Four Seasons

A new life with blossoming buds.


Spring.

Enduring through the mid-year heat.


Summer.

Wilting as the late sun sets.


Autumn.

Gone with the chilling winds.


Winter.

Sudden Snow

Russia is known for its cold, bleak and harsh winter. When one mentions about the country of Russia, it is very often stereotypical for people to associate with Siberia, where winter never seems to end – knee-deep snow in the background of a pounding blizzard.

Cliché as it seemed, this assumption is true. Not only is the winter harsh, but also unpredictable. And when it does snow, it comes blitzkrieg-styled. A sudden snowfall today precisely demonstrated this.

Be reminded that, as stated in my previous posts, winter has passed and spring has arrived.

It was supposed to be a fine sunny afternoon as I was preparing to return home from the hospital after class.


Snowflakes are falling on my head.

As I turned around, the building roof was already completely covered with snow.


People scurrying for cover.

As I reached the main road to take the bus, road vehicles were already partially topped with snow.

Vehicles usually don't get affected by snow. Their hot running engines thaw snow quicker than snow can accumulate.


I'd like icing sugar on my cheesecake, please.

As I alighted, I couldn't help but stare in awe of the beauty of the landscape, yet felt disturbed by the result of just one day's worth of snowfall.


Boulevard beauty.

The wind was howling mad, but wasn't strong enough to shake off so much snow from the tree branches.

It was just yesterday that I hoped to see the spring flowers bloom today.


Snowfall got heavier as the day progressed.

Before I retreated into the refuge of my hostel, I took one last glance over my shoulder.


It's all white again.

As the entrance door slammed behind me, I found myself drenched wet. But at least I survived the onslaught and lived to tell the tale.


Amazing.

Morning Fog

Ever wondered what are the differences between fog, mist and haze?

Fog:
Synonymous to a cloud except that it touches the ground. Limits visibility to less than 1 km.

Mist:
Limits visibility to less than 2 km, looks bluish from a distance.

Haze:
Looks brownish from a distance.

Fog forms when the difference between temperature and dewpoint is 3°C or less, at relative air humidity of 100%. It is because of this total humidity that the air becomes supersaturated, and this moisture condenses into water vapour of fine droplets.

Fog happens very rarely at this part of the world due to its geographical location, altitude and low humidity.


Inland cities don't get much humidity from the sea.

However, it was a foggy morning today.


A window shot showing thick fog in the distance.

No one knows the mysterious doings of mother nature, and today was one of those days.

The experience of seeing your residence shrouded in a blanket of fog was simply surreal.


Visibility beyond the yellow van was close to zero.

The time was about 9 a.m. in the morning, yet, no sign of the sun.

Standing by the main street, one could barely see the end of the road through the thick fog.


Life as usual despite the fog.

Further away from the town center, the fog persisted still.


Fog at the countryside.

This reminded of the time when I was much younger, when my family would travel up to Genting Highlands at weekends and spend the cool afternoon in the clouds.


Genting Highlands theme park, Malaysia.