There is nothing like -45 degree temperatures (in both celsius AND fahrenheit) to turn a person into a hermit. The very thought of sticking any sort of appendage outside for even a second send shivers down your spine. Blankets are your outer wear and tea takes the place of your mittens as you huddle inside, taking comfort, like a bear in its cave, of the small room you have. Yet, there is still work and food that draws you out of the room. Unlike a bear during hibernation, you are not able to gather food to last the winter. Your refrigerator is simply not big enough. Also unlike a bear during hibernation, you have bills to pay, people to see, and a paycheck to earn. And thus begins the process of donning four layers of clothes, for every part of the body (ok, maybe a bit of an exageration, but not really that big of one!). There is the need to add 10 minutes to the amount of time it takes to get out the door. This cycle repeated itself for me, day after day, for one month. It is a hopeless predicament to find oneself in - cold, ice, snow (white, black, brown), and gray skies...The mood is depressed and energy is gone. Then, a change occurs.
It happened so subtly one day. Yet despite the subtleness of it all, the change in weather sent ripples through the earth. It was so blissful. It came unexpectedly and quietly - the sun lit up the sky and the earth below it, the birds came out and sang their songs, and I could feel his face. There is nothing like a long, cold winter to erase from your mind the feeling of warmth and sunlight. As I walked to work, it seemed every molecule in my body was waking up and starting to dance. My mood improved instantly, a smile appeared on my lips, the walk to the university seemed shorter all of a sudden, and the world around me sprung into excitement. Although I escaped the deep winter cold of Tuva by going to St. Petersburg, February nonetheless was cold and dark enough to set me into the "hibernation" I described above. All desire to be outside froze in the chill and I receded the boundaries of my domain to the walls of my apartment, stretching them to include the university only on work days. My accomplishments were movie marathons and sleeping. What else was there to do? Well now, that is all over.Spring has come to Tuva and with it, the energy of the sun itself!
It is visible not only in the extended length of days or the blue skies, but also on the faces of people walking by. Everyone seems a bit happier (but just a bit) with an extra bounce added to each step. As I mentioned in my last post, the deep, cold winters of northern countries help me appreciate the warmer months of the year. Now, my apprectional is at maximum, and it is only March!
I confess, that as I returned in February to Kyzyl, I felt very little desire to explore more in Tuva. Even the mountains, visible from my window by day and by night, lost their hold on me. Any thought of exploring outside or hiking was instantly swept away by the cold winds. Yet, it seems that those thoughts were not swept away forever; having come back on the rays of the sun. Now, I gaze upon the mountains and feel once again that desire to set foot upon them and wander around without a map, following my feelings and the direction of the wind. This thirst and hunger for adventure grows each day, fed my dreams of what lies beyond the mountains. I recently opened up a book that was given to me by my students in December. It's entitled "The Treasures of Tuva" and on the inside cover is a map of Tuva. I never bought a map of the republic when I arrived here in the fall, so I had not especially looked at one, relying mostly on how people described the layout of the republic to be. The map ignited in me a desire to touch every part of Tuva. Maps are magical in that way. They allow us to see places that are physically far away from us, but so easily "travelled" to with our eyes. We can plan a route as quickly as making dinner. That is what I did as I looked upon this map. Earlier, I had thought that I would want to visit Mongolia. While I still would like to see that country, I realized how much of Tuva is left to discover! All of it! Also, there is the issue of the border crossings, which allow only citizens of the Russian Federation and Mongolia to transit over the border. This is the case only on the Tuvan border. Of course. But, that then leaves me the only option of travelling in Tuva;which is more than enough!
