Where did the snow go?

We have been having such a mild winter this year as compared to last year.  Last winter was nice and snowy and white.  There was snow even until late winter and early spring.  I remember walking on snow a lot and had to often wear warm clothing even inside the apartment. It was really cold.  

This time, we had a few hours of snow early in December, but none after that.  I thought it was going to be another wintery, snowy December but it turned out I was tricked. The temperature rose after that and worse of all, there was a lot of rain. It felt more like fall, but without the beautiful brown, yellow and orange leaves littering the ground.  If only it was colder, we would have snow instead of rain.  

And it really rained a lot.  My sisters came to visit in the middle of December and I was really hoping we would get snow but no.  Rain came down instead.  And it was cold and grey most of the time.  Not really great weather to show off to our visitors. Needless to say, my sister didn't really enjoy the stay.  She felt it was too cold and I don't blame her.  It's no fun walking around in the rain in temperatures of 4 or 5C and in wet clothes.

Anyway, after giving up on the idea of a snowy winter, it snowed yesterday afternoon.  Pete and I had to go to town and I was lucky to have checked the weather forecast before heading out. Since it hadn't been too cold ( I have pretty much adapted to the lower temperatures ) I haven't been wearing too many layers when I head out.  But when I checked the weather forecast yesterday, I saw that the temperature could go lower than 0C.  

When I stepped out of the door, the wind blew into my face and the biting cold jolted me awake.  It hasn't been so cold this winter.  I was so glad for the extra layers and scarf that I put on.  Even Pete felt that it was cold, and for that snowman to say it's cold, you know that it's cold.  But it didn't snow when we were out.

Some time after we got home, I looked out the window and saw big flakes of snow falling down and coating everything in white. Beautiful! The balcony was full of stuff we brought home from our kitchen but there was space to stand and look out at the wintery scene.  But I couldn't stay there too long.  It got really cold in the balcony. I didn't realize one of the cats snuck into the balcony too and closed the door.  When I heard the familiar scratching noise, I opened the door and sure enough, Nymeria, the ever-curious girl was there. I picked her up and he whole body was cold.  She also couldn't stay long there.

The snow continued to fall for a couple more hours. As the sun started to set, I could see some kids playing in the snow.  I guess I wasn't the only one who missed the snow.  I guess they decided to play in the snow since who knows it would snow again.  And the kids made the best decision.  When we got to bed, there was snow everywhere. But when I woke up this morning, there wasn't a trace of snow at all.  It rained during the night and melted all the snow.  I wonder when I'll see snow again.

It's getting colder

"Don't trust what you see out the window".  Pete was referring to the weather, of course.  The last couple of days, the mornings start off grey and dark but by the afternoon, the skies would clear and turn brilliant blue.  So lovely.  If it was summer, you know that it would be a warm day.  But autumn is upon us and that means temperatures are falling.  So even though it looks nice and bright outside, the temperature could be below 10C.

These days, temperatures range between 7 to 12C.  The main concern for me now is planning what to wear when we have to head outdoors.  Some times, mornings could be very cold and windy but would be warmer as the day progresses.  Hence, if I were to wear clothes that are too warm, I could be sweating later that day.  I guess I have to layer well - not too many thick layers but not too thin that I would get cold.  I really have to get that balance right.  

I try to look at what others are wearing to figure out what I should wear.  But I find there are lots of variations.  Some people are already wearing thick down jackets and woollen hats but at the same time, I find some people layering with just a thin jacket.  And of course, there would always be that one guy who would be walking around in a pair of shorts. 

I find that I can handle the cold better now.  Maybe it's all the extra layer of fat that I've developed since I got here.  Or maybe it's Pete's influence.  I don't really need such thick clothes to keep me warm.  It was only just a couple of days ago I ditched my capris and started wearing long pants when I am outdoors.  If my clothes are too warm, I would feel comfortable when outdoors but when I'm indoors, I immediately start sweating.  That's not good so I really have to plan well.

I also have to start using the moisturiser all over the body, especially the hands and feet.  The air is dry and there's no sweat to keep my skin moist.  That's the part I don't really enjoy.  It takes up time to apply the creams but if I don't do that, I know my skin will suffer.  It gets tight and feel itchy.  So I really can't skip that.

But that aside, I do enjoy the cold weather. It feels good to be in nice, warm clothes and feel the chilly air on your face.  It freshens up my face, clears my head and makes me alert.  And nothing beats the feeling of going indoors and warm up with a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate. I'd have a nice mug of Milo, but my stash is all gone.  Sigh.  

