So one day, when I get my soul back from the IB office and have time, I might write a sci-fi novel (or short story) about Death by the black hole of homework. I should save that for college, when I can actually do the mathematical calculations of how massive that pile of homework would have to be to pull a high school student towards it.
Anyway, I should actually go and tackle some of that homework so it doesn't get to the size where it would start gravitationally attracting me.

And I thought life couldn't get any better...

After Sunday and Tuesday, I was having a hard time imagining my ski season would stay that awesome. Today was day sixteen (telemark day 4) and it was amazing. I really need some new adjectives other than perfect, amazing, fantastic, fabulous, incredible because those really aren't all that descriptive. But anyway. Thursdays rock my neon socks off for a million bajillion different reasons (or really just few) a) We have sleep-in, meaning classes start at 9 instead of 8. b) My first class, chemistry, is just down three flights of stairs from my room, meaning I can sleep until 8:15 or 8:30. c) There are only three class periods-chem, math, and bio. d) Biology is also in my dorm building, so after class I can come straight upstairs, grab a sack lunch, and go to my room to get my ski boots. e) I can change into my ski stuff, take the 12:15 bus to the mountain, and have time for a run before Ski Team meets at 1. f) After 2:30, I can free ski, as long as I'm back at school by 5.
So anyway, today instead of doing ski team I went with the activities director to learn how to telemark for real. Theres a huge difference between going on a hut trip and sort-of telemarking, and actually learning what you are doing. So yeah, I freed my sole (hehehe, get it?)

The life of an adolescent ski bum. or something like that.

I think I should change my blog title. I really don't talk about anything having to do with life, the universe, or anything. I talk about skiing. If day thirteen (Saturday) was good, day fourteen (Sunday) was perfect. Perfect down to the last minute until we got back to school, after which I had a mountain of homework. But before that, it was perfect. I got up early and had to get the dorm staff to let me out when I left. When I walked over to the other side of campus to meet the van to go to Verbier, town was totally quiet. All I could hear was the swish of my ski pants and the creak of my boots (they creak loudly. I mean REALLY loudly). The sun hadn't come up yet, I could still see Venus shining over the Dents Du Midi, and the snow was glittering just a tad under the still lit streetlamps, even though it was almost daylight. I got to the parking lot to discover that only two other students and five teachers had showed up. We piled into the van, stopped at the Croissanterie for breakfast (fresh pain au chocolate is to die for--the chocolate is still all gooey and hot!). We plugged in an iPod and rocked out all the way to Verbier. Somewhere on the highway I looked around the van and realised I was the only one in the van lacking a Y-Chromosome. Just like all those years at Copper... The skiing at Verbier is awesome. Its right near the French/Italian border, about forty minutes from Chamonix, and on a clear day you can see Mont Blanc. There was a foot and a half of fresh powder, the sun was shining, it was a windless, cloudless day. The definition of paradise. And then theres Verbier. Its an awesome mountain. Steeps everywhere, fresh powder, two guys I could barely keep up with (for me to say I can hardly keep up with someone means they are really freaking fast)...it was some of the best skiing I've done in ages. And yesterday was definitely the sorest I've ever been after skiing. Its great for me to know its still possible for me to work that hard when I'm skiing, because I was starting to think that I couldn't do anything other than never stop to get that much exercise on my skis.
Today was day fifteen. I am absolutely in love with this concept of having four hours of school and then three and a half, four hours of skiing. Thursdays are going to be even better, because we have a sleep in day (classes don't start until nine), my first class is in the basement of my dorm (so I can sleep until 8:15 and eat breakfast in my room) and my last class is also in my dorm building, so when classes get out at noon, I come upstairs, grab a sack lunch, and go ski. Anyway, my ski instructor is awesome. He's originally from South Africa but he's been doing the New Zealand/Switzerland eternal winter skin instructor commute for a long while now. The rest of the team are all racers, yet only three of us can keep up with Neil (the instructor). Today we did lots of technique stuff--its not just racing. Only a couple of us like powder, moguls, off-piste snow conditions, chunky monkey snow, crud, or anything other than perfect corduroy. I understand why, I just don't understand why they don't want to learn. So anyway, tomorrow is going to drag on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on through all seven classes and assembly. But we're supposed to get 20cm of snow tomorrow night, therefore thursday will be fabultastic.
BTW... team just means we get some race training. It does not make me a racer until my instructor decides I'm going to a meet, if that even ends up happening.
And the new nerd is a robotics junkie/mathlete who wears flip flops in the snow. Her dad is the new math teacher here, and shes from ski country. Unfortunately, she's not a hard core skier, otherwise we'd totally be twins. But she's a junior, and is awesome. Like awesomely awesome.
So yeah, thats life. Thats skiing. Thats happiness.

