The first signs of winter approaching are the woollens that
the children are made to wear as they board the early morning Metro for their
first class in school.It is examination time and the short ride finds them
running their eyes through their text-books as their parents adjust their
pullovers and mufflers. Many years ago,the last week of November would have
brought a genuine winter, leaving schoolchildren with the agonising routine of
getting up early in the morning to finish their preparations. Now the climate
is somewhat uncertain. One never knows whether it is right to keep the fan on
when there is still some relief to be derived from the fresh air blowing
through the window and football can be played at the superbly renovated
Rabindra Sarovar Stadium under floodlights. The fear of coughs and colds is
real.In any case, the blankets have tumbled out of their cupboards and brushed
before they are ready to be pulled over early in the morning.

In this transitional state before winter actually arrives,
Kolkata could have had the best of everything except the irresistible ice
creams available in the pushcarts. There are crafts shows on the Milan Mela
grounds and off-season offers that customers should only be too happy to grab.
The only problem is that the cash crunch has kept people on their toes for the
next sudden announcement. Between the holiday that the family may be planning
and the birthday bash that the ten-year-old may be looking forward to, it is an
embarrassing moment in these hard times – more so when the weather is
pleasantly balanced between the seasons. November is generally regarded as the
most enjoyable month in terms of the weather. Vegetable prices reveal a
downward trend. This time the trend has persisted but for other reasons. Dinner
tables should come alive with the most exciting preparations but the money
market is tight and the old vendors in Gariahat, Manicktala. Hatibagan and
College Street are only calculating their losses.

However, very few can afford to miss the opportunity offered
by the woollen sellers from Bhutan. The bargains offered for the woollen
garments are better than what the pavement hawkers can give to regular
customers. The quality also is better. But, over the years, the seasonal vendors
have acquired an assured market that prompts them to put up “fixed price”
signs. Fortunately, there is still some time before these woollens will be
required. It is a different story for those engaged in the indispensable
routine of early morning walks. The chill is more than evident at five in the
morning when the stroll down the Dhakuria Lakes begins or when the residents of
Salt Lake – where the temperature is lower than in Kolkata – make their way to
one of the parks. One may like to walk faster when the temperatures take a
significant dip. But at the end of the road, there would be a chaiwala waiting
to give the early risers the energy that will keep them going for the rest of
the day. And now, one doesn’t have to look at the weather charts to realise
that the blankets will have to get thicker and, for those who are not so health
conscious, it will be more difficult than ever to stir out of bed.