The First Day Of Spring

Spring is the elegance & fragrance of life, unlike Summer which often

brings on the heat setting you on fire, while Autumn days tend to fall short of

green with dwindling light before the onset of the cold Winter.

Wildflowers Galore in Spring

It’s the exuberance of Spring

That brings on the zing!

With Spring everything leaps & bounces, jumps, vaults & hops. The atmosphere is one of life – exhilarating, rejuvenating, refreshing, proliferating, stimulating & exciting. These aspects of nature are noticeably transcending in its wake onto the human sphere. You take in your first breath of air on the first day of Spring and you’ll find yourself beginning to sing.

You sing of the flowers in their many colours, of the birds in the air or trees in the garden in tune with the joy in your heart & love in the air . . . young & old, hand in hand, strolling in the parks or tracking in the hills. The streams flow to the cascading waterfall, gurgling here & splashing there. The sun shines with the blue in the sky.

Colourful Spring Blooms

Yes, Spring is seen as a time of growth & renewal of life – a time for better things to come. There’s cause for celebration with the brightening of the day after the dullness of winter.

Geographically speaking, in Spring the axis of the earth is increasing its tilt toward the sun, thereby lengthening the daylight, which in turn warms up the atmosphere causing new plants to “spring forth”. Hence, the significance in the name of “Spring”.

Red Tulips & Everlasting

Lest you should be confused, Australia is that great continental mass that lies in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, everything runs counter to life in the Northern Hemisphere. While you often & always associate snow or cold with Christmas celebration, the Australian will be sweating over the BBQ stove or having their fun in the sun on the beach. In Australia, the Southern Hemisphere, Spring runs from September into November.

Having lived the greater part of my matured life in Malaysia with two good years of sojourn in the United Kingdom, life “Down Under” is truly & appreciatively wonderful. Because of its conducive & exhilarating weather, virtually throughout the year, everyday is like a holiday. Like the advertisement they run on TV: “Beautiful Today. Perfect Tomorrow”. What more can you ask for. You can have your day in the sun or golf for fun. We are indeed so lucky – that’s why it’s called the “Lucky Country”.

Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent

An Australian by Consent

Tuesday, 1 September 2009