I made this image in Singapore when I tagged along with my wife who was working as a consular assistant. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had brought consular assistants from all around the world for a week of training. I came along for the ride, and while my wife sat all day in an office, I wandered around the island (Singapore public transit is fantastic!) while carrying a ridiculous amount of gear. This is one of those consular assistants. I can’t remember her name although I believe she is from Italy.
Perhaps it’s worth noting that I shot this in January. Now, I prepare this post sitting in my Toronto condo while, outside, the streets are covered in January snow and the temperature has dipped below -20ºC. In Singapore, the coldest temperature ever recorded is 19.4ºC and more typically hovers around a humid 30ºC.
Whenever I travel, I ask myself: would I want to live in this place? While Singapore has many things to commend it, four distinct seasons is not among them. I wonder how I would feel about living in a place without clear seasonal variation. The transitions, especially in spring and autumn, have an affective quality that I cherish: the feeling of optimism that comes as the snow melts and the ground thaws; the feeling of wistfulness as the leaves turn and the days shorten. I’m not sure I would want to live without these feelings.
Even so, like most Canadians, I enjoy it when I can interrupt my winter with a little time in the sun. This woman’s smile nicely captures that feeling of delight at being able to cast off heavy jackets and to bask in the warmth.