The hills are alive with the sound of...panting

The last couple of days have been absolutely lovely in terms of the weather.  The sun is out early and it looks so nice and bright when I wake up at 7. The wind has also been kind - not too strong, not too cold.  Because of the National Day that fell on Thursday, we had a long weekend - so we had a lot of time on our hands.

The garden has taken up most of our mornings.  We went there almost every day to try and keep the weeds under control and to plant some more stuff.  But we don't have to stay there long.  We were usually done after 1 hour or so.  That left us lots of time to do other activities outdoors.

We haven't been going on our walks the last couple of weeks since the weather had been dreadful - so wet and windy.  We have bought a football so we could run around and exercise a bit but we haven't had the opportunity to do so, until this week, that is.

Since the days have been so nice, we have managed to go out and play football.  There's a huge football pitch nearby so we headed there with our football.  There were even small goal posts that were perfect for us.  Since there were only two of us, we played one-on-one and it felt so good to shoot and score goals.

I used to play football with my friends back home, usually with the guys, so I am familiar with having to dribble past guys or getting tackled. But Pete is so strong!  I find myself flying every time, he tried to get past me or to get the ball off me.  And he kicks with such power that I get stung if I try to intercept his ball.  But it's all fun and he does try to not kick too hard.  And it's really fun to run and roll around on the grass.  

Apart from playing football, we also have been enjoying scenic walks around the neighborhood. The area near the garden is being developed into a huge park with a lake.  It's still has a long way to go, but there are currently trails for walking or jogging.  The trail starts just beside our garden and goes up and down some slopes.  It makes for a nice, mildly challenging walk.

If we weren't up for the long walk, we could just run up and down the hills.  That was what we did this morning.  After working at the garden, we did some laps up and down the hill.  It's tiring, of course, but since its not too hot, and the skies so nice and blue and the grass so lovely, soft green, it was really one of the nicest way to exercise.  We were panting, of course, since we haven't been exercising regularly but if the weather keeps up, this could be our daily thing and maybe we just might get fitter.

All weeded out

Last week was just dreadful - cold, windy and wet.  Temperatures weren't too low, if its not windy, that is, but most days, the sun was behind the clouds, peeking out only for a few hours in the afternoon. But what's dreadful for us, is actually good for the plants in our garden.  Since I couldn't go to the garden during such wet and windy weather, I could only imagine how beautifully the plants would grow.  I also had a very strong feeling that not only our cultivated plants would do well in such weather.  The weeds would thrive too.

The last time I was in the garden, I was very pleased with myself.  My vegetable beds were clear of weeds.  But I wasn't able to go back there because of the rain and every day, I worried about the state of our garden.  When the weather finally cleared up last Saturday, Pete and I set off for the garden early.  My heart sank.  Weeds were growing wild and competing with our precious plants.  A row of dandelions had taken hold of the back of the garden where I planted lavender.  Worse, the flowers have all gone to seed and I know that their amazingly mobile, durable and plentiful seeds would have been scattered all over our garden.

I checked all our vegetable beds and I could see that I had a couple of hours of hard work ahead.  Weeds were growing everywhere - tiny ones that looked like they have just started germinating, those that are a couple of cm tall and those fast-growing vines and grass.  The carrot bed was almost over-ran by the tiny ones and I knew I had to spend a lot of time there since they were growing among the slow-growing carrots.  

I had to work methodically and be focused or else I'd just be overcome by a sense of hopelessness.  I started with the smaller vegetable beds and where the weeds are bigger so I could take out my frustrations at them and rip them up in anger.  That's quite a handy technique and soon I filled my pail with weeds.  I yanked out about 3 pails' worth of weeds from the potato bed.  And I still wasn't done there.  I had to leave some for another day since they were a bit difficult to get to.  

Then I moved on to the pumpkin patch.  There weren't too many weeds there.  The winter pumpkin are doing very well.  The leaves are big and green and they look healthy.  The butternut squash didn't look too good.  The bottom leaves looked a bit white and frost-bitten and are still small.  Hopefully they would get healthier when the weather gets warmer.  I had been cultivating two more pumpkin and cucumber seedlings.  After clearing the weeds, I planted them.

