Well, the time has come, apparently relatively early, for snow.  My cellphone first showed the little snowman weather icon last week.. and yes a few flurries were marveled at, but today signalled the first time any of the flurries decided to stick around in my neck of the woods.  I opened my front door, (I dont bother to open any of my curtains since I have closed my storm shutters due to immense wind chill recently - and some crazy japanese person told me that was cheating - whatever!)  Anyway, I opened my front door to receive a mouthfull of snowflakes as i exclaimed how pretty my rice paddy was all dressed in white.. only to realise seconds later that I still had to bike to school (quite a spectacle when i don all my gears!).

So apart from hatsuyuki (first snow) today also goes down as my hatsunatto (first try of Natto).  Basically natto is fermented beans, which every single japanese person reckons foreigners wont be able to handle.  So I have avoided it thus far.  Alas the wonder of school lunch brought with it Natto today and low and behold, it aint half bad.  It smells and tastes a tad like blue cheese.. quite palatable.