Winter memories – Day 7 of 30 – #30daysblogmarathon

Winter is my favourite time of the year. Having grown up in Dubai and now settled in Mumbai, that is saying a lot. Because neither of these places gets much of it!

Most parts of the world have four distinct seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Here in Mumbai, we have three – Pleasant, Hot and Very hot! Pleasant is our winter!

 

So, you can imagine my joy when I got to spend three months in London from October to December 2014. London was the perfect place to experience winter in since it gets cold and rainy but not snowy and can’t-get-of-the-house-have-to-stock-up-on-supplies type cold! I very fondly look back on my time in London when for the first time in my life, I got to experience zero degrees Celsius with a hail storm. Yes, that’s how much I like winters! (Eye-rollers, stop reading now!!)

 

It is rightly said that you crave for what you do not have or get. I recall Londoners, my fellow colleagues and friends, who would earnestly look forward to the blink-and-you-miss-it summer that they get. A day that’s 20 degrees Celsius is warm there and if you went to the beach, you will see people sunbathing! In Mumbai, winter sees day temperatures of 20 degrees!

 

I used to roam the streets of London in just a flannel shirt and a raincoat and people would laugh at me (when they would be wearing a jacket, a raincoat, boots, gloves, caps…the works!). But I was just trying to soak in as much cold as possible and enjoy every moment of it. I almost felt like I was creating of reserve of cold in my body to brave the heat when I got back.

 

I loved the cold wind that would lash against my face when I stepped out of my apartment in the morning and even today, if I close my eyes and imagine myself walking out that apartment, I can feel it very distinctly! Although I must add, there were days I’d walk in to work looking like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Couple that with wrapping my fingers around a hot steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Heaven! I’ll always remember the river cruise I did when I was there – the cool wind on my face and lightly ruffling my hair, my fingertips going numb (because I decided gloves were for the timid!) and the smile never leaving my lips!

 

My absolute favourite memory from that time, is the Christmas Lights bus tour that I did. The tour covers all the main areas of London and to see London decked up in resplendent lights and shining like that is a sight to behold! And I did that in an open-top double-decker bus. On this very day five years ago! Here are some pics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someday I hope to experience snow. I think I’ll go quite mad when I do! I know what those of you reading this post from minus 20 degrees must be thinking – “Stupid girl, doesn’t know what she is asking for”!

 

I also look back very fondly on my time in Dubai since winter was practically the only time of the year when we could go out of the house without breaking in to a sweat in 5mins! Winter in Dubai reminds me of our family picnics to Al Ain, Fujairah, Hatta and nearby places. We would pack our picnic baskets, carry some handy games (basically racquets and balls, frisbees, shuttles) and take off for the day. Such fun times!

 

Here in Mumbai, winters for me is the time to go out a little bit more (and by out, I mean under open skies…. not to the mall!). And on some cool evenings, I love to sit by the window, sipping a hot cup of coffee and reading a good book.

 

What are your favourite winter memories? What do you like to do in the winters? Let me know in the comments

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