More Dark

December 1, 2007

Before I came to Kazakstan I had never lived anywhere over the 23rd parallel, and now I know why. It is not the cold, a warm pair of socks, my wool jacket, along with my “Irish sweater” and I am good to go. Rather, it is the darkness that is beginning to get to me. I hate waking up at 7:00 and it being pitch black outside, and not only is it pitch black when I get up, it is still dark when I go to work! Due to the fact that most of Kazakstan is on one time zone and they do not use day light savings time, the sun does not rise in Kyzylorda till 9:00 AM, and it sets by 6:00 PM. Fortunately, the nine hours of sunlight is enough to keep me from getting Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I have to admit it is still a bit depressing. I can only imagine what my friends up in the great white north are dealing with it. Still I know it is not all bad. After all, when summer comes around I will get up to 15 hours of sunlight a day! Also, there was a time when all I wanted was more dark, when the sunlight streaming through the window to signal the arrival of a new day was a curse rather than a blessing. Unfortunately, unlike when I was four, I have to get up for work, which is not very easy in the deep darkness before dawn.