At the fag end of this October, I dug out my sweaters ,washed them, and kept them ready for the upcoming winter.
The winter months here in Hyderabad start in November and last till February.
In Hyderabad, we begin to feel the change in temperatures during Diwali; the date is usually at the end of October or early November. The weather suddenly changes from being wet to cold. During the past years ,I have also noticed that around Diwali, the rainy season comes to an end with a light drizzle, and the evenings begin to get cooler.
This year , during Diwali and for several weeks after Diwali too, the weather was cloudy most of the time. However, there was no drizzle. And when the sky is cloudy , the weather is not cold. The clouds trap the warmth from the earth, and so it was warm even when winter season had officially begun.
The ceiling fans in our home continue to be ON even today, whereas during the previous years ,I used to have the heater ON during the nights in December. This year, until now ,I didn’t feel the need to bring out the heater. We have a small portable heater that keeps the room warm all night when it gets cold. The day temperature here in Hyderabad usually hovers around 20 degrees Celsius, and at night, the minimum is around 12 degrees Celsius . These temperatures are actually quite comforting compared to the colder countries, where central heating is a must.
It is past mid-december now, and the temperatures are slowly dropping.
Winter is the only season during which I really enjoy cooking in the mornings. Nice to feel warm around the stove while cooking breakfast and lunch 😀.
We ensure all the doors and windows are tightly shut all the time to keep the house warm. One problem due to this is that the smells from all the cooking get trapped inside the house, in spite of the chimney and exhaust fan being ON.
I spend at least an hour in our Balcony during the mornings and enjoy the warmth from the sun while sipping hot herbal tea. Our balcony faces east, and so the morning sun helps in getting some vitamin D.
Here is the view I get to see while I warm up in the morning.
I noticed a strange astral phenomenon during the winter months. The sun seems to rise in the East and seems to set in the South. This is a practical demonstration of the Earth being tilted at an angle from the north. India is in the Northern hemisphere .During winter months, the southern hemisphere is closer to the Sun, and the Northern hemisphere is away from the Sun. When the Earth rotates around itself in this position, the places in the Northern hemisphere experience this phenomenon where the Sun seems to rise in the East and sets in the South. Surely, our ancestors keenly observed this phenomena and concluded that the Earth is slightly tilted and also observed the differences in weather is due to the rotation and revolution of the Earth. Very interesting.
No wonder our ancestors were able to observe nature closely and discovered a lot about nature and the stars, they lived and worked closely with nature ;there were no tall buildings that blocked the view of the sky.
Hyderabadi winters are cold and dry, causing chapped skin . As a result, the skin cracks up and results in an itching sensation. It is important to keep the skin moist by using a moisturizer or by applying oil on the skin before taking a shower.
Winter also disturbs the immune system and causes coughs and colds. Nature bestows us with fruits that are high in vitamin C during the winter season and wants us to eat more of these.I love fruits and enjoy oranges, custard apples, strawberries , and Amla that I order on Farmizen. These are organically grown and are delicious.
Every December ,my memories take me back to December 2011, when I was admitted to Apollo hospital in Hyderabad for my BMT. Those memories are painful, and so I don’t like December.
It’s 10 years since, but the memories are still fresh.
I will pen down my thoughts and memories in my next post.
Till then, take care and stay safe !!