The next job was weeding the carrot bed.  These weeds were a pain.  They were tiny and very, very numerous.  I suspected they were tiny dandelions in the making.  I sat there and painstakingly plucked each and every baby weed.  I didn't know how long I was there but I kept at it until I was aware that my body was aching.  I took a break and looked at the rest of the garden.

I got another heartbreak when I went to the pea and bean bed.  The pea plants that were growing so well the last time I saw them were barely peeking from above the planter.  The rabbits had nibbled at them and so instead of tall, strong plants were all short and stunted.  Damn rabbits!  They didn't touch the beans or other plants.  The choosy monsters aimed for our pea plants instead.  Sigh. 

Pete went to look for holes where they would have broken into and found a big one over at his mum's side.  We had some chicken wire left and used that to block off the hole.  Hopefully that would work or else I would have to give up on planting peas.

It wasn't all bad news that day.  We found that the strawberries are growing well.  The rhubarb too.  Also, the flower seeds that I planted are growing well too and weeds have largely stayed away from that bed.  Also, surprisingly, lettuces have started growing where we planted them last year!  We haven't planted anything at that spot but I could clearly see the familiar leaves popping out from the ground.  There was also some zucchini plants growing at last year's bed too!  Amazing.

That day, we spent three hours in all, weeding and watering and repairing the fences and wind-shelter.  Even then, I could finish getting rid of all the weeds.  When we reached home, we discovered Pete's neck was sunburnt and my entire left side of my body was aching because I was leaning on my left arm as I picked the weeds with my right hand.  I really hoped the weather would get better and better so I wouldn't have to wait too long to weed again.  It's better to go every other day, at least, so that I could get the weeds under control.

And my wish was granted.  The start of the week has been great.  Going back to the garden on Tuesday, I finished picking whatever weeds I missed that other day. And the chicken wire helped.  The peas are growing well again.  Hopefully the pesky rabbits won't find another way in.  I already have weeds to worry about, I don't want to worry about the wild rabbits too.  

Burst of green

Spring is in full spring here.  Just last week, there were many trees and bushes that were still brown and devoid of any sign of life.  And now, just a mere few days later, the trees and bushes have all exploded with color.  

As I walk to school, I could see all the trees in brilliant shades of green and on some, flowers have already started blooming.  Pete and I took a bus ride today and I could see just how colorful it is everywhere. Malmö is really a green city.  The city takes pride in all the green spaces spread out across the districts.  Gorgeous pine, oak and other trees line the streets, pockets of bushes and flowers of daffodils, tulips and lavender pop up all over the city and vividly colored pansies and petunias grow out if the many planters all around the residential areas.

After months of bare, brown bushes and trees, I am grateful for these fleeting beauties.  Now that I know how long it takes for nature to recover from winter, I am going to appreciate them even more. 

Yay for spring!

Spring is here to stay. After a long and cold winter, the weather has been kinder to us. For more than a week, it has been relatively sunny and warm and the days have been getting longer as well. The sun rises at around 5am and will not set before 8pm. Because of that, there have been more activity outdoors. More kids are out playing at the playground, playing football and rollerblading along the bicycle path. More people are also cycling to get around the city. People have also started BBQ-ing as well. The city is alive again.

People are not the only active ones around. Nature has also come alive. The brown twigs and branches of trees and shrubs have started to be covered by fresh, green leaves. Some trees and bushes take longer to turn green. Some seemed to have grown a whole new crown of green leaves overnight. The trees outside my classroom, for example, are now so green and lush, when it was all brown just a few days ago.

Flowers have also sprung up all round the city. The common wild ones are the brilliant yellow dandelions. They have started sprouting first. I can also see daisies but they are still small and cute. Planters around the residential areas have also been filled with colorful pansies - yellow, purple and red. They are such cheerful flowers and they make me smile when I see them.

More and more birds are also up and about. It's really lovely to be woken up by the chirping birds outside the window. I can spot more species of birds now, though I haven't learnt their names yet. More cats are also venturing outdoors. I spot them as I walk to school or to the stores.

Because of the nice weather, Pete and I have started our walks again. It's a favorite time for me since its a time for us to chat, enjoy the scenery and have our exercise at the same time. I would put on my jacket when I start but halfway through the walk, I would have to take it off since I would get warm. Even when it's not sunny like today, we would work up a sweat. It's rather nice to feel a bit of heat and to sweat again. It's back to twice daily showers for us and best of all, no need for body lotion since my skin is not dry anymore.

