Two Winters In A Year

Now we are in the dead of winter. Today especially has been a very cold and wet day. The rain poured down almost ceaselessly, even when it fell in feathery showers, it was still heavy. The wind never stopped howling, and reinforced the sensibility of staying in the apartment the whole day, where one was relatively protected from the elements. Of course, it was still a little cold in the apartment, the tiny portable heater I had was hardly any use. So the thought of having to go through not one, but TWO winters this year, was particularly daunting. Especially when the second winter would be further up north where it would be grey and cold and not to mention, wet all the time.

This would be the situation if I moved from the southern hemisphere where I am now, to the northern hemisphere at year end. I would have suffered through winter now and after probably enjoying a month or two of warmer weather, have to face another colder, harsher winter. I have been actually counting down to the end of winter, telling myself I have done well for my first winter, and another 1.5 months to go till Spring, where flowers bloom, birds twitter and generally green, green grass everywhere. Now that pretty image is slowly icing over with frost...

But every cloud has a silver lining as they say. Paid work has fallen into my lap, at a location where I am hoping to undertake unpaid internship (even slavery provides food and board, so this is worse than slavery). Good work experience, a chance to work internationally, an opportunity to continue the association with the company I work for, a good friend has offered free accomodation for the duration (in return for my cooking Chinese meals). What more could I ask for? I suppose they have heaters and electric blankets over there... and I can finally get the galoshes and macintosh I have always wanted.