Since I come from Pakistan, which has in the past couple of years acquired this tendency to reach alien temperatures in summers, the first experience of being in the Netherlands was to come in contact with th crazy cold. Great time to have moved here though, as this time, this part of the world recorded the coldest winter in ten years. They even had the ice-skating 11-city-tour this time! In some places like the south near Belgium, the temperatures dropped to -20 at night! And I was there actually for my Christmas vacations! Of course I can't drive here, and don't feel like wasting money on public transport, so I bike. And mind you, I learned how to bike only in October last year! I never had the need to bike in Pakistan! I had my car and used it for even a 0.5km distance! So, even though I wear 2 pair of gloves, when you bike in this crazy cold, it feels like my fingers would shrivel and cut off. The pain is so insane, that I was almost to tears once :(
But the phenomenon of sitting in your own house with a hot cup of coffee (I am a tea person though, but coffee is quicker) and watching it snow outside, is just surreal. It only snows in holiday resorts for me!
An not to forget the rain. My God! There used to be collective prayers in Pakistan at times (no kidding) for rain. And here it just doesn't freaking stop!
But like two days ago, the first time in 5 months and almost 2 weeks, there was the sun in an almost clear sky, fusing its warmth on the people of Holland. Never has it been better! It was just wonderful to sit outside under the sun and watch the kids from the near school play. Ah! The little joys of life!
It's sunny today as well. But its windy. This is the tricky part. If its sunny, then its just stupendously windy. If the temperatures are not too low, then it's cloudy and the drizzle is spraying across your entire existence as you're biking to and back from school!
But I miss home. Been long now. I hope to find someone here in my city, Rotterdam, with whom I can share my roots. My tongue is tired of speaking English, and embarrassed of making silly attempts of speaking Dutch. Where are the Urdu speakers hellloooooo???
