“The easiest way to start a conversation with a german is to broach the topic of the weather” – the trainer in an Intercultural Seminar back in India had told us. And I wondered why! Having lived most my life in Mangalore, the coastal weather offered seldom enough variety to start a conversation about it. Throughout the year, it either rains (like crazy!) or it’s hot (again… like crazy!). But during these 6 months in Germany, I have experience enough of the weather to write one post about it at least.
Coming from the tropics, I could most simply say – Germany is a cold country. Or rather that’s the only kind of weather I have experienced here as yet, having landed here is September at the onset of Herbst (Autumn). Getting out of the airport at Frankfurt, the air had felt noticeably cold. But now having experienced the chills of winter, I miss those 'warm' old autumn days!
Autumn was just like I had seen in the movies. One tree after the other along my daily path turned from green to red to orange to yellow to brown in a matter of weeks before all the leaves sadly withered away. Many of us leveraged the colour of the season in the background of our single pictures for the matrimonials! It was the last vestige of colour that nature would offer us for a while, for winter was soon at our doors.
My first time experience with snowfall was memorable. The cute cotton flakes descending in slow motion and causing a tingling sensation on my face was an endearing experience. Overnight, the dull and gloomy surroundings of late autumn had turned into a white fairy land. The mountains behind my dorm, the houses in the neighbourhood, the bald trees, the streets and the pavements had been white washed! Esslingen was a different town altogether! The discharge of my camera batteries sadly put an end to my clicking spree and I joined the snow-ball battles of thrilled first-timers! The veteran germans held back and watched us shaking their heads as if to say – “this always happens the first time!".
But after a few times, it is not much fun anymore, rather a nuisance. Now I prefer to enjoy snowfall on the mountains from the window of my cosy and warm 8th floor room! The delayed trains, the slippery roads, the numb hands, the barren and gloomy days, the longing for sunshine, being under house-arrest for months at a stretch are too high a price to pay to witness the spectacle of the Christmas season. A bigger inconvenience for me is having to put on my entire wardrobe at the same time to save myself from freezing into a snow man! On the coldest day, I can be seen carrying around a considerable percentage of my bodyweight in thermals + normal wear + sweater + jacket + winter boots + muffler + skull cap + gloves!!! If you thought keeping myself warm is the only challenge, I need to strip down to decency to save myself from getting cooked once I enter the heated buildings! Apart from the unfriendly climate in general during these seasons, what's a bigger pain is the drastic change in weather over a matter of days. The temperature has dropped from +10 to -10°C in a couple of days, a gloomy cloudy day has changed to a sunny day in a matter of hours, dry surroundings at night have been snow covered in the morning. My poor Indian body must be shocked by the thermal stress testing day in and day out!
The climate in general, but the weather in particular influences the life and habits of people in Germany to a great extent. People have high respect for time and plan their days and months meticulously. Among others, vacations are planned and bookings made months in advance. Weather forecast websites are used almost as often as Google! Once here, the weather tends to become a crucial part of our routines, whether we like it or not.
A common observation by most Indians of Germans is that they are ‘cold’ and emotionless. I often wonder if this unfriendly climate here has something to do with it. Apart from the physical effects, the influence of winter on my mood and mind was very prominent. A few weeks into winter, the gloomy, cloudy and barren sights around began to get on my nerves! Weeks at a stretch without a trace of sunlight was one of my most depressing experiences ever! Those in India, better thank the heavens with a Suryanamaskara first thing tomorrow morning! To empathize, imagine the earth coming to a halt around dusk, when its neither day nor night and remaining so for a couple of months! That’s winter at its worst for you.
But then the earth revolves on! One who is willing to bear the darkness of the night will be rewarded with the light of the day. Summer is around the corner! The sun is back from his long vacation! The trees are going to come to life again! Enough of black and white, lets have some colour! Time to forget about the winter, pack our bags and hit the road! But watch out! Half a year of joy is going to run you over!
