This Time Last Year

December 29, 2007 | Filed under Asian-ness, Travel

It’s strange to think that this time last year, and the year before, and the year before that, I was in China, immersing myself in the country and culture of my forebears. I love China and everything about it – even the disgusting public toilets and old men expectorating at your feet.

To be stuck in Australia at the end of the year for the first time in four years is somewhat alarming, almost as though I’ve shed my mantle as “worldly seasoned traveller” to become yet another “home-based worker drone”. I feel…unexceptional.

To be honest though, the most difficult part is finding myself back in the beginnings of an Australian summer – I haven’t experienced 35/40+ degrees (celsius) heat in years (hard to, when you spend your summers in China’s icy winters), so the gradual warming of the days is somewhat hard to handle.

Oh to be overseas again, having weeks of unbridled fun, unsullied by thoughts of obligations and responsibilities…

3 Responses to This Time Last Year

  1. I keep forgetting it’s hot over there. I was shopping today at an outdoor mall and it was freeeeezing! desert winds. but yeah its must be very strange because that’s quite a temperature change. I’m used to hot California weather, so it was a real shock when I went to Harbin right around Christmas a few years ago…I had never experienced -30 C…ahh too cold!

    marilyn on December 29, 2007 #

  2. It’s so confusing for me to think that people have Christmas where it’s hot. I just can’t imagine it. My father wants us to go away next year for Christmas and I can’t imagine it.

    Hopefully you’ll become acclimatised soon. :)

    Amber on December 29, 2007 #

  3. It’s still weird to think that you are having your holiday season in the summer while we are in the cold. I’m not sure what’s better though because I couldn’t imagine what Christmas would be like in 30 C…

    Chans on December 30, 2007 #

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