what am I doing in this paved wasteland?

The city is making me very restless today. I want to bring something of the season into my office. A bowl of pine cones would be ideal.

There's no place nearby that I can collect some.

There are no shops in the neighborhood that sell them. The winter holidays are all about electric lights, tinsel and plastic here.

What am I doing in this paved and forsaken corner of the world? I am but a short train ride from home, but I am working in another world, on a foreign island. I know in my heart that I can't stay here forever, but can I make it through a few more years?

preparations for Yule

Polishing brass is a good thing to do during the dark evenings before the solstice. So is setting up the hope that the light will return. So many candles await, and such darkness envelops.