The European Winter

"I sift the snow on the mountains below ..."
P.B. Shelley - The Cloud

The first time I actually saw snow I could not help but wonder how aptly the above lines were put. When you look at the snowflakes drifting aimlessly through the air , in a soft gentle motion caressing the ground as it lands softly, you understand what a natural beauty you have missed since childhood while growing up in the tropics.
Snow is so romantic.
That is on the other side of the glass pane. Where you have electric heating and the room is always at 22 C.
When this glass pane vanishes so does the romance. Contrary to all belief snow is wet, it makes the ground slippery and can be quite a headache if you have to cycle 6kms before you can be on the other side of the glass pane again. Snow is also accompanied by a very chilly wind which can literally blow you off your bicycle. It also makes you lose weight and efficieny quite rapidly. You may pedal with much gusto, gruff and pant like a little labrador puppy and remarkably manage to proceed a few centimeters each time.
Side effects of cycling in european winters. Sometimes you really do not know where the tip of your nose is. There have been times when I was unsure as to whether it was still there. The same can be told about your fingertips if your mittens are not quite good. The same for your ego (if you still manage to have one ) when you see the locals cycling away to glory clad in only a jacket, while you have a sweater, jacket, a scarf, mittens ,cap and the hood of the jacket covering you almost everywhere the wind would dare kiss. Sometimes when you stand in traffic crossings waiting for the light to turn green, such cyclist would come and halt beside you, look at you and give a wry smile, deflating the little amount of residual ego you still had.
I have a cycle with 7 gears in the rear and 3 gears up front but being the patriotic guy that i am , i have still clung on to my roots, not moving an inch faster than our dear old Indian bullock cart.
For the first time in my life I have seen the sun come out in the clear blue sky and the temperature fall like an apple on newtons head.
I have seen lakes freeze over and people come out and skate on it as if they were having their noon day walk.
An Indian in an european winter; i am still trying to get used to this cold
And as my boss tells me , wait the cold is yet to start !