Tag: winter
Evolving Emotions: Blizzard
My legs are like columns of sheeted glass
They burn with an anger
I have neglected them
Left them to be battered
By a blizzard, hardly forgiving
My hands chip like old plaster
Revealing the life underneath
The pain of red
Numbed in the cold
My hair discourages logic
Protests order
And wreaks havoc
In front of my eyes
Shielding my face
Enough to obscure
But not enough to warm
A cry inside
Screaming for
Something
Anything
To feel again
To know that all will calm
The ice sets in
Hardening the bones
Congealing their marrow
Hindering the joints
Straining the throat
The blizzard takes hold
Despite my hope
For a light flurry
Following the storm
Hidden Gems: Man Alive! by King Krule
Michigan winters are the roughest time of the year for me; the lack of sunlight, the cold that bites to the bone, and now recently being stuck inside due to the pandemic. I get as much fresh air as I can, but as a solitary person who spends too much time on the computer, I find myself hardly leaving my apartment unless I have to. One of the things I miss most about the usual college experience is walking to class, even when it’s freezing cold, because it’s one of the only times where I’m not working and I can just live in the moment by enjoying the sights and listening to great music. I’ve discussed in the past how closely music can be related to certain times in life, and I find that’s especially true with the passing of the seasons. For me, winter is a time of melancholy music, albums that reflect the bleakness of winter days and the never-ending nights, songs that are dismal and depressing, and music that perfectly expresses the cold solitude of the season. Whether or not it’s good for my mental health, I just love how well certain music can complement the season, and I bask in the utterly dismal emotions that the pairing brings.
On that happy note, let me introduce you to my current winter favorite, the musical artist King Krule. I don’t know much about him as a person, as he’s pretty mysterious and relatively unknown, but I know that his music is incredible. I discovered his work last winter, almost exactly a year ago to the day, and it resonated perfectly with what I was feeling at the time. The first album I listened to was Man Alive! which was released on February 21st of 2020 and was welcomed with critical acclaim by the music community. It was a unique experience for me; I hadn’t heard anything like it before, and the slow, dark, and heavy tone of the album was a complete surprise. Every note of every song is hauntingly beautiful and perfectly placed. The vocals are understated and delivered with such melancholy that it’s almost seductive. It’s a kind of depressing that’s relaxing in a way, because it’s so calm and simple in it’s sadness. All of the songs blend together into one long experience of self-reflection and the lack of distinct separation creates the feeling of falling down a dark well and never hitting the bottom. The album is a rabbit hole of abstract despair, with nothing solid to grasp, just fragments of coherent thought strung together with flawless instrumentation. It’s somewhat comparable to Pink Floyd’s The Wall at times, with dismal chord progressions and lyrics that portray a character going mad in solitude. For all of these reasons, I found Man Alive! to be the perfect album for winter, and even as I write this post I’m soaking in the relaxing despair of the album. I can’t recommend it enough, especially during the strange times we’re currently living in. King Krule will single-handedly define the last two winters for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Study Hal: Week 34 – Snowy Weather
Ah, February. No matter how much we want springtime, this month always brings us more snow. Hal has been coping just fine staying indoors, but his dog Sparky is a little less patient. He wants it to be springtime, now, and I’m not sure he realizes Hal doesn’t have the power to fix it!
Spring will come soon enough, but in the meantime, I hope you’ve been staying nice and cozy while you’re staying safe. It may feel like winter’s over, but those wind chills are no joke!
If this is your first time, welcome! Hal is a U-M student studying remotely this year. I’ve been sharing all of his challenges, surprises, and distractions on the Study Hal tag, but be sure to come back next Tuesday for another installment!
Basil + Gideon #7: blizzard
We’ve been having really mild winter weather, so far, but every time that I walk outside and it’s snowing it reminds me of that one scene in Fellowship of the Ring where they’re scaling that mountain in the snow. I realize my experience probably isn’t universal, but hopefully that clears up what the inspiration for this comic was.
Basil + Gideon is an ongoing narrative comic, if this is your first time reading check out the first installment here!
Winter Break Beginnings
Today is December 20th. What is its significance? Last week, some lucky students already finished final exams, projects, and essays, so it seemed like winter break had already started. For many others, however, the past few days were full of cram sessions, late nights, and more, leading up to the end of the semester. Today marks the last day of examinations, last day in the dorms, and last day of the 2019 fall semester. I hope everyone’s finals went well, but now that they’re over, I’m looking forward to winter break.
What are your plans for the next two-three weeks? I’m sure for many students, more sleep is one thing to look forward to. If you need more reasons to appreciate the time away from school, I’ve compiled a list of reasons why winter break is so great.
- You can take a break from studying and homework.
- The relief that washed over my face after I finished my last final was only matched by the nervousness of viewing my final grades. Finals are awful, but they mark the end of the semester, which means no assignments over winter break! Take that much-needed studying hiatus to catch up on things you enjoy, like sleep.
- You get to spend time with family.
- Okay, maybe you’re not the biggest fan of your somewhat annoying second cousin or your excruciatingly nosy aunt, but the holiday season is the perfect time to be with loved ones. I love my UM family here in Ann Arbor, but I appreciate the time to be at home with my parents. I also look forward to playing board games with my extended family, watching the new Star Wars film with my siblings, and simply enjoying the company of loved ones.
- There’s plenty of delicious food.
- Yes, we all love those dining hall tendies – there’s even a student-made website for keeping track of when and where chicken tenders are being served. However, the home cooked meals and occasional restaurant excursions (courtesy of the parents, of course) have been missed. During winter break, there are plenty of cookies and specialty foods due to the holidays. That goes for beverages, as well. I can’t wait to look like Baby Yoda all cuddled up with a blanket and mug of hot chocolate. 🙂
- There’s time for hobbies you’ve missed.
- College life is busy life. I used to LOVE reading in my free time, but when someone asks me what book I’ve read recently, nothing but textbooks come to mind. Winter break provides a bit of free time to catch up on all the hobbies you’ve missed while you’ve been busy studying, working, and doing all those extracurricular activities. Some of my friends have already lined up the shows to binge watch before returning to campus in January, while others are preparing to get down to business with arts and crafts.
- It’s the holiday season.
- The next two weeks feature numerous holidays, including Hanukkah, Kwanza, and more. As someone who celebrates Christmas, I always love this time of year. Colorful lights, Christmas music, and family gatherings are some of my favorites parts of the season. Whatever festivities you celebrate during break, I wish you happy holidays!
What’s your favorite winter break activity? Comment below!
