Stay Warm !

I never liked being around in places where temperatures don't show the decency of sticking above a particular threshold. My first brush with a 'real' winter was when I was in Orissa. I was a kid then and had lived all my life in Chennai until that point. I wasn't particularly liking the frenzy with which my parents were accumulating those black blankets. I hated the very sight of those rough ,artless piece of clothing, sleeping in them for an entire night was a scary thought back then. But then I had to and I lived successfully through the ordeal. And that was my first encounted with real cold climes...not to mention that the temperature rarily went below 10 C anywhere in Orissa. 

Then came Munnar, where I studied, and survived four long winters. Though the place is in the state of Kerala, it's climate doesn't even remotely resemble the Kerala weather due to it's altitude. The fact that most of the houses there had a good component of wood in them didn't help things much. The worst thing obviously was the need to get up early mornings to head for studies. 

Temperatures did use to go upto 5 degrees C there and at times touch an yearly low of zero. But not any further than that. 

And then came America. As I write this today, temperature outside is a punishing minus 25 C , yep that's right, a good 25 degrees down under the freezing point. Thermals, tough gloves and layers of clothing become the order of the day. The heating system is the lone saviour which keeps you sane. If some bunny gives me an argument 'there's no power cut in America' as a potent reason to migrate here from India, I now know how to defend that. Ah well, if there were power cuts, there wouldn't have been many ppl left in most parts of this country. 

As I leave starbucks after a cup of hot coffee, the greeting that's thrown at me doesn't amuse anymore... 'Stay Warm !'.