Wouldn't you like to have an igloo?

I'm not exactly sure I would, but then again, nobody's asking me anyway. There it is, in the yard. The best part is that it's basically impossible to get in it at times (doors are, well, frozen) and when you do get in, you can't close the door behind you (it's still frozen).

Actually no. That's not the best part. The best part is that the igloo can be moved from one place to another quite simply - after you get in. Whether you're able to close the door behind you is actually a minor problem which can be solved with a piece of rope or your other hand. Quite possibly both.

Not to mention the fact that if you want to get the igloo moving, which requires you to get in, you'll have to leave home with a plastic bag full of hot water. Helps with the doors, you see. They are frozen, you remember?

If everything goes well, the igloo can be entered in about 10 minutes, which isn't that bad. To get it going one has to have a few more tricks available. Sometimes an extra battery, sometimes half a dozen swear words (the good Finnish ones, with lots and lots of r's), sometimes a few helpful passers-by. Anything and everything can be used. Sort of like in war and love, you know. I suppose it has to do with the fact that the igloo procedure is a war, of wills, if nothing else.

Oh, the joys of owning a car in the winter... Especially my car.

Yes, we had snow today. Winter's here for real. It was very curious, really. I went to work with dad this morning and when we drove to the school, there were only a few small prickles of sleet coming down. But nothing alarming about that. Tends to be that way in mid-November here in the South-Western parts of Finland.

I began my lesson, a 90-minute session, with the seniors. We were discussing literature (some 15 minutes into the lesson) when I looked out of the window. Snow. Not much, but the ground looked definitely white.

Add another 10 minutes into the discussion about different novels the students had read. I looked out of the window again and the whole atmosphere is white. I mean ground, mid-air and sky - everything. Wow, I thought. Isn't that something. Somebody just whitewashed the scenery. Interesting.

Yet another 10 minutes later, no more snow in the sky or mid-air. Only on the ground. But about 5 cm's worth of it. And everything in less than half an hour. Fun, fun.

I've got three more days to go at school. Has it really been four weeks already? Seems more like a week. Dear me. It'll be Christmas before I know it, if the time keeps flying like this.

What am I going to buy my brother for Christmas? This is the one thought that worries me every year about this time. He lives on his own now, so I don't have to worry about matching his (now ex)girlfriends taste in decor anymore. It should make things easier, but somehow I doubt it. Grumbled about this problem to Satu last weekend and she managed to make me feel like I'm already hopelessly late with my shopping. She told me she'd already purchased some gifts for her family.

Aaaarrrgggh. I'm such a bad person... :) I tend to get the last gifts bought about two days before Christmas eve. Despite all the nice thoughts I have every year about doing some gift shopping already during the fall sales - I never do. Oh well.

Ok, enough of pre-Christmas panic for now. I'm sure I'll have more time for it later. Now I'm going to go and read some more of The Unknown Soldier and then I'm going to sit very passively in front of the tv and watch something non-educational. There.