The Electric Chair

Fog is water vapour with their woolies on.

It may not sound very impressive to several million people living in New York, London or even Delhi that there one can actually see fog in Mumbai because these people are accustomed to fog, snow, blizzards and tornadoes as a matter of course. While for most poeple, talking about the weather has become a sure-shot sign of being a loser - this because everyone keeps doing so, which in turn is because the weather actually changes allowing one to do so - in Mumbai, we consider the weather as a refreshing topic of discussion. Because if someone is talking about the weather, it most likely means that there is something noteworthy about it, which in itself can be a source of great joy to a mumbaikar.

The Mumbaikar is least worried about living a life of decadence because he is not afraid of going to hell. Hell, when he reaches there, will just remind him of the weather at home: hot and humid. That is almost a constant in Mumbai. Seasons are out of fashion here. If at all you were to name seasons in Mumbai, I'd say it is 10 months of summer and 2 months of mild summer (as opposed to say Bangalore which is 2 months of winter and 10 months of mild winter, the best). Hence when the mercury goes below 20 in Mumbai, we talk about it. We revel in it. We are ecstatic.

And when something like fog happens, it becomes worthy of mention. But what is fog? Mumbai is humid all the year round.... so why isnt there fog all the year round? Fog is some form of water i assume. One simple theory is the one at the beginning of the note: Fog is water vapour with their woolies on. The other theory is this: Like the people of Mumbai, water vapour is too apathetic to its neighbours. Maybe it doesn't get along. The spirit of Christmas and the coming new year however makes it reflect at leisure and makes the water vapour come together like people do, thereby causing fog.

This festive season, may you come close to your near and dear ones, just like water vapour does. Wish you a Merry Chirstmas and a Very Happy New Year!

# posted by A Chrysanthemum by any other name... : 4:54 AM