Fog in Qatar

Yes, it is a foggy day in Qatar, not such a common thing in this part of the world. And, it is amazing...I love looking out of the glass doors of my dining area, where I am sitting, sipping coffee and having breakfast. A wave of nostalgia engulfs me as I am reminded of all the beautiful winter seasons back home.
It is such a unique experience, driving your two-wheeler through fog so thick you can hardly see 50 metres ahead. In college, December & January were months of semester exams. All the two-wheeler drivers would be dressed in layers of clothes, jackets, scarves, gloves etc., driving a few km to the college, envying all the car owners they saw on the way. And, as soon as we all reached college, we would rush to the classrooms, rubbing our numb-with-cold hands vigorously, and still it would take a few minutes after holding the pen that we could actually write. A shiver runs through me while I think of those days.
Studying for exams was also pretty much fun. There used to be two options, depending on the weather. If it was sunny, we would sit outside, keep shifting our chairs towards sun as the day progressed, and reluctantly go inside the house around 4 pm. Sunny days were fun during holidays. We 3 siblings, cousins, mom, aunts would all sit in the veranda, sipping tea/coffee, eating peanuts and other savories of winter season (rewri, gajjak etc.) and either just chatting away or playing board games/cards. Oh, it was simply awesome! Well coming to the second option of studying - we would sit under layers of quilts on the bed or couch, reading our course books. The preparation would begin while we sat upright, would progress with us lying comfortably on the warm bed, and finally falling asleep in the middle of the toughest chapter of the subject! Sometimes, mom used to come and wake us, other times, a nightmare about the actual exam day would do the trick. And, the studies would be resumed with fervor. Mom and dad used to keep warning us that we'll hurt our eyes and back studying like this, but who wanted to actually use the cold study table?
In school, the winter vacations would be spent playing games on streets or nearby parks, whichever had the prospect of more playmates and sun.
As I write all this, I am struck with a thought. How many times do we actually reminisce of the big events in life? Not much. However, surely, most of us reminisce a lot about such small & seemingly insignificant moments of life. It is these small joys that actually make our life.
Today, when I look out of these glass doors in Doha, I feel lucky to have spent such fine moments of childhood & youth in Faridabad,among loved ones - my brother, sister, mom, dad, cousins, uncles & aunts. I want to take a stroll on the street where I used to play as a child; go and sit on my favorite bench of the classrooms I studied in; visit that park again and pluck the juicy fruits growing on a small tree at the corner of the park; I wanna grow up again to take in the beauty of the moments I might have missed the first time.
I thank God for a foggy day in Qatar!