I love spring!

Seedlings

Not bad. The little homemade seedling pots worked. After sowing the seeds, I kept an eye on them every morning. I would look into them to see if anything was happening inside. I'd also touch the soil to see if I need to moisten the soil. Most of the time, I do. The soil gets dry so I'd spray a bit of water to keep the soil wet.

I also make sure they are in the best spot in the apartment. If the kitchen was sunny, I'd put the tray of pots there. If the sun shone into the balcony, I'd move them there. I have to make sure they get the right amount of water, light and temperature. The last couple of days, the balcony is a bit warmer, so I could place them there.

After three days, I could see some tiny cabbage seedlings emerging from the soil. The next day, I could see the leaves and the thin stems. They grew quite fast. After the fifth day, the broccoli and Savoy cabbage seeds germinated. Now, they are growing well. The leaves look nice and strong. The stems look too thin though. I hope they'll be fine. There's no sign of cucumber seedlings though. Most probably they need more time since their seeds are more than ten times bigger than that of the others.

Today, it was really nice and sunny. A check on the weather forecast showed the temperature staying above 12C so I am feeling quite confident that I'll be able to start planting in the garden soon. So I have started sowing more seeds. I planted two different types of pumpkin and butternut squash. They are meant for autumn and winter, but they need to be planted in spring. I also planted some cute blue flowers called blue parasol. I loved looking at the flowers planted in other gardens so I wanted to plant some in mine this year.

I also have other flower seeds from last year. They didn't turn out well when I planted them last year. But I will try again. With the toilet paper roll pots turning out quite well, I would be using them more now. I have collected more so I'm sure there'll be more than enough for all my seeds. I hope for a more beautiful garden this year, so I better remember to sow the flower seeds.

Hello Garden!

Sunday.  Finally a sunny day.  It started out quite foggy in the morning but hours later, after noon, the sun finally came out.  It has been a nice and bright day and finally I could ditch my thick winter coat.  Again, I seemed to have jinxed it when I last wrote about the sun.  The days after that were grey and gloomy.  The sun got completely swallowed up by the full, grey clouds.  But at least it's out now. 

Pete, his mum and I went to the garden today.  It was going to be our first visit to the garden this spring.  As expected, everything was brown and bare.  It was completely different from the lush greenery that it was in summer.  Pete used a motorized tiller to till the ground on both our plots.  I used a rake to get rid of the weeds and dried plants on our side and his mum worked on hers, which is just beside ours.

It was back breaking work.  I knew I was going to get a workout so I didn't do my usual exercise in the morning.  This was more tiring than the workout.  With the raking, I was using my arms, legs and abs.  Then, I had to squat to sift out and pick out the weeds, get up and throw them into the compost heap.  I had to work on the whole 10m by 11m plot which was not easy at all.  In the end, I only worked on the parts that were going to be used first.  I would work on the rest of the land another day. 

Hard work, though gardening is, you do have a sense of achievement when you look at your work.  The garden was tilled and weeded and some parts are ready to be worked on.  We would need to come back another time to work on it some more.  There are still weeds to clear and plots to get ready before we could start planting.  We also need to make a new fence.  Our makeshift one using chicken wire is not as effective in preventing others like dogs and their owners and wild rabbits to come into our garden.  We would need a higher and sturdier fence.  But spring season has only just begun.  We would have time for all those tasks later.

Fun in the sun

Yesterday was a nice, warm and sunny day. On my return from school, I walked slower to enjoy the sun and the beautiful clear blue sky. I love looking at the sky when it's bright and blue like that day. The sky just looks brilliant blue and together with the shining sun, my mood gets lifted immediately. Hopefully soon, the leaves and bushes will start turning green. They are still brown now so there's not much to look at.

However, as I was almost home, as I passed by the small garden and playground in front of our apartment, my eyes were drawn to a flash of purple on the ground. Out of nowhere, a few purple tulips have popped out! I didn't notice any growth there before this, so I was very surprised to see the flowers growing nicely where previously there was just dirt. They look so pretty, almost like jewels among the brownish soil. I am definitely going to open my eyes to spot more flowers that have be awakened by the sun.

I had another surprise near the flowers. I spotted a cat that looked almost exactly as one of my cats back home. The cat was darting around the bushes near the flowers but when I called out to it, it came to me. So friendly! It let me pat and stroke it then it started rolling on the ground. From having nice white fur, it's coat got dirty. But it looked so happy to be playing in the sun and rolling around on the nice, warm soil. I guess I am not the only one who is happy that the sun finally came out.

