WHITE CITY

MONDAY, 2nd FEBRUARY 2009

This is a day I will never forget. "Look outside!" Olivia shouted. I was laying in bed. at the time "Just LOOK OUTSIDE!" she insisted. So I did. I really wasn't paying much attention. I 'd told myself not to stay the night, as I had college to go to the following morning. Eventually I came round to pulling the curtain away to look outside.

The sight of snow brings back so many good memories, as I can always recall fond memories from childhood (growing up in Scandinavia does that to you). Skiing, ice-skating sledging, jumping into big piles of powder snow, skiing holidays with school, traveling an hour away after school (board in one hand, boots in the other and books and rucksack on the back) to Tryvann Ski Center so we could hit the jumps till the early morning; my brother and I freezing our nuts off building jumps in our back garden (we were crazy skater/snowboard dudes back then. I was about 11 or 12 at the time). I could devote a whole essay to my fond memories of snow, I'm sure everyone can. So you can understand how happy it made me to see snow again. Luckily I'd brought my brother's precious Nikon FE (as I'd been taking pictures all of Saturday and Sunday).

I don't even know how cold it was outside (I didn't even care to be honest with you). It was just too damn cold- even by British standards. Although what I really wanted was some more sleep, but I knew "this shit doesn't happen every day. I HAVE TO go out and get some pictures. It will be like my mission." I told my girlfriend. "You arty freak" She replied. "Don't be gone too long. It's so late and we'll be getting up early tomorrow for college. I don't want to worry about you." Being the tough little man I am, I told myself no girl or no amount of cold was going to stop me and my determination to capture "that one perfect shot" as I told her. I got dressed, rushed out the door and all I could see was white. White, white WHITE! That's all you could see- everywhere! It was unreal. The atmosphere was so nostalgic, memories so vivid, almost as if I was in a surreal dream; strange and terrifying, yet beautiful. Precious, CRISPY WHITE snow!

This sort of thing just doesn't happen in England. Snow does fall, but it never falls this crisp and thick. And it's usually gone before you've got any time to play with it. After a few minutes I could feel my circulation slowing down. The feet were the first to be affected (and the worst). Then my fingers, and then all the rest of me. Being stubborn as I am, I was determined not to let ANYTHING, not even frostbite (well maybe that, but...) get in the way of me seeing something truly spectacular. I have never concentrated on my surrounding so intensely; never had to think so quickly and work so fast. It was "frozen body" versus "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". I believe in trying things out, even if you don't get what you expected. Following this notion, I know I will not feel any regret,"at least I tried", I can tell myself. Also it gives me something to look back at in my distant future. Perhaps when I've grown hairier and wiser.

I can tell you for certain- that THAT was one HELL of a MISSION. I was nuts for for putting my mind and body through such extreme conditions (the intense concentration, the sleep deprivation and of course THE FUCKING COLD!), but that's what life's about... agreed? Sometimes you've got to grab life by the balls if you want anything out of it! Live a LOT, is what I say.