Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Winters are here - and what's the big deal again?

Winters are here yet again. And it seems like the season is back with a bang! Not just a season like every year but a conversation piece. Every single day. All I hear is how people in different cities of our country are taking it. Some are happy. Some are cribbing. Big time! So I thought it should be fun to round up on the topic of the season - the winter season!! 

The winters of Delhi are legendary. The city is known for its drastic climate changes that swing between extremes. So, Delhiites suck up to it every year and bear it with a grin. Albeit, with some grumbling by the end of it. The matching sweaters and shawls make it worth it for them. Though, SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder is common - that nagging, depressing feeling when the sun fails to show up for days. But this is Delhi and that’s how it is supposed to be. Winters is a Delhi thing after all! 

Delhi, this morning
Breaking news happens when our cousins down South in Bangalore start complaining about the cold! They are more like excited kids who found something unexpected at their doorstep! There are oohs and aahs on Twitter about the unprecedented and hence unforeseen weather. To prove it, there is a deluge of photos taken and proudly posted on social media to show the Northies that even Bangaloreans have fog this year!! And what’s more, they are braving it just as well as them.

Bangalore, this morning
Perched happily somewhere in the middle are the Mumbaikars! No, we don’t expect much of a winter. And just about 15 degrees is enough for us to declare winters. And that’s what we did this year. While our fellow indians burdened under the weight of woollies, people in Mumbai were only too happy to finally pull out their dry cleaned jackets and drape their stoles around them. It is winters in Mumbai too this year! It’s great to make a big deal about our share of cold weather and boast that we did not even switch the AC last night! It’s finally winters in Mumbai too! 

(For people wondering why there is no picture from Mumbai, I'd like to inform that, like full fledged winters, Mumbaikars are also deprived of sprawling homes and sweeping balconies to take pictures from!)

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, people are going through temperatures like these. Note that the temperatures are in Fahrenheit and not Celsius. 

And live like this for a few months every year! 

Typical winter day in New York
Photo credit
According to weather reports, in the current scenario, snow and ice have made traveling difficult and hazardous. There is a few inches of snow has added to existing weather problems. Think of the kind of dipping temperatures people on the other side of the world live in and we may want to thank God for the warmth we are blessed with! 

To sum up, I am not a cold weather person. I hate having to brave the cold after a nice warm bed. Taking a shower or even brushing my teeth amidst the cold air are testing tasks. No, I don't get what's so great about a crisp winter evening unless it lasts just about an evening and not be back every day for a full 3 months. I hate loading up on a million layers of clothes and still catch a cold. I like staying warm and bundled up no matter where I am. Yes, even in Mumbai. But having lived in all three cities, I know exactly how it feels and can empathise with all of you! But I am glad that I am neither up there nor down here but happily perched in the middle in Amchi Mumbai! My oversized sweatshirt over my night dress is enough to keep me warm on a so-called cold winter night. Sweaters? Huh? What? ! I count myself lucky to have escaped the extreme fury of nature!

And now, if you haven't fully turned green with envy and still wish to share your winter experiences, feel free to hit the comment button! While I step out in my jeans and T shirt on this clear, sunny day in my city to run some errands...

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