The seasons in Europe are
clearly marked and they make their presence felt during that time too!
Dec, Jan, Feb - Winter
Mar, Apr, May - Spring
June, Jul, Aug - Summer
Sep, Oct, Nov - Autumn
So, right now Germany and of course, I am experiencing Autumn and I can't describe it in words how beautiful the trees are looking right now with their orange, yellow and red shades. Slowly all the leaves will wither and the trees and the mountains would look sad and barren and frightening. The first-timers to Germany are looking forward to the snow and the beautiful sight which it brings with it. I have seen the snow 2-3 times now and I am really not waiting for it eagerly. It is a beautiful experience when one is at home, inside, in a cozy little place with some nice music and a coffee to sip and a favorite book to read. Not when one has to walk and catch the train and go to office or bring the child back home from the crèche, struggling with his pram, trying to make way in the snow clad streets. So, to be fully prepared for this and make my life easier during the coldest times, I decided to buy a good pair of shoes and jacket. I knew that I had to invest a good amount for a real good pair of shoes and a winter jacket, but as I was going to spend 2 winters here, I decided to go for it. There is a saying in German 'Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung', which means there is no bad weather, it is only due to the fact that we do not dress up properly that we feel that the weather is bad. I didn't want to take any chances this year as I had to take care of Tanay properly and for that I need to be fit and sound. Not that I slip and fall in the snow or get cold and fever.
My Indian neighbor here came to my rescue. She is a great fashionista and she loves shopping, she is also well aware of what is available where and at what price. So, we both marched to the market and found all that I need in my town itself. I just had to cross the railway station and I found two good pairs of shoes and a winter jacket and a winter coat, all in good 180 Euros! I was very happy with the stuff that I got and I said to myself thinking about the winter, 'Bring it on'!! And the week I got the stuff, the temperature dropped down to zero degrees and I got a chance to test the jacket and shoes for the same. And to my amazement, I did not feel cold at all. I was very cosy in the winter jacket and the shoes provided warmth to my feet and I was so happy to walk to office that I did not dread the winter anymore. In the next week though, the temperature rose to 12-13 degrees and when I wore this stuff, I was sweating. I realized, that these shoes and jacket are worth to wear only in sub-humane, (i.e. 5 degrees and below for me) conditions and I put them aside for a week or two. I also checked the weather forecast for the month of October and November and snowfall is not expected till November end at least. Let's see if we have a White Christmas this year in Stuttgart, which has actually happened rarely.
All these times, when I was in Germany, I hardly had a good jacket and a good pair of shoes to fight winter. I feel amused when I even think of it. How did I walk with sport shoes in the snow last time when I was here? What was in my mind when I did that? Thankfully, I didn't injure myself. Now, this time, with age and maturity and experience, I am well equipped for the harsh winters in Germany and I wish if I had proper clothing in the years that went by, I wouldn't have dreaded German Winter so much!
Na, ja, all's well that ends well!
Dec, Jan, Feb - Winter
Mar, Apr, May - Spring
June, Jul, Aug - Summer
Sep, Oct, Nov - Autumn
So, right now Germany and of course, I am experiencing Autumn and I can't describe it in words how beautiful the trees are looking right now with their orange, yellow and red shades. Slowly all the leaves will wither and the trees and the mountains would look sad and barren and frightening. The first-timers to Germany are looking forward to the snow and the beautiful sight which it brings with it. I have seen the snow 2-3 times now and I am really not waiting for it eagerly. It is a beautiful experience when one is at home, inside, in a cozy little place with some nice music and a coffee to sip and a favorite book to read. Not when one has to walk and catch the train and go to office or bring the child back home from the crèche, struggling with his pram, trying to make way in the snow clad streets. So, to be fully prepared for this and make my life easier during the coldest times, I decided to buy a good pair of shoes and jacket. I knew that I had to invest a good amount for a real good pair of shoes and a winter jacket, but as I was going to spend 2 winters here, I decided to go for it. There is a saying in German 'Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung', which means there is no bad weather, it is only due to the fact that we do not dress up properly that we feel that the weather is bad. I didn't want to take any chances this year as I had to take care of Tanay properly and for that I need to be fit and sound. Not that I slip and fall in the snow or get cold and fever.
My Indian neighbor here came to my rescue. She is a great fashionista and she loves shopping, she is also well aware of what is available where and at what price. So, we both marched to the market and found all that I need in my town itself. I just had to cross the railway station and I found two good pairs of shoes and a winter jacket and a winter coat, all in good 180 Euros! I was very happy with the stuff that I got and I said to myself thinking about the winter, 'Bring it on'!! And the week I got the stuff, the temperature dropped down to zero degrees and I got a chance to test the jacket and shoes for the same. And to my amazement, I did not feel cold at all. I was very cosy in the winter jacket and the shoes provided warmth to my feet and I was so happy to walk to office that I did not dread the winter anymore. In the next week though, the temperature rose to 12-13 degrees and when I wore this stuff, I was sweating. I realized, that these shoes and jacket are worth to wear only in sub-humane, (i.e. 5 degrees and below for me) conditions and I put them aside for a week or two. I also checked the weather forecast for the month of October and November and snowfall is not expected till November end at least. Let's see if we have a White Christmas this year in Stuttgart, which has actually happened rarely.
All these times, when I was in Germany, I hardly had a good jacket and a good pair of shoes to fight winter. I feel amused when I even think of it. How did I walk with sport shoes in the snow last time when I was here? What was in my mind when I did that? Thankfully, I didn't injure myself. Now, this time, with age and maturity and experience, I am well equipped for the harsh winters in Germany and I wish if I had proper clothing in the years that went by, I wouldn't have dreaded German Winter so much!
Na, ja, all's well that ends well!