Lucky 13

Ski season, day thirteen. AWESOME. I mean, I really only took two runs, but the snow was all soft and choppy. We had the ski off and I got put on the ski team! So yay for that. Right now I'm sitting down in the lounge next to the fire, watching the snow fall down, looking out at the glowing pink clouds in the west (somehow there are still gorgeous sunsets in the snow). Theres nothing like good conversation and good music next to a fire after a day on the hill, followed up with a nice bowl of ramen and homework. The only things that would have made the day better would be getting up earlier to get more runs in on the mountain, eliminate the homework, and add yesterday's evening starting right now. I've finally found another nerd, fondue is amazing, and I'm in love with my skis.

Tele Bum

So now my ski season is up to twelve days. One at Glacier 3000, one in Leysin, two in Zermatt, three at Sangree's Hut, five at Copper. A quarter of my ski season so far has been spent on telemark skis. Let me just say I need some practice with that. Its awesomely fun, the wipe-outs are so much more intense than on downhill skis (although my double ejection in Zermatt was priceless!) I'm excited. When I put my skis away in the ski shed this evening, I had the only pair of tele skis. Hopefully my Volkls don't get jealous. But maybe, just maybe, I've finally found my niche to be totally unique. I should really get my mind out of the snow and stick it back on my homework.
<3 Sarah and her skis.

Jet Lag

I am so tired. I love traveling. I love the excitement of the unknown, getting on a plane not really sure about what is going to happen. Much as I love going somewhere new, I hate leaving before I'm ready. I hate leaving when I haven't said goodbye to everyone. I hate saying goodbye to people I don't want to leave behind. But there are some things that must be sacrificed in the name of adventure--strength of old friendships, the familiarity and safety of home, a way out. But as soon as you step onto that airplane, theres no escape. You're stuck, no choice. With something seemingly so simple as going away to school, it can be hard to make that choice, take that risk. I just finished a book in which the main character was prescribed by her therapist to do one thing a day that scares her (I think its also an Eleanor Roosevelt quote). I sort of think thats necessary. I like scaring myself. Otherwise I wouldn't like jumping off forty five foot cliffs. Thats still by far the scariest and yet most rewarding experience I ever intentionally put myself though. If you've never jumped off a cliff into a river, I highly, highly, highly recommend it. So I don't know what I did today that was so scary, but I guess picking up and leaving, knowing I wouldn't be home for another five months is a slightly intimidating and difficult decision. I don't really know how to keep scaring myself. All I know is that a life of total security is way too boring, theres a certain magic to taking risks, etc, etc. I'll stop preaching.
My original point was, I'm back at school and I'm jet lagged. It can be so hard to sleep on airplanes. So now I'm back and I'm forcing myself to stay awake until 9:30. I got myself addicted to that Winterbells game. The music is just so peaceful and relaxing, and there is really a great sense of freefall watching that bunny plummet earthwards when you lose. At first I was kind of disappointed there was no blood when he landed, but then I decided I was being morbid and that the game is way too peaceful for that. So yeah. I got back to Switzerland. I unpacked. I took a shower. I fell asleep. I got up and went to dinner, then came back to my room and played Winterbells. Absolutely thrilling way to start the semester, don't you think?