AN EXPERIENCE WITH WINTER (PAGE 20, JAN 20, 2010)

INDEED, this is not the best time to be in Europe. At least not for one who comes from the northern part of Ghana where the temperature mostly swings between 36 and 40 degrees Celsius.
I had to spend part of my time virtually “imprisoned” in my humble abode in Freiburg where the weather was mostly freezing (below zero) just like in other parts of Europe as the days drew closer to last Christmas.
In spite of all the thick sets of warm shirts, “pullovers” and multiple socks coupled with the woollen gloves that I always wore during my outdoor activities I still suffered from the unrelenting and unsympathetic bite of the wintry weather.
Sometimes both my hands and feet became numb as the cold wafted through my ears and nose while my lips trembled.
Almost everybody is spotted in gloves, hats, boots, snickers and scarves of different types and shapes and colour just to provide some warmth and comfort in a region with seasonal extremes and changes in weather.
It is the period of the year when a lot of people catch bouts of cold with muscle aches, runny nose with intermittent coughs.
Even though I was able to manage the uncomfortable situation for the entire period of my stay, days leading to the Xmas became more chilly as the snowflakes began falling “painting” everything white.
The roads became slippery compelling pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to tread more cautiously.
In other parts of Europe such as Britain and France, airlines were compelled to either delay or cancel their flights, as the freezing temperatures and heavy storms swept across those countries.
There were large numbers of frustrated commuters journeying for the Christmas holidays at airports, bus and train stations as witnessed on television.
In spite of all the challenges the weather brought along, it was also a time for fun for both kids and adults as they engaged in outdoor activities such as building of snow houses and castles, making walls and creating paths to connect to the buildings. They eventually created snow villages with much fanfare.
I really enjoyed every bit of my stay in the “Eco-City” of Freiburg except for the chilly temperatures. I arrived back home in Tamale on December 27 to the glowing smiles of the Sun and the warm embrace of family and friends.
But I am not done yet, as I will be journeying back to Berlin in the last week of January this month to wrap up on the “close-up” programme organised and sponsored by the Goethe Institute for practising journalists from various parts of the world.
The Goethe Institute is a German cultural institution operating worldwide. It promotes the study of the German language abroad and also encourages international cultural exchange and relations.