December, usually a flurry of holiday activity and travel, slowed Portland to a crawl when the area received its largest snowstorm in forty years. Most Fellows remember Portland winters as long, gray days filled with mild weather and rain, but 2008 will be remembered as the year that buses did not run, skiers took over the streets, and stores ran low on groceries.
Fellows from cold climates were surprised at Portland’s inability to deal with the two feet of snow and ice that fell throughout two weeks in December. “Traffic was in chaos, a lot of cars were off the road, and the buses didn't go,” said Milan Mataruga, whose apartment sat at the top of a steep hill, where the city closed the street for a week. “I can’t believe that nobody can go to their jobs, groceries, hospitals or similar. I was in the apartment, and spent that time usefully, reading a book about breeding Douglas-fir.”
Other Fellows were ecstatic at the opportunity to play outside. "I have never experienced such heavy snow before, unbelievable!” exclaimed Min Zhao, who is from warm Shanghai. “The landscape around my living place was very beautiful, especially when the snow surrounded all of the conifers.” When WFC was forced to close, Min was the only one who made it in, hiking from her nearby house, and stopping to sled and play along the way. Min also led the other Fellows on a two-hour walking and busing trek to Director Sara Wu’s house for Christmas dinner.
After what seemed like a very long wait, temperatures rose and Portland returned to its usual rain, melting all signs of the ice and snow that slowed the city. This holiday season will certainly be remembered by Fellows as a special one, filled with memories of snowmen and a white Christmas.
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