That Standstill

DERIVED FROM THE LATIN WORDS SOL FOR SUN AND SISTERE, TO STAND STILL, summer solstice took place recently in the northern hemisphere, and was celebrated so exuberantly on my social media feeds. Back in my previous home of Barcelona, folks observed the Verbenas de Sant Joan with a long night of city-wide firecrackers and fiestas, followed naturally by a non-working holiday. Further back in my hometown of Manila, summer solstice is not exactly a celebrated event, but Saint John's feast day is nonetheless met with a splash, literally, as the saint's namesake district baptizes itself in an annual water festival.

Meanwhile, no merriment met the longest day over where we are. A little over a week into moving to England, we are still on the hunt for a new home, encountering much difficulty due to restrictions on tenancy with pets. Nine days have never felt so long and unsettled, with life yet again in limbo and all things only temporary. Who knew London would be so un-pet-friendly?

These days surrounding the solstice though, however long and laborious, do have their charm. Jacqueline Osborn's Table in The Corner captures our nightly congregations as of late, against 10pm twilights that paint the evenings prettier than on any other time of year. Dinners have become the one pleasurable part of our temporary standstill, especially since there hasn't been any time for lunch at all. It appears we're not in Spain anymore.

Days gradually grow shorter after the summer solstice. Perhaps demandingly long days will now gradually grow shorter too.

Table in The Corner by Jacqueline Osborn, jacquelineosborn.com