The Quality of The Sun

I'm not sure how many of you take pleasure in reading the minifeeds. But I only write this as a mean to procrastinate. If you enjoy, this is my treat; If not, I get to procrastinate regardless.

Two days ago, me and many lovely cohorts decided to sit on the grass after class. It was a casual hangout, nothing huge. They talked about European politics, about which I'm more ignorant than a middle schooler. But in the end, we started discussing about the quality of the sun in Sweden.

I didn't say much on the spot because I couldn't articulate. How could I describe the feeling when I saw the sun spread in the living room as a sick kid who got the chance to happily stay home? Of course I felt sick at the moment, and being at home made me feel safe. Only until later this scene struck me with a new realization: I had rarely seen the sun in the living room in a breezy autumn afternoon.

Saying that the sun showed up in my living room sounds trivial. Since the sun is always there, if no clouds block sunlight, then why wouldn't there be sun in the living room? I was never in a good position to appreciate the sun for this precise reason - it's too common. Only when I was sick, my mind wondered off to the floor with shades of the window.

Later I moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, then moved again to Beijing. The sun in West Lafayette was strong, sharp, even hurtful from time to time. The sun in Beijing feels sharper but in some sense quite healing. Beijing's fall is almost like a unstable limbo between summer and winter. One day it feels a bit hot when the next day will be freezingly cold. But the sun doesn't hurt when you bathed in it. It actually feels warm and recharging when temperature is low.

I think Uppsala's Sun is something different. It's clear but not the same kind of crystal clear as Beijing's. The clarity never lasts, it's closer to glittering than crystal clear. The fast moving clouds would often jokingly reveal the sun for 5 minutes and then maliciously hide it back. But also for this particular reason, the sun actually bring more color into the city. When it's gloomy, everything becomes grey and closer to death. I never felt more similar to a vegetable to crave for sunlight. It feels good to be directly in the sun. It brings vibrance to the greyness, which is a treat for the eyes.

Too bad it's not going to last long.

I had my fun and pleasure being in the sun in the past month.