White winter in Delhi?

Funny how a subject long regarded as the most inane of conversation topics could be generating so much of excitement—the weather! And it’s all because Delhi dipped to 0°C.

If freezing temperatures bring to mind romantic notions of cuddling next to a warm fireplace (or a warm anything), a serious reformatting of the imagination is called for. In short, it’s bloody cold! Generally, we worry more about surviving the summer than the winter as the summer is much longer, so we are not exactly equipped to handling the cold. No “winter curtains” or anything of that sort!

In fact, it is difficult to decide whether it’s colder inside the house or outside. Yes, there’s a relentlessly cold wind blowing outdoors, but there is also bright sunshine. No wind inside, but it does seem a couple of degrees colder, what with me not being among those fortunate enough to own a heater. Actually, the warmest place in the house seems to be the interior of the fridge!

The cold wave is no joking matter though. While we brush it off lightly, send ribald SMSes to people outside of Delhi about various parts freezing and falling off, and don yet another sweater or pair of socks, there are people dying out on the streets from exposure because the state is just not equipped or willing to help people cope with it.

(For more on the last subject, read this. And get a picture of the real India.)

~PD

6 Replies to “White winter in Delhi?”

  1. Well! I was going to complain about the bleak depressing weather here in London (not to forget the cold) but Delhi at the moment makes London feel allllllmost comfortable (it is 6 degrees here!)
    However you can be happy for atleast some sunshine. It’s grey wet and truly miserable here and if there are people on the brink of suicide… The weather will give them the slight nudge that they perhaps don’t need! (The month of January has on an average more mental health admissions in UK than any other month.)

    Excuse the ignorance – why is it so cold this year in Delhi? How has our tampering with nature brought on the cold wave? I’m sure man’kind'(?) has a hand in it.

  2. Hey, thanks for linking me. I usually like winters,but now i cant wait to crib about summer. 45 degrees celsius is much more pleasant than 0 degrees. of course by the time it is summer i will have fond memories of winter, so I guess that I might as well accept that i can never be happy with delhi weather.

  3. Ah, Sumaira! About time! 😈 By the way, aren’t extreme temperatures a result of global warming?! Anyway – as Alpana says – give us a few months, and we’ll be cribbing about the heat! 😕

  4. I have nothing of interest to add, but I owe you a comment and thus I am commenting. Love me!

  5. Double post! Why haven’t you updated to 2.0 yet?!

  6. Double post?! Now I have no choice – you have to be killed!:twisted:

    I didn’t know a stable version of 2.0 was out.
    *off to look*

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