Winter in my city
2016-01-25
Situated
in the midland of Shandong Province, my hometown
Yanzhou is a rather small administrative unit affiliated to Jining, a medium-sized
prefecture-level city. Due to its tiny territory, there are hardly any
well-known scenic spots or any of the world’s top 500 enterprises to help boost
its international fame or economic power. It has remained a quiet and peaceful
town for centuries. In terms of its climate, my city has a distinctive season
division and it’s said to be one of the few cities nationwide that have no
mountains within its boundary. Therefore, it’s far from a tourist resort. In
traditional beliefs, it’s universally held that every city has its unique
temperament and characteristics, whether being open, vigorous, sophisticated or
being reserved, composed and simple. The nature of my city can best be interpreted
in its winter time, a season of both dynamics and statics combined.
On
the one hand, as winter sets in, my city becomes more lonely and desolate, with
its streets, lanes, squares and parks empty and silent, practically deprived of
all its ever noisy crowds and flowing vitality. The lowest temperature in
winter can drop down to as low as minus 15 degrees centigrade. Except for those
working people who have to regularly commute to and from workplaces, idle residents
would rather stay at home to keep warm if they have nothing pressing to deal
with. The heating system in my city is super nice, which lasted four months, starting
from 15th, Nov to 15th Mar the following year. The
agreeable indoor temperature creates a cozy atmosphere for households to enjoy a
luxurious life. The elderly are accustomed to lounging on the sofa, playing
chess or reading newspapers wearing their old-fashioned presbyopic glasses or
simply attending to their pets or flowers; young couples can spend more
honeymoon-like time gossiping about their favorite stars and big-shot or cooking
meals together; free from school work, children can fully indulge themselves in
drawing cartoons or playing computer games if they are allowed some personal
space. People of small cities share very strong family reunion values. In
classical literary works, home is usually described as the warmest place where
an injured soul can regain peace and quiet. Home means parents, love and sense
of belonging, irrespective of your nationality, race, religion, family
background or social status. It’s a pleasant feeling for a family to gather
around the dinner table with appetizing aroma rising up above the steaming hot
dishes, talking and laughing, while the snowflakes whirling up outside. In the
morning hours before daybreak, which comes much later than in other seasons,
the sky hang like a dark dome, little by little, minute by minute, the dark
curtain lifted up, then it turns into whiter and brighter. All sounds are
hushed; a profound silence prevails over all. Once or twice, you may hear a
slight crack of twigs broken off by the wind or the occasional twittering of
early birds, which signifies that another day of biting cold is with us. At
this time of the year, people become more sluggish and inactive. They would
talk less and excise less but sleep and rest more. Just like squirrels and
bears, they consciously or subconsciously choose to respite for a while to
recuperate and build up strength for the spring revival.
On
the other hand, winter is also a season of great clamor and excitement. That is
when the Spring Festival is drawing nearer. Spring Festival is a special
occasion for family reunion and bliss, which witnesses long queues of returning
passengers, shopping carnivals, family and friends gatherings and parties, loud
music for promotion, the incessant bursts of fireworks, and people’s cheerful
chatting and laughing. Walking on the streets decorated with lanterns and
festoons, the ear-piercing honking from vehicles, live melody blaring out from
loudspeakers, and the buoyant babbling of the crowd produced a hilarious symphony
of festive carols. As the New Year is closing in, every family set about their
annual routine of the clean-up and preparation for the family reunion dinner. Nearly
all family members have a part to play in the big campaign, with men cleaning up
rooms, wives doing loads of laundry, grandmas chopping meat stuffing and making
dumplings and children acting as worthy assistants for adults. Chinese New Year
is a dynamic festival when the whole country get moving and acting in similar
ways. For a small city, people attach more significance to traditions and
customs. We bustle around, going about our daily businesses, but we are happy
and contented in spite of coldness and fatigue. The true meaning of life lies
in problems of livelihood rather than great fame and achievements.
Winter in my city is
a beautiful picture of quietness and activities. You can experience a different
kind of lifestyle, slow, serene and unadorned. Welcome to our small city to
enjoy its tranquility and hospitality of its people.
Good Writer. I am in Nanjing. Nanjing winter time very cold and summer time very hot. Because, i am.not suitable For this weather. My country weather is not like China.
given its proximity to confucius' hometown, the inherent bent of being philosophic is well demonstrated in this one.
Beautifully and skillfully written. I've not read anything more inviting in a very long time.
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