Spring ahead

After spending five days at home, away from school, it felt like a drag to have to start the whole routine again today.  After five whole days of waking up any time I fancy, of relaxation and leisure, I have to make sure I wake up on time, prepare breakfast and packing lunch for Pete.  As always, I would worry that I would oversleep that I would wake up every 20 minutes.  That meant I didn't have a restful sleep.  I went to school bleary eyed.

Luckily, I only have to go to school tomorrow and Friday.  Luckily also, the weather has been quite nice.  The sun is out and for longer each day.  It's hard not to be in a good mood when the weather is nice and warm, the sun is shining and the sky is clear blue.

The weather forecast for this week has been quite promising.  It seems like we would be having warmer weather this week and more sunny days.  I have to keep an eye on the weather since I want to start sowing seeds soon.  I plan to keep the pots in the balcony but it is still quite cold, especially at night.  I have been reading about sowing seeds and it seems like it isn't so simple.

The seeds and seedlings can be such divas.  Some need lots of light at first and warm temperature.  Some need not much light at first and then after they sprout the first two leaves, they would need more than 8 hours of light.  Some even need to be germinated in the fridge!

The more I read about sowing seeds, the more I am panicking.  There's so much to learn about gardening.  It's not as simple as dropping seeds into the ground and spray some water on them once in a while.  Pete and I have chosen some seeds and of course we hope to be able to harvest the vegetables.  We did get to harvest potatoes, carrots, zucchinis, peas, french beans and lettuce last year but I want to get a bigger harvest this year.  I guess the key is to research well and most importantly start off the seeds well indoors.  Spring, please be here soon and bring good weather with you.   

Sommartid

This morning when I got up, I lost a whole hour.  Literally.  Pete has moved all the clocks in the house one hour ahead while I was sleeping.  No, he hasn't gone mad.  It's just that now it's sommartid or literally translated, summer time.  It's daylight-savings time. 

These days, the sun comes up earlier and goes down later.  So we are getting more and more light.  In winter, it was the opposite.  Starting from the end of summer, it gets darker and darker.  In winter, we would get as little as 7 hours of light a day, so we would turn the clock back an hour. 

So now the time difference between here and Singapore is back to 6hours.  Singapore is 6 hours ahead.  I am glad for the time change.  It makes it easier remember what time it is back home.  But most importantly, it's a signal that warmer weather will be upon us soon.  It was snowing a bit yesterday so it might not be that soon.  One can hope, anyway. 

Jinxed it

I discovered the fastest way to drive away the sun: blog or post on facebook about it.  After my last post here, the day right after that, the sun didn't shine as bright.  That would have been fine if it wasn't windy.  That night after the post, the wind was so strong it kept on rattling our bedroom and kitchen windows.  

I thought that it would stop the next day.  It didn't.  In fact, it kept on blowing hard.  The windows kept on rattling the whole day.  When I looked out the window, I saw the trees and bushes being blown by the wind.  At times, they looked like they would be blown right off the ground.  

I was not spared.  When I was on my way to the bus stop to go to the supermarket, I had to brave the wind too.  And boy, was the wind strong!  At times, I felt like it could literally sweep me off my feet.  It really was that strong.  After shopping, Pete and I were at the bus stop and the wind got my teeth chattering.  

Because of the wind, the temperature has also been falling.  I was hoping to lose the thick jacket and other extra layers.  But I still can't.  It is still too cold.  Sometimes, the wind could be so biting cold, I still had to wrap my scarf around my neck and up to my nose to stay warm.  I don't enjoy walking when the wind is blowing, especially when it blows cold, dry wind into my nose and throat.  Pete and I wanted to go on our walk yesterday, but the wind spoilt our plan.  

After days of grey skies, finally today, the sun came out and shone so nice and brightly.  Such a fine day.  I could still see the trees and bushes moving in the wind, though, so I know it was still windy and cold outside.  But the sun made the day look so beautiful.  I took a photo and posted on my facebook page.  Within the hour, the sky turned grey again.  I jinxed it.  Again.  

The inching spring

Finally, today, the temperature went up to above 5C.  In fact, it has risen to about 8C now.  The sun has also been shining all day.  These days, it starts to get bright outside as early as 6.30 a.m. and by the time I leave the apartment, it's so nice and bright.  It is still a bit cold in the mornings so I can't leave without my thick jacket though.

