winter wonderland

i never thought i'd miss the snow and cold. but after three winters outside of my natural habitat-- the minnesota winter-- i welcome it with open arms. the snow storm was topped off by the most beautiful sunset i've seen in recent memory. the second snow-filled day included possibly the most amazing thing ever-- a snow thunderstorm. the little courtney that lives inside of me danced around in excitement, pressing her nose to the window, standing under the grey sky and catching flakes on my tongue as the thunder rumbled.

however, since the snow fall, mussoorie is snowed in-- no taxis approach and none can leave because of the treacherous roads. when i walked down to school following the storm, i saw the chokidars (guards) raking the snow. john deere has a market for his goods he can't even imagine. yesterday, one of my students was particularly excitable. after 40 minutes of random comments, staring out the window and off-the-wall behavior, my patience (which i have so much of...) dwindled. "sahil! what's your deal?" "sorry ms. humm, it's just the first time i've seen snow." recalling my snoball fight with him yesterday, during which he took me out multiple times, i sighed. how can you not love that?

the only thing not to love is the system of indian heating. i don't mean to be ethnocentric (what can you do?), but i am freakin' freezing. the school and our houses were built by missonaries in the 1800s and are cement sans much insulation. therefore, i see my breath everywhere-- in my classroom, my living room, my bedroom. i proctored an exam this morning with a coat, sweater and long underwear and still couldn't keep the cold at bay. i now pledge my undying love for car heaters, central heating, snow shovels and plows. however, i am getting quite adept at fire-building.

all of these photos were taken by my co-workers, but i will add my own when i am less lazy (time t.b.d.).