It has taken fifty years, but here I am, experiencing my first "white Christmas." It has been snowing for days here in Saint Petersburg; the whole city has a "Christmas card" look to it. My mom would love it!
As a kid growing up in the tropics of Africa, I never did understand those Christmas cards with all that white stuff on them — I had never seen snow before coming to Russia earlier this year.
It was cold and blustery all day yesterday. The lowest temperature recorded in Saint Petersburg was -11°C, and the highest temperature was just one degree warmer: -10°C. Brrr! It is nice and cozy inside the insulated temple, though.
At 60°N latitude, Saint Petersburg is a mere six degrees south of the Arctic Circle — just thirty degrees from the North Pole. This is the closest I have ever been to Santa's headquarters. I thought I might see him flying overhead on his way to San Jose to deliver Maya and Michaela's Christmas gifts... I hope he got Tink's change-of-address card, otherwise Sita is going to have an extra Barbie doll!
I thought I heard a "Ho ho ho!" while snuggled up in my warm bed last night, but it must just have been the wind whirling around the chimney because I did not see any gifts this morning. Maybe I've just been a bad boy...
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