There was the time this past July when people in Kin were saying it "snowed." As a native New Yorker, I am more than aware that it definitely did not snow in Kinshasa. But as someone living in the city during the moment, I recognized the cold weather and out-of-season rain that fell. Bizarre at it's best. It had that first snow feel-something miraculous falling from the sky leaving you with delight, wonder and just a little bit of apprehension (where is this coming from? why is it happening?)
Like most equatorial regions, Kinshasa has a rainy and a dry season. Two major patterns of weather to mark the year. In between are small fluctuations (people like to talk about the mini-dry season somewhere in late January or February) and natural anomalies (if such a phrase can exist.)
I notice the trees. Because I am from upstate New York, trees play a major role in my ability to connect with the rhythms of time. Being surrounded by mountains that turn glowing colors, eventually shed all of their beauty and gratefully grow it all back again has made me keenly aware of leaves and their cycles. I notice the leaves around Kinshasa.
There is definitely a period of shedding and regrowth. It just happens to occur at a slightly faster rate around here. There is even a bit of changing of colors. The trees that do this aren't abundant but you can spot them growing in pairs here and there. Little dots of red and sometimes yellow leaves getting ready to take their plunge to the earth.
"Spring" is also a fast-forward season. No sooner than you spot blossoms appearing on the bare branches, they are blooming before your eyes. I wanted to capture some beautiful little leaf buds on a particular tree by the admin building. By the time I had gotten back there the next day, they'd all bloomed into little leaf couplets.
For some of the trees, this shedding and regrowing seems to happen year round. Of course other trees have a longer cycle. Fruit trees need time to grow and form their scrumptious delights.
But there is a fun tree just at the bottom of the hill that I've yet to snap a photo of. It is low to the ground with wide branches and many leaves. Underneath, women- and the occasional man- sit chipping away at stones. They are on my mind often and I want to stop and chat, take photos, ask about their work. They inspire so many questions and thoughts and motivations for me. But the tree, that deserves it's own story. It functions to provide shade and also serves as a kind of shelving unit. When the leaves have fallen, you can see all the containers, clothing bundles and other things stored there. When the leaves grow back, they provide a camouflage for the hidden treasures.
My first few years in Kinshasa left me with a mistaken sense of time rolling forward as August and September seem to be months of falling leaves and huge jump-in style leaf piles. I tended to get a little confused around November and December when the dormancy didn't kick in and instead there was vibrant greens and flowering buds all around.
I'm a bit more in tune this year- after several months of gray skies, cool wind,downright chilly nights and drooping leaves. August and September are months of renewal. The sun is back, the days are warm and the trees are finding their voice.
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| Some bare limbs against a backdrop of greens |
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| Leaf lovers dream pile |
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| August and September are months of renewal |