But the sun does a lot for my mood and the mood of the people here.  As I walk to school, I look around me, enjoying the sun and peaceful walk.  This is not possible weeks ago.  I would hunch down, trying to keep warm and keep the cold, strong wind away from my face and walk as briskly as I could to get indoors.  Now, in the mornings, the kids also get more active and are practically skipping to school.  I even see some boys on their in-line skates as they make their way to school.

The day gets warmer and in the afternoon, it gets warm enough to stay for more than 5 minutes outside.  You can feel the warmth of the sun and you don't have to bundle up so warm and tightly.  Today, I even saw some kids playing at the playground in front of the apartment.  The kids only had a thin jacket over their t-shirt, so I can imagine that it wasn't cold.

This is great news for me.  That means that spring is inching along.  The trees and bushes are still bare for now, but I am hopeful that the leaves would start budding soon.  Pete's sisters have been telling me that they love spring.  They think that spring is the most beautiful of season.  They love to see the trees and plants getting green and flourishing right in front of their eyes.  If that is true, the nature-loving me would love it.  Last year, I arrived well after spring had kicked in.  So, to be able to see how nature transform the bare, brown trees and bushes into luscious, vibrant greenery with my own eyes would be awesome.

A sunny, snowy day

Just when I thought the temperature was getting warmer and thus more comfortable, it snowed on Monday night.  We woke up to snow everywhere.  It was beautiful.  I always love it when it snows at night and leave a pleasant surprise for us in the morning.  But that morning, I wasn't as pleased though.  It was still snowing when I left for school.  Worse still, it was windy.  I walked with my hat as low as possible and my scarf as high as possible over my face.  It was difficult to see with the snow getting into my eyes, but I got to school alright.

In class, the snow stopped and started.  It's a pity I sat far from the windows but from whatever little I could see, it was really beautiful.  I love a sunny, snowy day.  When I went home that day, it was snowing again but the sun was still out and it was bright.  Snow does that.  It reflects the light, I think, and so it looks nice and bright.  Cold though, but with nice, warm clothes, I love being out and about on days like this.

Pete and I went to town after school since we had a meeting there in the afternoon.  So it was a great day to be out and about.  It was cold but luckily for us, it wasn't windy.  Perfect.  After our meeting, we decided to take a walk.  The sun is now out for a bit longer since sunset is later now, so we had a bit more time to walk in the sun.  We weren't the only ones with that thought.  I could see many people enjoying the sun and snow as well.  Or maybe it was the many sales in the stores that drew them out.  Either way, it was crowded there.

It's Wednesday evening now, and the snow is still there, even though it stopped snowing yesterday afternoon.  After I came home from school today, the day was really bright and the air was crisp.  It was -5C but I didn't want to stay indoors.  I managed to persuade Pete to go for a walk and again, it was a great day for that.  It wasn't too windy or too cold and it was nice and sunny and bright.  And there was snow everywhere.  We couldn't make a snowman or snowballs though.  The temperature was too low for that.  Pete says the temperature needs to be above 0C so that the snow can be compacted together and stay in shape.  If not, it would just fall apart.

I do hope to get to make a snowman this winter.  When the snow in December disappeared, I thought there wouldn't be any more snow, so the latest snowfall was a nice surprise.  Pete said that in 2005, it snowed in May!  So maybe I would get a chance to build that snowman soon.  

A green Christmas?

People here talk about the weather a lot, my teacher said last week.  That's because you get all the four seasons here and more than that, the weather for each season differs from year to year.  I've been here since May and I have experienced hot, dry days in July where I would sweat just walking from the kitchen to the living room.  I've also experienced the cool, chilly autumn days and freezing cold winter nights.

It's winter now and I was so excited when it started snowing two weeks ago.  After two wonderful snowy weeks, it stopped snowing a few days back.  The temperature started rising and today it's 4C.  The snow that has been piling up is slowly melting away.  The rain today didn't help at all.  It washed away all the snow and now there are hardly any traces of snow on the ground.

Bummer.  The timing couldn't have been worse.  Christmas is just round the corner and it would be nice to have snow to make it feel more Christmassy.  Last year, we didn't get much snow at this time of the year.  When I joined Pete's family for Christmas lunch last year, the sun was out and there was not a trace of snow anywhere.  Looking out the window that day, it seemed more like summer than winter.

