Changing skies - November musings

The sky before I wrote this post

The sky is always changing. The clouds appear and disappear, move and make patterns. The sun moves across the sky (or rather, the Earth turns so that the sun appears to be moving) giving different hues to the things on the ground and the clouds. The clouds can be glowing bright yellow, pink or orange. Or they can be soft grays and blues. They can look menacing, soft, heavy, or happy.

And the night sky is a whole other story. The moon can shine out through a veil of clouds, or be obscured or behind the horison. It could also be there one moment, and then be completely covered the next. On starry nights, one can feel so small and so significant at the same time. I feel that when I look up at the stars, I am alone in having that experience. It makes me feel special, in a way. Sometimes I feel that I can reach out and touch the stars, but other times I feel the force keeping me tethered to the Earth, and I feel small and far away.

The sky and the Earth are always changing. But I often feel stuck in the same routines. I feel that each day is just a repeat of the last one, and that next week will just be another week. But the future is undecided, it's just that I can't live with that idea. I seek stability and predictability - it is comforting to know what is going to happen.

The sky when I had written this post

But even the skies and the Earth are governed by natural laws that dictate how and when things change. I wish the laws of my life were easy to follow and understand. Then my life would roll on as easily as the rain comes in from the ocean, and I would always be where I was supposed to be.

Clouds, stars, visible breaths in the cold air, sunsets and fallen leaves are things that add to the atmosphere of November. Darkness is taking over, the days grow shorter. Woolly jumpers are comforting, and a blanket is the perfect thing in the evenings. I sometimes wish I had a fireplace with a comfortable chair where I could sit wrapped in a blanket and read with a cup of redbush tea. This is the perfect season for that.

Musing as the November day turns towards the November night. This was just a piece of the wandering of my thoughts, I hope you enjoyed it.

Watching the world turn

Turning, turning, turning through the years.

Minutes into hours and the hours into years.

Nothing changes. Nothing ever can.

Round about the roundabout and back where you began.

Round and round and back where you began.

From the song "Turning" from Les Misérables, the musical

A sunset (or Earth-turning)
seen from St. Vincent

There is something special about watching the Earth turn. It can be beautiful, mesmerizing, peaceful and awe-inspiring all at the same time. Sunrise is an almost magical time. The first rays of the sun hitting the land, watching the sunshine chase the night away, it's peaceful and pulse-quickening at the same time. Sunset is equally fulfilling to watch, colourful and amazing, but softly fading into night. Here are some more sunsets from the Caribbean. It feels so big but at the same time so ordinary being in those moments when I have the time set aside to watch the sunrise or the sunset. It's like the thoughts I have are coloured by the colours in the sky - stress becomes nothing, and all thoughts mellow out. Now that winter is coming and the days are shorter, I can more often see the sunrise and sunset - if I just remember to look out of the window. Maybe I should make that a priority, to enjoy some tranquil moments during my otherwise slightly stressful days.

The progress of the sun across the sky is something I rarely observe except during the summer, so watching the sun move sluggishly across the sky is something that reminds me of hot summer days with nothing to do but to relax with a good book. Carefree and relaxing days, just watching the world turing and going for the ride.

Focault's pendulum

At university, I find myself drawn to another thing that marks the passage of time and the turning of the Earth - Focault's pendulum. The basic idea is that the pendulum moves in the same direction all the time, but because of the rotation of the Earth, its direction appears to be changing. The one here has metal pins set up around it, and these are knocked down about every 8 to 10 minutes (yes, I have timed it).

It is mesmerizing watching it rotate, knowing that when the next pin is knocked down, the world will have changed. Ever so slightly, but changed nonetheless. The Earth turns and we go with it, however unwilling we are to go at that pace. We are turning around and around, but never back again, even though it an feel that way. We are all time-travellers, travelling forwards in time at a speed of one second per second. Those second become hours and days, which become months and years.

Sometimes, watching the Earth spin, I feel so small, stuck down here on this pale blue dot. But then I think of how beautiful this blue ball is, with its teeming life and small everyday miracles like snowflakes and dew drops. It is humbling and awe-inspiring as well as peaceful to witness the turning of the Earth and the passage of time. Happy time travelling, remember to enjoy watching the world turn.

The Norwegian look

This past week, we've had some days with a clear blue sky. That means a cold night and a sunny and warmer day. Around this time of year, the sun is warm to the feel again. I know, that isn't technically a correct statement (you can't touch the sun, and of course it's always hot, it's a miasma of incandescent plasma!), but what I mean is that you can feel the heat from the sunlight that hits your face. In Norway, this isn't always the case. During the winter months, especially December, there is little or no difference between sunlight and shade when it comes to warmth. So, when the sun starts to warm you up again, it feels really awesome.

That is where the Norwegian look comes in. It is not the name of a fashion look or anything like that. It is the innate response of Norwegians to the sun warming them on their faces again after the long winter. It is a sure sign that spring is on the way when people stop and show off the Norwegian look in the middle of the street. Here is how to get the Norwegian look:

If you are skiing, plant your ski poles behind you, pointing slightly outwards. Lean a little backwards on them. If you are not skiing, plant your hands on your hips or lay your hands on the small of your back, and lean a little backwards with your legs planted a little apart. Raise your head towards the sun, shut your eyes (these two things define the Norwegian look) and smile a little. Can also be done while sitting down.

The Norwegian look while sitting down

There you have it. The Norwegian look. Remember, only for use in the late winter and spring. Enjoy soaking up the D vitamins in the sun!