As the winter began to melt away, there were patches of snow still on the ground as we walked to school. The earth had a wonderful smell to it, with bits of green grass finally pushing their way up through the mud and the whiteness of the leftover snow.In the suburbs of Montreal there were still empty lots and fields, though mostly attractive houses with two living rooms, the second room was called a Rec Room, or recreation room where children played, or parents watched television. We had front yard and back yards, and planted small trees and beds of flowers.I was excited by the spring as it meant we could stop wearing boring school uniforms, and wear our own pretty dresses. My mom made me clothes on her Singer sewing machine, and I had to stand patiently for fittings as she adjusted the clothes with pins in her mouth. She was expert, and used Vogue designer patterns I never bothered to learn, later preferring simpler companies.The winter clothes we all wore were so bulky, ear muffs and scarves and boots and snowsuits that zippered up the front. The spring mornings when I stood in my bedroom lifting my arms above my bed to pull on a cotton dress, and then slip my feet into sandals…or more likely, closed shoes, as spring was still a little chilly…No hats, no boots, no scarves…The physical freedom of this.Our fathers did not have to curse the car engines that made odd choking sounds, making them later for work.. Mom did not have to complain about the snow prints from our dog padding in and out of our home, making out kitchen muddy.The winters were too long, we were shaped by our climate in Canada, and just to arrive at the spring was something to be happy about.
March 20, 2022. Hong Kong, SAR. Ellie Wong