Winter wonderland

I have spent a significant part of my life in Delhi. I have even spent a day in the snow clad Rohtang Pass. Somehow I still felt wary of facing the long winter in Uppsala. But that changed when I set the first step on the tarmac outside Arlanda airport. The first brush of cold was like a welcome hug with which my fears vanished.

In late October, 2010 when I arrived in Uppsala the temperatures were close to -2 to -4 deg C. I could already spot frost forming over leaves. I was also told that the conditions were just right for a snowfall and that it could happen any day. On 9th November I was taking some prints when I just chanced to look out of the window. Lo and behold what I see are tiny flakes falling down from the sky. As it was a light snowfall there was a dreamlike quality to it and I stood there entranced. A few hours down the line when it still continued it managed to bring everything in its fold.

Watching snowfall from the inside is one thing and braving it outside another. It caused the (only) breakdown of the bus service. I had to wait at the stop for an unusual 1.5 hours that evening. In between the cold and snow was so difficult to bear that I went back to my office building to keep myself warm. But even with the discomfort I still felt a surge of excitement while walking over fresh snow. The very next morning was a beautiful sight. I realized that it had snowed all night and there was a thick layering all around. The snow on top of the bushes reminded me of icing on a cake. My first ever snowfall was beyond my expectations.



A few days later I was in for stunning rare views. I guess because of the very low temperature all the trees and bushes had frozen which gave every place I swept my eyes a mystic quality. I had never seen anything like it before. During the next few months I saw the magic repeat only once more.



Over time -18 deg C became a standard. In a break from this for a couple of days it was 0 deg C and everybody joked about how hot it was and that summer had come. In contrast on one occasion the temperature took such a dip that the water coming out of my eyes froze. I could sense the inside of my nose solidifying.


Through most of the winter the real challenge for me was to train my brain into not thinking that pitch darkness at 3 pm was night and time to go to bed. It wasn’t that difficult to combat the cold. The reason was the excellent heating system in not just the houses but also the offices, food stores and even the buses. I would only be exposed to the icy weather when standing at the bus stops and during the short walk from home to the supermarket. I came to observe that management of the snow on the roads was extremely good in Uppsala as a result of which the buses were rarely late. All I had to do was be on time at the bus stop according to the schedule.


I think I fairly enjoyed my “real” winter experience. October to March is not an extremely long time. But not getting to see the sun, having to wear heavy gear every day and being extremely careful of the ice on the road when walking to avoid slipping eventually did take its toll. The good thing is it has made me appreciate the brightness, greenery and colorful flowers that the summer has brought. See the photos below and you'll know that it truly is so.

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PS: How was your winter experience? Has summer started for you?