Autumn: The Transition of the Season

October 10, 2020

My alarm rings reminding me to wake up "get up sleepy head." While climbing down my bed I almost stumbled on my feet. With half-opened eyes, I lazily walk heading towards the balcony's direction and slid the door so weakly. Chilly air sends shivers down my spine. "Oh, cool air, you're finally here." I love the coolness of the air in the morning. It refreshes my body and put me in a chilly mood. A positive vibe in the morning makes my whole day positive.

It seems like yesterday when the hot weather was melting me to death. That is what I hate the most during summer: shirt soaked with dripping sweat, the hot weather dehydrating my body, and the sun rays seem like toasting my skin regardless of how thick the sunscreen protection on it. And living in a country with lesser shades and trees makes the summer not enjoyable. Each summer day here in Hong Kong makes me want to go back to my province where I can breathe fresh air, and where I can relax under the canopies of our star apple trees.

But the long wait is over, Autumn is finally here. Many places in the northern hemisphere of the Earth have just experienced a change of seasons - from summer to autumn. The transition from summer to autumn in the northern hemisphere starts from September to October, and from March to May in the southern hemisphere. But here in Hong Kong, I can only feel autumn in the middle of October, I guess that is the effect of global warming. Just like how the seasons change, the temperature during those seasons changes as well.

If Spring is the time of rebirth, many considered Autumn as the season of dying or the slowing down phase to winter. The nature entering a calm phase, the temperature fall which brings a nip in the air, and the hours of daylight become shorter as the Earth tilted away from the sun. The flowering plants stop blooming and leaves are changing its colors, die, and fall to the ground.

If you will ask why the leaves change its colors and die;

It is because leaves stop producing chlorophyll (a green pigment found in the chloroplasts of the plants), in response to cold temperature and the changes in daylight. Chlorophyll is essential in photosynthesis which allows plants to absorb energy from light. Meanwhile, the carotenoids (yellow and orange pigments) wash out green which makes it shine through the leaves. And the red pigments called anthocyanins which are found in some leaves, are only produced during autumn.

Research also says that red leaves are an indication of distress. If the leaves of a tree turned red early, it is possibly suffering from fungus or probably due to ding from the wild river.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/24476-autumn.html

What I love about Autumn is the quite phase it gives to nature and the sense of the melancholic atmosphere of the season. It is kind of pessimistic in some way, but you will start to fall in love with the season as you experienced it. The transition of brightly shaded foliage and rustic leaves dramatically fall from trees and other plants to carpet the ground.

As a person who grew up in a tropical country, I can only see those scenes in movies before, especially shoot in South Korea or Japan, but when I witness the beauty of the transition, I felt like I was on the side of the Earth.

Autumn is also regarded as a time of productivity or the season of the harvest because most foods are harvested during the autumn season. In some countries, festivals are celebrated during the autumn season to give thanks to their successful crop production. The Thanksgiving of the United States and Canada, Moon Festival here in Hong Kong, and other relative countries and it is also associated with Halloween with the use of pumpkins as an integral part of the holiday.

Some call this season as twilight years as it is like the end of the year. But for many, they better call it golden years. It is the time when they do not care what others will think about them anymore, they just want to enjoy the autumn of their life.

The fall season is also the best opportunity to give more time for one's self. During autumn, the daylight is shorter so that means there is more time in the evenings, more time to embark on something they love, more time to plan for the better. It is also a perfect time to focus on plans. No distractions by summer holidays and parties. It is the right time to contemplate the past and change the mistakes and focus on achieving the goals for a new and better life. And in my part, it is the perfect time to toss myself on my bed and curl under my soft and thick blanket.

Many love this season and excited for the winter, but it isn't the case for some living creatures suffering during cold seasons, especially during winter. As the temperature drops, it becomes a struggle for those who don't have a heater at home. Water turns cold which compromises the activities of daily living and even the person's immune system. And in other countries with expensive woods, some find it difficult to toss some woods on their fireplaces to keep them warm.

In the forest, wildlife is often the most vulnerable to the extremes the circumstances take. As early as summer, they start preparing for the scarcity of foods the winter will bring. Some birds are traveling toward the equator to escape from the plummeting temperatures.

If the wildlife is in a struggling situation during the cold season, the same as through with the homeless people in different places in the northern and southern hemisphere of the world. Homeless people die young, many got sick during the cold seasons: frostbite, hypothermia, and other related illnesses. The cold temperature is deteriorating their health and body.

In some places, squatters opened a building in the city center for the homeless. Different charities are assisting the homeless. But there is only a little help, not everyone is entitled to government assistance, and not all have given help and shelter to stay during cold seasons. Fortunate are those who found a place to stay like abandoned houses, tunnels, and even used sewers are partitioned into rooms just to make them survive from the cold seasons. I, myself have witnessed how homeless people here in Hong Kong suffered during winter. Aside from not having a place to stay, they are also starving. Every time I saw them, all I can do is to give a little help. I believe that, if we cannot help everyone, we can at least help someone.

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest attention" - Oscar Wilde

Here are some of my favorite quotes about Autumn:

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree" — Emily Bronte

"Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this, their only chance to soar" - Delia Owens

"If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then Autumn would be the magic hour" - Victoria Erickson

"It is as sweet and joyful as an untimely end" - Remy de Gourmont

"Autumn whispered to the wind: I fall, but always rise of again" - Angie Weiland Crosby

"Autumn is as stunning as the fluttered foliage on the ground, as magical as the golden time, and as chilly as the season" - Jane

Written By: @Jane