There are a lot of words that I have learned since coming here. They fall into two categories: embarrassing and words for the Cambridge English Test. Let's start with the first category. Anyone who has lived in/near a ski resort or has ever chanced to sit in a gondola with four young Australian snowboarders might have come across the word "pow." Short for powder, and usually paired with "sick", (as in "it was the sickest pow I ever saw mate,") this is a well used word in Whistler, because of its heavy coastal precipitation and consequently pow making abilities. The next word, which is promoted in numerous publicity campaigns by the Whistler Blackcomb corporation, possibly to show a chummy, we-know-what-you're-all-about relationship to its mainly young, Australian employees, is the verb "to shred." Shredding is almost synonomous to skiing or boarding, but not quite, cuz when you are skiing or boarding you might be doing it awesomely or unawesomely, the nuance is left open to interpretation. Not so with shredding--when you shred, you are doing some fucking awesome skiing or boarding, dude.
"I work safe cuz there is so much shredding to do."
Whistler Blackcomb poster, in the lodge staff room.
I'm missing umpteen other exceptionally cool words for riding up a large rock on a lift and then getting back down on variously shaped pieces of wood and metal. But I've had my ears and eyes full of teaching English to eight Swiss guys who are studying for a Cambridge English test. Their favorite words in English are either "Fuck" or "you're useless," both of which they say with giggly enthusiasm. The more scholarly words we have been reviewing (and honestly, some of which I have been learning for the first time) will have to wait for another time.
Today though, there were blue skies. Fresh snow had fallen on the previous day's fresh snow. It was sick dude, all that fresh pow. And I don't mean I skied sort of awesome--I shredded it.