This year, when it started snowing, I was hoping that it would snow all the way, until after Christmas, at least.  But after just two days of above 0C and some rain, the snow is disappearing.  There also isn't any snowy days ahead forecasted.  Looks like it's going to be another green Christmas again.

First snowfall

It is snowing!  The first real snowfall for winter here.  I woke up early in the morning, all bleary eyed, to go to the bathroom and before I could shuffle back to bed, Pete called me to the balcony.  The sight woke me up.  It was beautiful.  The landscape was white and everything on the ground was covered in snow.  But it wasn't snowing then so I thought the snow wouldn't last and would melt in a couple of hours.

When I woke up again at 8, I went to the window again.  It was snowing!  Pete said it doesn't snow that much here so he's excited as well.  He checked the temperature.  It's -2C!  I tried to take photos with my iPad and camera.  Pete opened the windows to make it easier to take photos.  When the snowflakes fell on my hand, I could feel the cold.  Some snowflakes were big and would take longer to melt.  But when the wind blew through the open window, it was time to close it and take refuge in the warmth of the apartment.

Now, after my shower and morning tea, the snowfall has lightened up a little.  With the gentle sun in the sky, it's looking like a nice day.  Maybe we would go for a walk later.  Hopefully there's enough snow to make a snowman!

I'm excited about the snow since I don't experience it often.  I've had encountered snow before, but that's different because I was a tourist.  Here, I am a resident.  Having snow in a place I live is new to me.  I'm sure there are lots of things I need to learn, such as wearing the right shoes and clothes for walking about in the snow.  Maybe in time, I would be blase about it or worse, think it's a hassle and grow to hate it.  I don't know.  But for now, I'm going to enjoy it.  It really makes everything look so beautiful.  

Six minutes of snow

I was sitting on the sofa when I looked out the window and saw white specks flying about outside.  Snow!  When I checked the weather forecast, we weren't to expect snow until next Thursday, so I was surprised to see it this afternoon.  But the temperature is steadily falling and I have started putting on my thermals already, so I guess it's about time that we would see snow soon.

It's really cold outside.  Colder than the temperature in my fridge.  Cold enough to have a walk-in fridge that used to be my balcony.  Useful when the fridge in the kitchen gets full.  It's getting easier to believe the news report that it's going to be a very cold winter this year.

Anyway, back to the snow, I went out to the balcony to take a closer look.  Snowflakes were dancing around in the wind.  It really looked like dusting of icing sugar.  I moved to the kitchen cos the balcony was freezing.  It was nice to look at the falling snow while I was in the warmth of the kitchen.  But after a few minutes, the snowfall got lighter and lighter and then it stopped altogether.  I could see some snow on the wooden tables and benches downstairs but it all melted soon.

Although it wasn't much, it was still nice to see.  I mean, I'm from a country near the equator.  We don't get snow there, you know, so any snow that falls will make me excited.  Let's see if next week will bring more snow here.

This takes getting used to

The past few days since the last blog post hasn't been good for us.  Pete had fever during the entire time.  His body was really hot and he was sweating even though it was cold.  I didn't have a fever but I wasn't feeling well either.  We both tried to stay indoors the whole time, but I had to go to school.

I didn't miss any lesson since the school is not too far away for me to walk there.  Also, the weather has gotten to the rest of the class as well.  Some of my classmates has been ill.  We haven't had full attendance this whole week.  Our teacher took it easy with us so it wasn't as tiring. 

This weather thing is going to take a lot of getting used to.  I have to learn to dress warm enough so that I don't get too cold outdoors but not too warm indoors.  Sometimes I find myself sweating when I am indoors with all my layers.  I am usually early for class and in the mornings, the class would be locked so I had to wait in the hallway for the teacher to arrive.  I would definitely need to take off my jacket because I would start sweating if I don't.

I guess the cooling and heating up of the body wasn't good for me.  A few days of that could have caused me to develop my cold.  I'm still nursing my cold - no change yet.  But it's Saturday tomorrow so I can rest more and get more sleep.

I am not the only one trying to cope with the weather.  My classmates from Asia also had issues with the cold.  After school, we would walk home together.  In this weather, we all would be bundled up in our winter jackets, hunching our bodies as we tried to brace ourselves against the wind.  We must have been a funny sight!  Once, while we were walking and shivering, we passed  by a group of kids outside the school.  They were only in jeans and t-shirts.  We all looked at them in disbelief.

