Time.
Time......a concept so wonderful, a concept that has changed the very way we look at our lives, our day, our very existence. Time allows everything to be categorised, divided and arranged. To measure time we use various tools from the normal wrist watch to sophisticated chronographs. Even our body seems to have a built in clock that lets us know when the body needs anything. But time is not good. We have no control over it....no way to stop it. We live , we go about our daily chores, but at some point we stop to rest...but time just keeps ticking away. I always wonder we always see our watches plenty of times but yet we can only think about the time gone by. For me the way I measure time is from weekends. One weekend is not over and the other one is here and I sit back and try to figure how fast the week went. If only one could make time go slow or may be even stop it for a while to allow us to bathe in the glory of some achievement or moment but that shall never be. So as The Doors sang: "No eternal reward shall forgive us for wasting the dawn" I say don't waste time.

Seasons
I have been very fortunate to live in a hilly region where the seasons are more defined. You know when winter is over and spring begins. I have always been a cold lover and I thoroughly enjoy a cold winter. I am not talking about the ice and snow winters...but one where the temperature just hovers around zero. You are always wondering whether it will go below. I feel in the cold one gets a chance to dress up well...out come the mufflers, the coats in varied styles and cuts and my favourite polo necks. Another lovely sight in winter is the frost.....you know you are gonna get hit when you get scorching days and blue skies day after day. In the night farmers keep vigil over their crops, protecting them from animals and in the early morn they water hoping to prevent frost. But in my own personal experience I have learnt that no matter how much you try the frost somehow manages to creep in and cover the entire land in a sheet of white. Its a lovely, breathtaking sight and at dawn as the sun slowly crawls into the sky, the rays make the ice glisten and shine.
Out here in the Nilgiris there is a clear transition between winter and spring. You know its spring coz the plants begin to throw out new shoots at a much faster rate. But a good indicator of the changing season are the evergreen forests locally called sholas. There are some species of trees in these forests whose leaves change into spectacular colours just after winter. You barely know spring has begun that summer is already there.
The temperatures slowly begin to climb up. The sun of the hills is different from the plains in that it burns your skin to the very bone. I find it very dehydrating even though you hardly sweat. The nights are very pleasant and slightly warm which accelerates growth. So all of a sudden you find all the flora growing very fast like they got no time and have got someplace to reach. Its amazing to see these differences. This is the best time of the year. The air is still, the sun warm and the days waiting to be lived. I love spending most of the time outdoors...taking long walks or playing games and its lovely to sit out in the nights without sweaters or extra clothing.
The all of a sudden the summer seems to be over and a strong wind begins to blow. Its horrible. Somedays the wind just blows the whole day, whistling through the trees, blowing all the leaves around and breaking the stalks of tall plants. One is thankful if a couple of trees are not dislocated. The wind blows nice and strong for about two months and then the rains begin.
The monsoon is here. One always awaits the prediction of the Indian weather department which I never have been able to tell are accurate or not. If there is any other season that makes me smile its the monsoon. The first rains are the best. The earth is waiting parched and the rain falls drenching it, quenching its thirst. The sweet smell that permeates the air around this time is something indescribable. No doubt the monsoon does bring harm....many trees fall and roads are blocked. Its even hazardous to drive especially at night, but its an experience. The rains have never put me off. Just put on a long raincoat, an umbrella, good rain shoes and you are ready to take a walk.