Snow for Novices

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Snow is very cold, makes surfaces slippery and has its own set of sounds.

In December 2012, China experienced its coldest temperatures for 28 years. Jinhua, with a subtropical climate, receives light snow every few years, but this year was blanketed with 6 inches of snow. In parts of the country, houses and cities are set up for snow, with central heating and warmed public spaces. Other places are not. In my apartment, aka the icebox, the temperature in the kitchen was 4 degrees and went up to 6 degrees when I cooked. The familiar walks to school and into town were completely transformed, and the travel times doubled by the treachery of encountering snow covered marble, iron covers and disguised holes. The students were also transformed with lots of excited snowball fights, snowman constructions and brave attempts at throwing snow at the foreign teacher. Snow men appeared in many interesting places, including on car boots and outside shops. A frozen lake is an incredibly beautiful thing. The surface is undulating, with textures that range from glass like to crunchy and the patterns vary in and under the ice with every step. Our friend Wen Jian bravely crossed 600 metres of frozen lake with Toni, he and I linked arm in arm, to keep us all upright. The Summer Palace lake crossing felt like a grand excursion at zero degrees. Minus 12 degrees was not so cold, when layered in appropriate clothing as we walked on top of The Great Wall under a blue sky, with a dusting of glittery white over everything. These icons of China will for me be snow covered, forever. Snow is very cold and can be dangerous, but also is incredibly beautiful.

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Photos

Snow transforms
any landscape, making the familiar seem exotic

Summer Palace Lake
frozen... a 600 metre adventure to cross.

Stone ship
sailing on ice!

The Great Wall
will always be dusted in snow for me.

The Block
covered in snow.

Standing on my own
with the help of Wen Jian

Comments

[trees]

amazing!
Thought you were home in oz... Is this global colding? anyone skating? Recently read a wonderful book about a nz couple who walked the Wall....radical. thanx for sharing x

[paid to travel]

Home Again
Hi Trees, skating, seatboganning, strolling, fishing, all on the ice... back a week and into the old routines. I will continue to blog, as the mood takes me. see you soon!