Autumn from Hong Kong

{A gorgeous tree that I used to often walk or drive by, in Ottawa}

I didn't realise how much I loved Autumn in Canada until I started seeing it from others' point of view, as an outsider currently living in Hong Kong. Reading everyone's posts on Facebook and Twitter about hiking amongst the colourful foliage in Gatineau Park, pumpkin spice lattés everything, the need for layering on sweaters and wearing boots because of the temperature dropping to the single digits, even the complaints about first snowfalls - it makes me miss being home in Canada all that much more. What Autumn used to mean to me were all those things that I mentioned, but it also meant enjoying some traditions such as multiple Thanksgiving dinners (I always spent the day with my fiancé's family and then with my own), and taking my little cousins out on Halloween night for trick-or-treating. 

{I loved putting on my trench coat and throwing on a scarf to keep warm while picking my own apples near my parents' home}

Autumn in Hong Kong is nothing like what I am used to experiencing back home. The temperature is still in the mid-twenties range, and I have yet to even bother with sweaters unless I am in one of the many frigidly air-conditioned buildings and buses. The temperature recently dropped to just under 25 degrees Celsius and I received a message from our landlord informing us that our air conditioning unit also doubles as a heater if we needed to warm up the apartment... Let's just say that we have our A/C on at all times when we are home and it has definitely not been switched over to the heat setting, yet.

Although I am trying as hard as I can to be happy about what is supposed to be a very exciting adventure and amazing life experience, I can't help but feel that I left my heart back at home with my friends and family. Until I can see them again, though, I will just have to "make do" and reminisce over the memories which I also thankfully have in photographic form. To look on the brighter side of things, I suppose that I will also have new memories of Autumn after my year in Hong Kong is complete, too...

{A picture sent to me from Ottawa of my little cousin's new costume as Iron Man for Halloween this year}

{My little cousin (aka Batman) on Halloween night in 2010}

{A snowy Halloween night, two years ago}