Cold

Nicholas Quirke was not sure wether to be excited or distressed on 19 January 2021 when he pulled back the curtains to see the snow that covered the rooftops. It was a pleasant sight but he was going to have to navigate the weather to get to work and this meant braving the minus 8 temperature with a wind chill factor of minus 12. It sounded harsh and as he had to get to the Exit / Entry bureau in his lunch hour he was not looking forward to either journey. The roads were icy and there were official warnings not to cycle but he wanted to spend as little time in the cold as possible and when her saw an available bike he decided to take the risk. He felt well protected with his hat but as usual his hands were suffering even with gloves. The morning seemed to pass quickly and was relatively enjoyable and at 12 sharp he left the building to make his way to collect his passport. Typically there was no bike and he had to walk to the station. The Lama temple station where he had to get off was only 2 stops but with walking and there being no bike the other end too it took him almost 30 minutes. Collecting his documentation was smooth and easy but with only 15 minutes before he was due to start the afternoon class he wears going to have to cycle. Fortunately there was bike and he sped on his way. It was with some satisfaction that he walked into the class room at one minute past one. The afternoon drama class was a lot of fun and there was much laughter and enjoyment. But at 4pm his exit was equally swift with a visit to register at the police station which was due to shut at 5. It was all very giri giri but fortunately he was the only person registering and he was dealt with quickly and with familiarity. There was a plethora of parcels at the front gate including a trolly which he was able to load up and deliver to the apartment. It was another night of his own devices as Peng was attending the 3 hour long conference. There was not much fun to be had as he continued to attend to various outstanding, ongoing admin issues. He was tired by his days exertions and looked forward to a fitful sleep.

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