Out in the snow!

I am sorry, folks, for not being able to post this long. Have been kind-a busy, and also have very limited access to computers. I hope you'll enjoy this one with the pics.

We had snow over the past few weekends. This was a really novel experience for a person like me. I have seen a few hailstorms, but nothing like this crossed my imagination before! When it snows, it looks like this: where everything is difficult to see, and at the time we had snow there was also a chilly wind alongside.... so it is not really the best of times to go out. But who can stop a bunch of 25-year-olds who are bent upon having fun?

We had been talking to the other office folks about how much we wanted to see the snow! And when the time came, we were rather busy and had not noticed anything outside. So soon one of our managers came up to us and said that we could take a half-hour break if we wanted... We did not need a second invitation :) Out we went into it, all trooping along in a whoosh!


Outside it was real fun... with all the snow falling around you... it was a simple but very happy moment we suddenly stepped into. It appeared like you could almost touch the falling morning dew. And as the snow gradually settled on the clothes, it was there for a fleeting moment as a white fur on the body. But soon it melted (because we are red-hot-blooded males) and we found the clothes suddenly getting wet.
We played with snow-balls for some time. We jsut scooped up some snow which was collecting on the sidewalks. On the hand it felt like sifting through some heavy cotton. But once you press the mass together (yes, Physics people --- the melting point goes up and down under pressure), it becomes a hard ball, as good as a stone. In the pic on the left you see me brandishing a snow-ball with a scottish cap worn specifically to pose for the camera. Unfortunately, the guy who took the snap had it full on the face moments afterwards :)


Once the snow subsided a little, the place looked magical. I mean, you could hum along any of your favourite romantic songs from Mohammad Rafi and there would be no better place to sing than that. It looked like beauty, serenity and whiteness all wrapped into one. And truth be told, I have not heard Hindi songs for quite sometime. So as I tried to sing along from memory, it was a simple indescribable pleasure... something that can cheer you up no matter what. And that was how I felt -- happy. Go ahead, close your eyes and hum the song "Pukarta chala hoon main". You will know what a haunting cheerfulness and vivacity is.

After sometime, the snowfall stopped. And everything seemed covered in white. Take a look at the pic on the right. I mean, how many times do you see something so evenly carpeted? That was just one example... everywhere else was the same story. Although the roads were having bits and pieces cleared up by the cars that were chugging along, most of the place was still covered. And I stood there for some time, just appreciating the beauty of nature. It took a while to settle in that I was indeed in the middle of something I had not seen before: snow. Never mind the grasping chilly wind and the cold it brought with itself. It was all worth it, just to stand there and appreciate the pristine beauty... to tell yourself that the whiteness around you was real.

Ok, now since my mom visits this blog and she insists on seeing pics of me as well, here you go, mom! This was taken after the snowfall when the sun had come up. But this time it was again a bit different. If you have noticed, the pics above are a bit dark. And this one looks extra bright. The reason is that the sunlight was reflecting off the snow on the roof-tops, the road, everywhere. When the sun came along, it was a bit difficult to see and understand what had suddenly happened and why it became extra bright. And the worst part was trying to look ahead in the road towards the sun.... but it was funny, with the slippery roads and the extra light. Yes, the roads were slippery... because the snow after settling on the ground suddenly hardens up to form another layer on the road. With the right kind of shoes, you can go sliding all the way down. And the deceptive part is the sun, again. Because we thought that the sun is out and hence it would be warm now. But even with my three layers of clothing in the pic as you see, I was chilled and had my hands in the pockets.

Overall, I have been having a fun time here, and a real fun time indeed!