A Warm Wintery Wish :-)

(2,-3), (1,-3),  (1,-2) and  (3,-2)
For the mathematically inclined among you,let me clarify-- these are NOT the values of co-ordinates in a Math problem. These are temperatures prevailing today and the temperatures forecast for the next three days in the place where I live, in the UK. It's funny how stark contrasts hit you in a big way and make you appeciate Nature and Life.

We just got back from an amazing vacation in India .(And yes I met all the wonderful people I mention in my last post. It was truly marvellous.) In the evening, I was in Chennai where the temperature was 26 degrees and in the morning when I landed at Heathrow it was zero degrees. :-) I was excited.

As a child, growing up in the early eighties in a small Indian town, 'snow' meant a white facial cream that came in  little white jar with a light pink lid, manufactured by Ponds. My mom used it every single day as a part of her beauty routine. By late eighties as "Colour TV" ('Humare ghar mein colour TV hai' was the ultimate status symbol statement in those times) penetrated Indian homes--among which was my own home--I discovered that snow could also mean tonnes of white icy stuff that fell from the skies and covered everything in sight. I saw people wearing coats and boots in movies. I saw pictures of Snow men,Skiing and snow-sledges. Winters like these  was what I saw in picture books.

During the good old Doordarshan days, sometimes on the   much awaited 'Chitrahaar' (on Wednesdays) I'd see  Shammi Kapoor and Saira Banu lying in the snow with Shammi yelling "Yaaaahoooo, Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe.." (click on link)



It is only now, after nearly quarter of a century that I have understood his excitement and why he yelled that way. Because this morning when I opened my door and saw miles and miles and miles of snow covered roads, it was exactly what I felt like doing. I refrained though, as I don't think my English neighbours in UK would have related to Shammi Kapoor or my palpable excitement in seeing so much snow for the first time in my life. Besides, the English are a peace loving sort and thrive on quietness unlike Indians whose DNA is encrypted with a loudness gene. (and I don't mean it badly. I love everything about India and am indeed proud of my country ) :-)


I touched it, walked in it, made snowballs (the picture below shows my first snow ball), and even went on a snow sled. It was thrilling, fun and inhaling the cold air feels even better than a shot of espresso drunk neat.


The television news is full of reports of how more snow is expected and how many of the Arterial roads are closed. Many Airports too are closed. The children's schools were closed too and  they made the most of it having snow ball fights and making snow angels.



The weather is  truly freezing with sub zero temperatures. Some people hate winter. They complain about short days (it gets dark at 4.00) and blocked roads and slippery Black Ice (which can be very dangerous).


But me--I am smiling so much! I am dressed up like the characters I saw in movies as a little child, wearing a coat, gloves, hat, scarf and boots. I am enjoying walking in the snow, and seeing the sparkling white brightness for miles around. It feels like magic. It feels like my mom's jar of snow got magnified a thousand fold times and then tipped over covering all the landscape for miles around! (I'd have truly believed it had I seen this as a child :-) )


Now I am going to make a nice cup of tea and watch through my window, the snow flakes outside, gently falling down.


And yes--Wish you all a very happy new year! 
Warmth and Cheers!