To a winter in Europe

I felt as I always do, as I waited for my flight at the departure terminal of Delhi airport- that, I have already left. The moment you cross the imigration line, you lose your Delhi.But never so much as this time.In Delhi the winter had set in. Not too harsh, just so much that you want to huddle around in a tight group over cups of tea.Just so much that that cigarette lights are visible above the slight mist.It is the break in Delhi that always make leaving home easy. I had stepped out of the aircraft the evening before into the familiarity of the cool breeze on my face. And i wished that I could stay on.

The Delhi international airport has revamped itself since my last departure. It is posh and grand. The long walks to find your gate, matches any of the other airports that we hear of.I wait at my gate with European faces. I listen to the boarding announcement in the strage 'neutral'ised accent. (Colbe,that s where the trimmed accents go to!). The only sign of the nation outside are the portraits of young men and women in regional attire standing guard at the loo entrances. But then those are portraits for the foreign eyes.

So i sit there and think of things. Why is Delhi that was once so strange now almost home, almost as hard to leave? I wonder if I stayed on long enough,Europe would turn out to be just so.Well, I guess not. It is not that I do not have great friends there. I enjoy the travel. I am eager for more. This winter I am going to meet snow for the first time. In a few hours I would get a glimpse of Zurich as spread out among snowfolds.

But then, there is an odd formality to the life there. A set of rules which cannot be learned easily. Like paying only your tab at the restaurant.Individual space has so much value that I feel suffocated often. Once a couple of years back I was with a group of English students. They were all drinking gin and tonic from bottles they had brought but would not offer.I cried then (and mind you not just for the gin and tonic). Well it is'nt the rule.Already I am aquainted to a number of people to know that much. There is not a single Europe.

I think its worth spending time getting to know Europe.It is possible that each cent is not always to be accounted for.
But after that, I am going to come back..