I have been a Londoner for over a decade and this city which i adopted as my own became my hub, my home and my security. I have to be honest it wasn't always the case when i first moved here from a rather tropical small place, i found it quite daunting. There was a lot of adjustment i had to make to be able to adapt. But the one thing i will never get acquainted with is the English weather and i still remember my first impression of it.
The weather was shocking, although i had heard of the notorious British weather before i dare admit i was very unprepared for it....well to be fair no matter how much you prepare yourself, you will never be ready until you have experienced it a few times, especially if you've been blessed with sunshine for most of your life.
The rain, the lack of sun and almost 9 months cold weather is rather daunting. I have to admit my most depressing time of the year is just after autumn and coming into winter (end of October to November).
The lovely summer fragrance had just disappeared, the trees are shedding and this lovely maple autumn colour is fast fading and to top it all the creeping darkness begins to prevail. It is dark when you get out of house to go to work and it’s also dark when you come back from work.
It is a time of the year where everyone mind their own business, they walk briskly down the street looking at the ground and if you happen to glance at someone, smile is the last thing you can find on their face. Actually it would be a reflection of your own face, that is depression, tiredness and the most fervent wish to be inside and in bed under the duvet. I usually call this time of year “my hibernating phase”.
But to be fair, the English weather isn’t always bad. I tend to have a love/hate relationship with it. I love spring, when suddenly everything becomes a bit lighter, you hear more birds at dawn and the trees and flowers are flourishing. It’s the beginning of life. Everyone have a spring in their step, gone are the thick dark clothes, and along comes the smile, the colours and fashion. The journey on the tube becomes more pleasant and less boring. Having a flair for styling and fashion myself, i love looking at people’s clothes, their bags, the latest shoes. If there is anywhere in the world where variety is embraced in full form, it is London.
And let me tell you, my cherished city is at its peak similar to myself in summer. The very short summer we have in London is probably the best time and the best place to be in. The city is buzzing, everyone is happy, the sun shines until 10 pm at night. We get less sleep but do a lot more living. No one works long hours in the summer. It is too tempting, too beautiful and too blue outside to be indoors. It is a time of celebration, the pubs are overflowing, the boats along the Thames turn into floating bars and the deck becomes a hot social spot.
O f course while i love summer, i despise winter especially when it snows. The past two years, we have experienced a lot more snow than in a decade. While it is lovely to watch from a window, it is not so lovely to walk in it. My dear London is not well equipped for such weather. The street becomes slippery, dangerous and most of us don’t even have the appropriate shoes to embrace the snow. Of course for some whose never seen or been in a country where it snows, it is a novelty for them but i can tell it has never been for me. Not from day one and not now.
Oh well, such is the temperamental weather of this City. Goodbye for now until next time where i shall share a bit more about my love affair with London.
No comments:
Post a Comment