Groundhog Day

If there were groundhogs in Hong Kong, which I'm pretty sure there are not, I think they'd see their shadows today. But, only because it's a nice sunny day, possibly the warmest day we've had in a while. The temperature this afternoon was in the mid-60s, and the sky was bright blue. It actually was the first time I've been outside and not felt a chill since before Christmas.

For those of us living without heat of any kind, the warmer temperatures are especially welcome. And, as the Chinese Lunar New Year is this week, I am hopeful that the pleasant weather means good things for the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit. The vibrant orchids and other exotic flowers in the New Year markets only add to the feeling that spring is on the way!

I'm sure this warm weather isn't exactly welcome news to folks back home trying to dig themselves out of double-digit snowfalls. This morning, I spent probably an hour reading news reports and looking at photos of the great blizzard of 2011. It was certainly one of the times when I appreciate the Internet the most, and I am glad that, though the news wasn't all good, there wasn't anything too disastrous reported at home either.

Even though I am not a fan of wintry weather in general, I must admit that I was a bit sad to miss such an eventful storm. I felt a little nostalgic as well for the time when snow days were days off from school, which inevitably meant pajama days, movie marathons and cookie-baking sessions. Of course, even if I were at home now, I wouldn't be in school to get snow days anyway.

Tonight I'll be watching as Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his burrow in Pennsylvania, hoping that this especially snowy winter will be soon over for everyone in the states. And then tomorrow, I'm off to Puerto Princesa in the Philippines for some fun in the sun during the New Year holidays!