Spring
Today, the skies rumbled and rained the whole day. It reminded me of Kuching. Nice, warm (figuratively speaking) familiarity.
Right now we're about mid-spring, and the weather is lovely for the most part. It's usually either raining or 20 odd degrees Celsius (because I can't convert to Farenheit yet for the life of me), so now I have no problem taking out the trash on my own (guess who did it during the winter? =P), or getting the mail, or just feeling comfy and not like I live in an icebox. You can take me out of the tropics, but I guess you'll never take the tropics out of me.
Spring is lovely. Here, the trees are covered with blooms, something you don't see in Malaysia because of the lack of seasons. Imagine a whole tree filled with white or yellow or pink flowers, and now imagine a whole row of such trees along the road. Absolutely beautiful and a really nice change from the dead, brown trees I've gotten so used to seeing in the winter. (Yeah, just keep on imagining that in your head because I didn't take any photos to upload here. I usually see them when I'm in the car anyway, so it's not the most convenient time to snap photos.) All the flowers are in full bloom right about now, and the local supermarket sells fresh flowers for a few dollars. I guess the weather here is optimal for keeping fresh cut flowers as decorations - they wouldn't stand a chance against Malaysian heat. I suppose that's why plastic flowers are always more popular back home *cough cough*.
Loveliness aside, here are two nasty things I wasn't warned about spring despite all those Enid Blyton books.
#1 Allergies
Pollen pollen everywhere. With all the flowers competing to disperse their pollen and the cycle of life and whatnot, 'tis the season for allergies. No, I'm not some weak foreigner whose body is still struggling to adapt - allergies are apparently very common during this season even among Americans themselves. Jameson was sneezing and his eyes were itching for a good two weeks even though he'd never had any allergic reactions before during the spring. I got a severe rash myself, but I don't really know what caused it. It could have been pollen, but it could also have been something I ate. Or poison ivy. I really don't know. Having never been allergic to anything back home, this was a new development in my health history. Technically speaking, I guess I can't categorize my allergic reaction to a downside of spring until I know for sure that it WAS triggered by pollen. But allergies are a downside anyway so I'll put it here. =P
#2 Creepy crawlies hanging from trees.
Tiny caterpillars (aka inch-worms) can be found suspended from trees Tom Cruise style. They lie in wait for unsuspecting passers-by to brush against them, whereupon they would hitch a ride on hair, a shoulder, or any part of the body that hit the jackpot. Jia Wern says they do that to disperse. I know caterpillars are harmless, but I just find hydrostatic skeletons gross. It doesn't help that they're so eerily quiet about it. Gave me quite a start when I noticed one wiggling on my hair out of the corner of my eye while I was scrolling through Facebook on my phone. Maybe if they asked politely, I wouldn't be so offended. Nowadays I walk under trees with a watchful eye for hanging caterpillars. Never hurts to be extra careful. =P
Overall, it's still a beautiful season to be in. It's not too hot yet (I read you can bake cookies in a car during the summer), and all the birds chirping and the flowers blooming just make the world seem so much more alive and happy. I haven't experienced all of spring yet, but I daresay I like it much more than winter, and did I also mention I don't have to wear three layers every time I go out now? So wonderful!
Right now we're about mid-spring, and the weather is lovely for the most part. It's usually either raining or 20 odd degrees Celsius (because I can't convert to Farenheit yet for the life of me), so now I have no problem taking out the trash on my own (guess who did it during the winter? =P), or getting the mail, or just feeling comfy and not like I live in an icebox. You can take me out of the tropics, but I guess you'll never take the tropics out of me.
Spring is lovely. Here, the trees are covered with blooms, something you don't see in Malaysia because of the lack of seasons. Imagine a whole tree filled with white or yellow or pink flowers, and now imagine a whole row of such trees along the road. Absolutely beautiful and a really nice change from the dead, brown trees I've gotten so used to seeing in the winter. (Yeah, just keep on imagining that in your head because I didn't take any photos to upload here. I usually see them when I'm in the car anyway, so it's not the most convenient time to snap photos.) All the flowers are in full bloom right about now, and the local supermarket sells fresh flowers for a few dollars. I guess the weather here is optimal for keeping fresh cut flowers as decorations - they wouldn't stand a chance against Malaysian heat. I suppose that's why plastic flowers are always more popular back home *cough cough*.
Loveliness aside, here are two nasty things I wasn't warned about spring despite all those Enid Blyton books.
#1 Allergies
Pollen pollen everywhere. With all the flowers competing to disperse their pollen and the cycle of life and whatnot, 'tis the season for allergies. No, I'm not some weak foreigner whose body is still struggling to adapt - allergies are apparently very common during this season even among Americans themselves. Jameson was sneezing and his eyes were itching for a good two weeks even though he'd never had any allergic reactions before during the spring. I got a severe rash myself, but I don't really know what caused it. It could have been pollen, but it could also have been something I ate. Or poison ivy. I really don't know. Having never been allergic to anything back home, this was a new development in my health history. Technically speaking, I guess I can't categorize my allergic reaction to a downside of spring until I know for sure that it WAS triggered by pollen. But allergies are a downside anyway so I'll put it here. =P
#2 Creepy crawlies hanging from trees.
Tiny caterpillars (aka inch-worms) can be found suspended from trees Tom Cruise style. They lie in wait for unsuspecting passers-by to brush against them, whereupon they would hitch a ride on hair, a shoulder, or any part of the body that hit the jackpot. Jia Wern says they do that to disperse. I know caterpillars are harmless, but I just find hydrostatic skeletons gross. It doesn't help that they're so eerily quiet about it. Gave me quite a start when I noticed one wiggling on my hair out of the corner of my eye while I was scrolling through Facebook on my phone. Maybe if they asked politely, I wouldn't be so offended. Nowadays I walk under trees with a watchful eye for hanging caterpillars. Never hurts to be extra careful. =P
Overall, it's still a beautiful season to be in. It's not too hot yet (I read you can bake cookies in a car during the summer), and all the birds chirping and the flowers blooming just make the world seem so much more alive and happy. I haven't experienced all of spring yet, but I daresay I like it much more than winter, and did I also mention I don't have to wear three layers every time I go out now? So wonderful!
Comments
Post a Comment