Echoes of the Solstice
It’s the end of the year once again, and this will probably be the last time I write a blog post this year. I know many people like to compose annual summaries at this time, but the idea of making sense of the fragmented and absurd experiences from this year feels far too ambitious for someone as idle and indolent as I am. So, I’ll simply jot down some thoughts.
Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Even in a southern city like Canton, the arrival of winter is palpable. Every morning, as I groggily wake and make my way to the balcony to wash up, the cold wind pierces through, instantly jolting me awake. However, on an afternoon like this, sitting by a window in the teaching building, with the warm sun shining on me, sipping a cup of hot tea while reading a book feels wonderfully pleasant. After all, compared to my hometown, winter here in Canton is much milder. In Jiangnan, Yu Dafu could still write an essay like The Winter Scenery of Jiangnan, and Lu Xun could describe the “moist and beautiful” snow. Yet here, the view outside remains a vibrant green, with no sign of withering. Mirror Lake still ripples with green waters, occasionally graced by a couple of wild ducks swimming by. Beneath the laboratory building, there are some trees whose names I do not know, but even in winter, they are adorned with pink flowers, blending with the surrounding greenery to create a truly dreamlike scene.
Taken by the classroom window on 21st December.
Traditionally, today would be a day for family reunions, but I am unable to go home just yet. I inexplicably had a fever for three days last week, leaving me in a daze, but I finally finished the last few classes of the semester yesterday. Two weeks of revision and one week of exams remain before I can finally begin my journey home. Every time I think of that, my spirits are lifted. Though my hometown is likely blanketed in fallen yellow leaves and the flowers long gone, the thought of the warmth of home fills me with eager anticipation.
Oh, and by the way, I recently decided to buy my own domain name. After some deliberation, I finally settled on one yesterday: eclogues.dev. “Eclogues” comes from the works of the Latin poet Virgil and now refers to pastoral poetry. I first encountered the phrase Et in Arcadia Ego in Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead Revisited. Arcadia symbolises pastoral life and living in harmony with nature—free from arrogance, greed, and the conflicts of the secular world, like a utopia. I believe the most beautiful life would be one where you can sing shepherds’ songs in the countryside. Although I grew up in a city, disturbed by the complexities of the world, my blog may not reflect the serene and beautiful world of an eclogue, but holding onto such an idea still lends a sense of hope to life.
In any case, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the Lord grant you peace and joy!
Some updates: I finished writing this post in the afternoon, but since my friends invited me to a hotpot dinner, I only got home late at night. I wanted to make sure to post it before the Winter Solstice passed. 😊
Taken on the way back to school on 21st December.