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Global Citizens

~ a blog for Tourists, Expats and Locals

Global Citizens

Tag Archives: spring

Loosing the North

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by katti in Argentina (home), Belgium

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Tags

autumn, spring, summer, terrasjesweer, Winter

IMG_1556I am -literally- counting the days to go home. I have been away for so long, that I have lost count of the weeks, and that I can’t figure out wether it is either spring or autumn, wether we are going towards summer or winter. It is a strange feeling. I have lost the North. I do remember vaguely that I couldn’t get away from the BA heat soon enough, that the heat was killing me, too much sweat for doing nothing. I longed to put on a coat. Various coats if necessary. Warm sweaters. Hats. Gloves. The dark and gloomy days. It all appealed to me like never before. I hadn’t had winter in over 6 years. What is winter, anyway?

I came to the right place. The northern hemisphere has been quite chilly this year. Finally wearing my more then 6 year old winter coats that are of no use in Buenos Aires, and all the other things I had longed for. How I enjoyed that! Various friends had pleasure in asking me ‘Cold enough for you?’. I couldn’t have been more excited! And as my mom always says ‘one can always dress to the cold’. But really, can one?

While walking in NYC with 2 sweaters and 2 coats, gloves and hat borrowed from my daughter, walking slowly, because my muscles were all sore of the cold, when at the same time my daughter who -in my eyes- hardly had any clothes on, said to me : ‘Mom! It is not cold AT ALL’, I realized I’ve had enough of winter and need to pack up my things and go southwards again. I have stayed up north for too long. I need to go home.

It really is time for spring. I see it in the people’s eyes. Especially when it is a spring-like day. With every ray of sun people go out and sit on terraces, out of the (still) cold wind, with heatings to stop them from freezing to death. They call it ‘terrasjesweer’ (terrace weather). The first rays of sun are coming, the first easter flowers are out, but to me, it is still a long way to nice warm weather.

Just as much as the summer in BA is too hot and too long, the winter in Belgium is too dark, too gloomy and too long. As a tourist escaping from the heat, I seem to be the only one enjoying it, knowing it is only temporary and my choice.

So I go south, to spring. Oh no, right, to autumn. But well, Argentine autumn is my favorite season.

(photo : Belgian spring day, people on the beach, 8°C)

the most beautiful season…

17 Wednesday Nov 2010

Posted by katti in blog

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Buenos Aires, Jacaranda, spring, Why on earth

No words are needed.

Belgian Weather

02 Thursday Sep 2010

Posted by katti in blog

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Tags

cold, rain, spring, unstable weather, Why on earth, why un earth

Did you guys here in Argentina, notice the weather? I am sure you have : for the 3th day in a row is is grey/cold/drizzling-with-every-now-and-then-a-downpoor. It is supposed to last for another 2 or 3 days. I have taken out my Damart again, my boots and wintercoat. And my umbrella of course, although I try not to go out. This is the weather we (correction, they, as we are now living in Argentina) are used to having in Belgium most of the time. It is the weather they have been having during the whole month of august. That’s the summer season -when people rent appartments at the beach-. Then they ask me Why on earth did you move to Argentina? Do I really have to answer this????

I can’t even seem make it through this 1 week without going crasy…How did I survive this when living there????

Fortunately I did move to Argentina, and I can’t wait until it’s sunday. Predictions say that it will be sunny and 20°C again. Time for an asado! 2 days to go. 1 day to go. Mmmmm. Yes, I think I will probably survive that 🙂

I love Argentina, even the unpredictable, unstable, now hot then cold, spring.

Tormenta de Santa Rosa (Storm of Saint Rosa)

23 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by katti in blog

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Tags

Santa Rosa, spring, thunderstorms, weather, Why on earth, why un earth

I am sure it is a coincidence : good weather phenomenons are called after male saints and bad weather phenomenons are called after female saints. After the Veranito de San Juan, it looks like we are now getting the Tormentas de Santa Rosa. After the first spring-like days at the end of august, beginning of september, come the thunderstorms. Named after the saint Santa Rosa de Lima.

The legend says that in 1615, the city of Lima feared an attack by Dutch pirates, and a nun called Sister Rosa (real name Isabel Flores de Oliva) prayed for salvation, and just when the Dutch were about to arrive, a heavy storm prevented them from attacking the city….

Eventhough it as been a while since the Dutch (or others) tried to attack ‘us’, the thunderstorms always come around this period, as it is now that the first warm  winds bring an air of spring to the southern hemisphere, and they are always followed by thunderstorms. Some say these storms are the worst storms of the year, but statistics don’t confirm this.

We have just had (and are still having) these first warm winds together with our first days of spring weather. Let’s just wait and see what Santa Rosa has in store this year.

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