The 'Fall' diary!

 The colors are here. You can see them all around you. And No, its not Holi time. For my friends from U.S. it is a festival when we throw artificial color on each other so that you cannot make out one from another! But THIS I am talking about Fall! I wonder why is it called 'The Fall'- yes the leaves do fall down but they turn so beautiful before that- why not call it after that beauty? Why do we make it sad- the beautiful beautiful Fall in U.S.! The leaves turning from green to yellow, to a light crimson, then red and few of them are already brown. In one tree, you can see different hues of color; they amaze me to no end! I am reminded of the diversity of the human beings. Of all races, colors, ethnicity, nationalities- we all are humans! I wonder if there is a hierarchical structure between leaves as we have created between humans. If ever it is for the price of the wood- it is still man-made! We have a way of creating differences between ourselves by overshadowing our identities by many hues- wonder if we could keep it a little simple? It is interesting but after coming here, I realize I share more similarities with many people from far away countries than I would from my neighbor back home!

And back to my fall diary- you can mistake them for flowers very easily but they are plain leaves turning into different colors, just like magic! Exceptionally beautiful is the time when you spot ‘red trees’ between the whole lot of green ones. They simply stand out- the most fashionably dressed ones! People advised me to see the colors in different places here- but I can see them each day, right outside my window, walking through the university campus which has turned into a fascinating canvas for me nowadays. Its like a painter at work- slowly turning the greens into yellow and then to red. It seems to me as if she cannot decide which color looks more pretty and is trying out her own variations!

Winter is just setting in. She is trying to give us a feel of how harsh it could be! This weather is the peak winter of North India- maybe a few degrees lower. But, here in U.S., it is Fall- a time to be out and to enjoy the sun! Charles river flowing right through the heart of my little town, Waltham (yes, it has become mine at least for 2 years) makes it beautiful beyond words. You can spot a variety of birds here- Canadian goose, Greater Scaup, Gargeney, Tundra Swan, Brown Pelican and Seagul in and around the river is the list I have made in these past two months. The wild white lotus are lined up on the river beds, opening their buds with a mystic beauty! Life is giving me an opportunity to hold my breath and breathe in the beauty around me. However the assignments make sure I do not float away into my dreams, constantly bringing me back to reality. I can quote Robert Frost aptly here,

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

  But I have promises to keep,

  And miles to go before I sleep,

 And miles to go before I sleep!”                                  Photo Courtesy: Hamsa Hneide