Winter Wonderland

Living in Chicago my entire life, I quickly learned that there are two seasons – winter and summer. The spring and autumn seasons can only be truly felt by the most seasoned Chicagoan. You can usually spot them on those days when the temperature drops 40 degrees in a matter of 7 hours. While most people are standing on the El platform in their flip-flops and cargo shorts pondering the absence of the sunny skies and summer-like temperatures that were present when they were getting dressed that morning; the seasoned veteran is the only one who is prepared for the day with a warm coat and an umbrella. Sure enough, the next day it will be negative 30 degrees and snowing – remaining that way until mid-May when the reverse happens. Fortunately, spring is more forgiving because it is much easier to take clothes off. However, you have to be careful with the “teaser” days – those days when it’s sunny and 60 degrees in the middle of March. Inevitably, you’ll have a parade of assholes out washing their cars in shorts – that’s how you know spring is on its way in Chicago.

Prior to my departure for Thailand, packing was a huge undertaking for me. I was informed that although Thailand is a sub-tropical climate, the north experiences more “seasons” than other parts of the country. With that, I was told that the temperature could dip down to about 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) during the “winter” months. I scoffed at this illusion of “winter” – after all, I’m from Chicago and we know winter. I packed 2 long-sleeved shirts, my North Face jumper, a skullcap, and an extra pair of jeans – winter, puh-leeze! When I first stumbled off the plane in Lampang and nearly suffocated from the humidity, I immediately thought those “winter” clothes were packed in vain. I buried them at the back of my closet, figuring that the next time I saw them would be when I was repacking for my “springtime” journey back to Chicago.

Thailand has what amounts to 3 different seasons – rainy season (May – October), high season (November – February), and hot season (March – April). After spending my first few months here, I surmised the seasons would probably be more along the lines of: rainy, hot, and fucking hot! I have been sorely mistaken by my assumptions. For starters, the rainy season is officially over. It has rained maybe three times since I’ve been back from my holiday. Every day is reminiscent of spring or autumn in Chicago – when you are lucky enough to experience it. The day starts off cool but quickly heats up to about 23 degrees Celsius (75 F). The sky is a stunning Safire blue, completely unobstructed by clouds. Each day is concluded with a stunning sunset that produces some of the most amazing colors being scattered across the sky – usually around 18:30PM. At this point, the temperature begins to rapidly drop again. With no cloud coverage after the sun goes down, dare I say – it actually gets chilly. I understand that most of my readers are living in the arctic freeze of Chicago, where the wind off the lake in January has caused flesh wounds on contact – so, when I say that it’s chilly, I don’t think empathy is coming my way.

After living in a constant state of swamp-ass for the past 5 months, my blood has definitely thinned out. Also, there are no clouds in the sky to trap the heat of the day. Additionally, Lampang is located in the mountains – a higher elevation than most other areas of the country. Compound that with the fact that my method of transportation is Bixby – a Honda Dream Motorbike. He’s a great piece of machinery, but missing some modern luxuries like heating, air conditioning, a radio, doors, windows, or seating for four. Bixby does have heated seats – just another perk of sitting on the engine. While tooling around in the evening, or on my way to school in the morning, I am usually clad in a short-sleeved shirt, some type of linen or cotton trouser, and flip-flops – not exactly materials that shield you from the elements when you’re traveling at 60 kilometers an hour. My hands become frigid, my feet are numb, and my nipples could be used to direct traffic if need-be. I realize it’s not cold – 10 degrees Celsius is not causing anyone hypothermia or the lose of limbs due to frost-bite. However, my perspective has changed in the five months since I left Chicago. I have become acclimated to the 32+ Celsius days, sweating my weight in water on a daily basis, and learning that sometimes even sitting is too strenuous an activity. That’s why I fully intend on embracing the “winter wonderland” of Lampang, by purchasing a new scarf, hat, gloves, and hooded sweatshirt – Brrrrr, it’s getting cold here!