I have definitely noticed a huge difference between winter and summer, and not just with the weather. As summer is now here, the streets have come alive. The market stalls are back out, the elderly have gone back to spending their day sitting with friends on the benches and walls lining pavements, park sky's are filling with kites and the streets are full of locals heading from place to place. The bikes are back out, weaving up and down the roads and lining the school gates. Whilst walking the streets and parks, you can here the birds singing again, children are out playing and laughing, local farmers pull their trailers of produce shouting their offers to the people in nearby apartments. Warming noodle soups have changed to refreshing salad dressed noodles, fresh fruits and everyone's favorite summer ice-creams. The fruit and veg. selection is quickly growing, with new shapes, sizes and some things that don't have western names (they get the names such as 'giant spiky fruit', 'round purple fruit' and so on from me).  The shops have been hard at work spring cleaning, and old stores are being striped and redecorated as the new owners move in, plenty more new things to come as the year moves on.