It randomly started snowing two days ago. I was walking through the school, talking to someone, when the snow got in the way. The snow didn't last long, either way - it never settled, and rain was the dominant form of precipitation for the rest of the day. I can only hope there will be a white Christmas in South London this year, though having grown up in the UK, I find that sadly unlikely.
They've started playing Christmas ads on the radio - it's only November. They're not even that good; [lottery company] has decided an imitation of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" to advertise their scratchcards was wise, but it doesn't even sound that great. Also, I might be naïve, but scratchcards aren't particularly the best gifts as you're far more likely to lose money than anything. "Win a pound or three", the song admits, likely because the line rhymes with "partridge in a pear tree", but either way it's telling that the ad that's meant to convince you gives total winnings that are below the typical price of a scratchcard. Not that I'm in charge of your gifts...
It's only going to get colder from now on. In the morning, the grass is lined with frost; by the afternoon, it leaves the pavements wet and slippery. Temperatures are going into the minuses now as well, and the prospect of winter is only getting more real. How can the year already be over, I wonder. I'm now closer to my eighteenth birthday than to my seventeenth - how did that ever happen?
It's only going to get darker from now on...well, at least until the winter solstice, which is still a month away. By the time I'm back home, the sky is a dark blue, perhaps with a sunset tinge if I'm lucky. The lamppost glimmers are more prominent at this time of year, and their faint buzzing is often the only sound in the larger silence sparked by the growing night. It's quite eerie, and I'm not a fan of the dark so I'm more inclined to stay for longer indoors. I can't cycle after school, I don't have all the lights and hi-vis jackets needed.
I think this photo aptly summarises this phase of the year:
Trees simply aren't natural with all those lights, but otherwise they'd be naked and thus gloomy. I took this photo by the O2 Arena in North Greenwich, so it shouldn't be surprising that it feels more vibrant. They were playing trip hop music, which made for a curious contrast to the concert I went to that day.
I endured nearly three hours of often harsh, brash music (even if the odd piano part was at the forefront), which was rather lovely to say the least. All in all, I enjoyed the concert, and found that the band were exceptional live; their studio work pales in comparison. Thanks, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, for making that day sound phenomenal.
Otherwise, November has felt rather bleak, though it's not to blame. Instead of focusing heavily on Christmas, I'd rather think about the past remnants of Halloween. Whilst this could have been a blogpost on the US election and its fallout, I don't want to dwell on the news - that doesn't define November at all. Instead, I'd like to salvage the last few bits of autumn, as I've been indoors for far too long and spending too much time in front of a screen, whether for blogging, revision, the like.
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