Coming from the tropics, I could most simply say – Germany is a cold country. Or rather that’s the only kind of weather I have experienced here as yet, having landed here is September at the onset of Herbst (Autumn). Getting out of the airport at Frankfurt, the air had felt noticeably cold. But now having experienced the chills of winter, I miss those 'warm' old autumn days!
Autumn was just like I had seen in the movies. One tree after the other along my daily path turned from green to red to orange to yellow to brown in a matter of weeks before all the leaves sadly withered away. Many of us leveraged the colour of the season in the background of our single pictures for the matrimonials! It was the last vestige of colour that nature would offer us for a while, for winter was soon at our doors.
My first time experience with snowfall was memorable. The cute cotton flakes descending in slow motion and causing a tingling sensation on my face was an endearing experience. Overnight, the dull and gloomy surroundings of late autumn had turned into a white fairy land. The mountains behind my dorm, the houses in the neighbourhood, the bald trees, the streets and the pavements had been white washed! Esslingen was a different town altogether! The discharge of my camera batteries sadly put an end to my clicking spree and I joined the snow-ball battles of thrilled first-timers! The veteran germans held back and watched us shaking their heads as if to say – “this always happens the first time!".
But after a few times, it is not much fun anymore, rather a nuisance. Now I prefer to enjoy snowfall on the mountains from the window of my cosy and warm 8th floor room! The delayed trains, the slippery roads, the numb hands, the barren and gloomy days, the longing for sunshine, being under house-arrest for months at a stretch are too high a price to pay to witness the spectacle of the Christmas season. A bigger inconvenience for me is having to put on my entire wardrobe at the same time to save myself from freezing into a snow man! On the coldest day, I can be seen carrying around a considerable percentage of my bodyweight in thermals + normal wear + sweater + jacket + winter boots + muffler + skull cap + gloves!!! If you thought keeping myself warm is the only challenge, I need to strip down to decency to save myself from getting cooked once I enter the heated buildings! Apart from the unfriendly climate in general during these seasons, what's a bigger pain is the drastic change in weather over a matter of days. The temperature has dropped from +10 to -10°C in a couple of days, a gloomy cloudy day has changed to a sunny day in a matter of hours, dry surroundings at night have been snow covered in the morning. My poor Indian body must be shocked by the thermal stress testing day in and day out!
The climate in general, but the weather in particular influences the life and habits of people in Germany to a great extent. People have high respect for time and plan their days and months meticulously. Among others, vacations are planned and bookings made months in advance. Weather forecast websites are used almost as often as Google! Once here, the weather tends to become a crucial part of our routines, whether we like it or not.
A common observation by most Indians of Germans is that they are ‘cold’ and emotionless. I often wonder if this unfriendly climate here has something to do with it. Apart from the physical effects, the influence of winter on my mood and mind was very prominent. A few weeks into winter, the gloomy, cloudy and barren sights around began to get on my nerves! Weeks at a stretch without a trace of sunlight was one of my most depressing experiences ever! Those in India, better thank the heavens with a Suryanamaskara first thing tomorrow morning! To empathize, imagine the earth coming to a halt around dusk, when its neither day nor night and remaining so for a couple of months! That’s winter at its worst for you.
But then the earth revolves on! One who is willing to bear the darkness of the night will be rewarded with the light of the day. Summer is around the corner! The sun is back from his long vacation! The trees are going to come to life again! Enough of black and white, lets have some colour! Time to forget about the winter, pack our bags and hit the road! But watch out! Half a year of joy is going to run you over!
Nice one BAS.. U have talent yaar.It was like I was in your shoes....cause this is how i felt coming here in September and experiencing all this funny weather.Am inspired to write one...may not be as interesting as yours ...but,just for some memories.
ReplyDeleteAwesome experience anil...im so glad im in mangalore..never gonna complain abt the heat anymore:):)nd i must say uv got a gift of writing..u must seriously thnk abt writing a book....ur posts make the reader experience wat they read..all d best..great going:)
ReplyDeleteWow : ) has come out really well.. I think everyone can experience what we experience here through this : )
ReplyDelete