Four Seasons

I was recently talking to my cousin's wife. Her son moved to the U.S. this year for his further studies. As we got talking about how he was settling down and tolerating the cold, she told me that he has got used to the cold and is enjoying the snow-fall. She said he showed them how it looked on webcam.

My mind went to the time I was in the U.K. and how I loved the 4 seasons there. The winters were a new experience with such cold weather - breathing in the freezing air, going slipping over the first snow just to get pictures , having a huge appetite, the comfort of the warm feeling when one went indoors, the delight of consuming piping hot soup, with the rich, cheesy veggie options , getting into a cold bed and enjoying the delightful feeling of growing warm under a nice thick quilt, crawling out of bed reluctantly in the mornings; on the flip side, the first year of depression at such short days, and cooping oneself in at 3 p.m., not feeling safe enough to go out in the dark on one's own in a strange place (till I found out a bus which used to come from Oxford street to my hostel gate- thereafter life changed considerably). The longing to see some leaves on the trees.

The arrival of spring used to be so sensational, when the first crocus used to peep out of the ground, the joy that wells in the heart at the sight (since I had never seen a crocus before, I remember going creeping on the ground to have a better look, and the joy at the lengthening days, the feeling of hope at seeing flowers and blossoms around - that is a joy not possible to describe in words.

Then came the looooong days of summer, with trees covered with a mantle of green, the comfortably warm days (some so breathlessly hot - naah, not nice. Hey, I had had enough of hot weather at home and would have more when I get back), outdoor activities, travelling, barbecues, ......

And finally the autumn. Was lucky enough to see one really beautiful autumn with changing colours (tho' nothing close to what I have heard happens in the U.S. - I'd love to see that some day).

The sudden and marked changes in the weather was something so dramatic. How I miss that now. while I was there I used to miss the monsoons and the vegetation of India. I used to miss seeing the coconut trees, the various tropical plants, trees and flowers.

Each side has its own beauty and grandeur. how nice it would be if we had the option of travelling at will and enjoying the best of both worlds!