Shanghai – Snow City
January 29, 2008 Leave a comment
No, this is not an architectual model. It is a real photo taken from my window this morning. Shanghai is experiencing her heaviest snowfall since 1949. The last heavy snowfall was recorded in 1984 and it wasn’t as heavy like this. To many locals, it was their first time seeing thick snow right outside their homes. For me, it was like traveling to another snow city. Overnight, every place I have been has taken on a new look.
The strangest thing is about the temperature. It has fallen to minus three now but it isn’t as cold as it was like 5. The sun came out today and the thick snow is still there. Many people are happy about the snow. It is a good sign to them – “Finally, the good old snow is back in Shanghai”, exclaimed my cab driver (who is in his 50s). “You see, in the old days, Shanghai used to snow like this. But the pollution changed the weather so much. It is like back to the old days.”
This is my first encounter of snow. And it is certainly a wish came true. I was planning to see snow last Christmas but I ended up back in Singapore. Thus, you can imagine how happy I was today. To me, everything is refreshingly beautiful. Snow, is just like “ice kacang”. And yes, snowball is as painful as rock. And very dirty too.
Today, I took a 3-hour lunch and skipped off to Fuxing Park with my two close colleagues. (It was the best AWOL I ever made.) It was amazing!!! I was so thrilled and high! The city is awaken with excitement and joy! You see adults having snowball fights on the streets, children and parents building snowballs everywhere (on pavements and even on cars!). Like a kid, I was so hyper…capturing all sort of things with my Canon Camera. I built my first “snowgirl” today! Okay, I didn’t really get my hands cold and dirty, I did add the finishing touch to it (the black nipples!) My colleagues Alicia and Calvin did most of the hard work.
Walking under the trees can be a hazzard. When the wind blows, piles of snow will just fall on top of your head. And it can be really painful. Running on thick snow is also fun, you can’t really see the real terrain below and I had a couple of bad falls. But I am just so happy, who cares! It is snow!
Here is the bad news. Since Sunday, more than 3,000 people were admitted to hospital for broken bones (due to slip-falls). And over 30,000 people are still stranded at Shanghai train stations and airports. Both Pudong and HongQiao airports were closed due to heavy snowfall. And yes, I am flying tomorrow and I have no idea if I am able to get a flight back. Just heard that DragonAir has stopped all flights to Hong Kong (quite a major disruption for their aviation history). There is no confirmation if I can board my SQ flight tomorrow.
Mmm…(here another wish) maybe the snow can just stop for 1 day so that I can take a flight back home for my CNY tomorrow. (Yeah, just heard on the TV that the snow won’t come back until this Friday!)
12 years away from home - Singapore. Writing my stories here for my lovely mum & dad, friends and most importantly, for my wife & son back home. A self-confessed gadget freak, a spontaneous prankster on the outside and a warm loving heart inside. Enjoying a happy life with loving families, friends plus a dream job. Realising mum’s motto – “Exceed Yourself Every Day”. Always believing that “Simplicity is Beauty”.
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