One day.  One day, I'll be able to do that.  But I'll take it step by step.  I'll start by trying not to take 10 minutes just to get outdoors.    

Feed a cold

The days are getting colder and colder each day.  Yesterday morning, we woke up to frosty windows - the temperature was -1C outside!  The temperature wasn't as low today but the windows remained fogged up.  It was cold outside.  And grey.  And windy.  Brrr...

Inside the apartment, it wasn't as cold.  The radiator is always on but sometimes I could feel the cold, especially when I open the balcony door.  It's really cold in there.  Most of my plants have wilted and died.  I wanted to clear out the dead plants and neaten up the balcony, but it's much too cold for me to be there.  I always put off the task but I know I have to do it soon.  I really don't like mess in the apartment, even if I can't really see it if I don't go to the balcony.

Anyway, because of the weather, I am developing a cold.  Every time I go outside, my nose will get runny and my face will be cold.  Then, when I get back indoors, I will start sniffling.  I always have to have a tissue at hand.  Then yesterday, I started feeling bad.  My body felt weak and my nose and throat felt sore.  It's the cold.

I thought a good night's sleep would do the trick.  Well, I felt ok enough in the morning to do my workout but later in the afternoon in class, I felt weak again.  I didn't feel like studying and it seemed like I needed to use up every ounce of energy I had to hold my head up.  I made it till the end of the class but the walk home didn't do me good.  It was foggy and very cold.

When I got home, I didn't feel good.  A hot cup of tea helped a bit but I wasn't feeling good enough to sit at my desk to do some scrapbooking.  I just felt like staying in bed.  But I had to cook supper.  It was a simple oven roasted chicken legs and some fries.  Easy enough for me to do.  After the supper, I felt better.  Although I wasn't feeling well, I felt like I had to eat.  I remembered the old adage - feed a cold, starve a fever.  Or was it the other way round?

Anyway, I do feel slightly better but it's almost ten and the bed is calling.  Maybe I would feel better with more sleep.  Pete is not having it easy either.  He is as sluggish as me and his body feels warm to the touch.  Hopefully we both would feel better tomorrow.

Dance, not walk

The daily temperature here for the last couple of weeks has been hovering around 6 -8C.  That, plus the strong winds, makes it difficult for us to head outdoors for our walks.  Also, the sun sets earlier now so it gets darker earlier, at around 4pm.  That gives us a short period of time to get our walks, if we somehow manage to find it in us to battle the cold and the wind, that is.

Hence it has been tough to get moving and exercising.  I haven't been serious about working out for awhile now.  Whatever weight we have lost during the fasting month has long been regained.  Plus some extra weight that came from nowhere.  Ok.  OK.  I know exactly where - hari raya cookies, rich Malay delicacies, oodles of noodles and indulgent meals that I have been cooking for Pete since I got home.

Now that the weather is getting colder, I have to put on more layers when I want to go out.  The result of the layers is that the sleeves of my outer jacket gets very stuffed and tight.  Sometimes it even affects my mobility.  Also, the layers and heavy clothing does nothing to make me look better. On the contrary, I look like I have put on 10kg instantly (think Stay Puft Marshmallow Man).   That does nothing for my fragile ego, especially when people have been asking if I am pregnant ( Nope.  Just fat.)

So, yeah, I have to do something about it.  I have seen people running outdoors in this cold weather.  The Swedes are actually quite health conscious.  There are many people out there in the cold and sticking to their workouts.  I always look at them with envy.  They all look so fit and toned. 

Due to my foot injuries, I haven't been running for three years.  I am cautious here since I don't want them to hurt again.  My bunions would bug me when I walk too much but luckily my heels are not bothering me much.  Hopefully some day I would be able to run again.  Also, I would need to learn to dress properly if I were to run outdoors again in the cold.  But that's for when I can start running again.

For now, all I can do is to look for exercises that I can do at home.  I have some Zumba DVDs that I can follow.  The great thing is that I have a number of those so I can always mix it up and not do the same ones all the time.  I am trying to get other DVDs.  I used to love doing Les Mills' Body Combat and Body Step classes when I was in Fitness First, a chain of gyms back home.  I really miss that.  Pete has been helping me to search for it online but we haven't been successful.  So, for now, I can only Zumba my way slowly back to fitness.  I shall add other more intense workouts when I'm back to my former fitness level.