Of Warmth, Of Coldness - Oslo Chronicles

I had so much fun in the long dark winters last year. A novelty I had never experienced before. People used to come up to me, and say winters in Sweden (or Scandinavia) were long, harsh and depressing, and totally got to them, but my response was, how great this nation must be, with half the year in utter darkness and coldness, still managed to do really well for themselves. It all seemed very inspiring to me .... the fighting spirit, the resolve, seeing people going to work 6 o clock in the morning, through the snow clad roads. I also went to take the language classes 7:30 in the morning in complete darkness in December/January, fighting the harsh weather, but enjoying the flurries of snow as well at the same time. Snowflakes and the crystals they formed, with little light around, shone in a way that the silver would shy away from competition.

The excitement of my first winter in the Nordics had a context and background to it. I had always lived in hot countries. Summers in my part of the world, were close to how the hell will burn. It is something to be scared of, ... to not to look forward to. The temperature ranged from 40 to 50+ degrees C. Winters were moderately cold, that too as dry and piercing as it could get, without much rains, much snow. Had never seen snow actually falling. The winter last year, I was in for a treat.

Little did I know, a greater treat awaited me still....the real pleasures and beauties were yet to come... with the turn of the calendar year, in came the spring. From desert sands to heavenly beautiful spring, stark contrast it was. Never did I see so much beauty in life. I was stunned. Shocked. Immovable.

Not just the sun, the warmth, and the beauty around it all, but the days never seemed to end in summer. Longevity of life, of spirit, of light. Ah, ... what you wouldn't do to always have those days in life, every signal day of it. Summers in this part of the world are not to get weary of but something to celebrate ... to look forward to, so much so, to take the days off, not to avoid the heat waves mind you but to actually go out and to breathe, and bathe and absorb all that you can while it still lasts. It's the time of the year to hold dear ones dearer and closer ... in the open, and enjoy the greatest and simplest pleasures of life, of warmth.

It is after those delightful and heavenly summers, I dread winters that my heart almost sinks with the thought of it. It hasn't really begun yet, but the leaves already left their trees, and the winds gush and whistle, and it stays dark till 7:30. Cold weather is limiting, restrictive ... and rude. The snow has become all too common. What once fascinated me, thrilled me, are the greatest hassles of my way now. I feel the burden upon me, .. the stress, the anxiety, and the tension that every dark period brings with it. Dark nights do not excite me anymore; they pose to test my courage, my spirit.

Out my window, I see the city lights, painted well with the glowing and shining spots on the black canvas. But how far and long could a man survive the darkness and coldness, who all his life had abundance of light and warmth. How callously we took for granted all the great things we had had, and longed for whatever we hadn’t had.

Romantized notions and ideals have hefty price to pay. Such are love affairs, and their logical endings.