First Snowstorm

On the 1st of September, I landed in Umeå. My first time in Sweden, and the first time so far north.

Funny that.

When I landed in Singapore 25 years ago, I had never been that far east. I had spent almost no time thinking about that place. I wouldn’t have been able to place the country on a map.

So, another place, another adventure.

When I left temperate Europe for tropical Asia all these years ago, I thought I would mostly miss the seasons. It turns out the seasons are just different, it just takes a long time to notice small differences. Still, what disappeared was the obvious ”hibernation” period, which precedes the ”Spring Cleaning” so there is no reset time. 

I promise I will write at length about the role the environment has played on my time in Singapore.

But today’s title is THE FIRST SNOWSTORM. And it is 21st of November. The snow has been falling since least night. With some wind. Over the weekend, there had been some snow. And sun. Hence the beautiful pictures. But today, it is dark, it is snowing, it is windy and the snow is falling horizontally and up. It’s funny: it looks like smoke!

So after landing ”back in Europe” in September, and feeling no different, And then spending 7 weeks back in Singapore (that was autumn), I am back in Umeå, ready to live my life here. 

This snowstorm feels like a proper baptism. I am officially here, ready to face what this place will throw at me. Already, I have noticed the seasons, and already I am noticing how living in a city (very small city) means everything is done to avoid the seasons and the weather disrupt any production. In the old days, you would have had to "prepare for winter" lest you are without food or firewood. None of that now. I landed a week ago, and I know my way to the supermarket, I know I can find any food I might need (or that may strike my fancy). As for the heating, I don't know how it works, but it works: the flat is a constant 21 Degrees since September (ie before the outside temperature dropped and the heating got turned on), and the road seems to get magically cleared all day long. I will find out how it works - at the moment, it just feels like magic!