The Cold War of 2018
Winter used to be a short, delightful break from the scorching, sweaty summer and the muddy, flooded days of the rainy season. It brought with itself the gift of wedding feasts, traditional pitha, badminton fever, and the perfect atmosphere for travelling. But too much of anything is never a good thing. And the chills of the new year have surely made you realise that.
Just a few days ago, Bangladesh recorded her lowest ever temperature in history. The temperatures dropped to an astonishing 2.6 degrees (Celsius) in Tetulia. The situation was pretty severe in the capital as well, the temperature at one point dropping to 7.2 degrees. This was mainly due to a cold wave passing through the northern part of the country – a declaration of war from General Winter.
The moment you wake up, you step into the battlefield. If already having the early morning sleep momentum wasn't bad enough, add the sweet warmth of an extra thick blanket on top of that. Just as you've conquered your unproductive, forbidden desire for comfort and decide to get out of bed, you're hit with a second round of ammunition as your warm naked feet hit the cold, icy floor.
We're all too familiar with winter bathroom problems. God bless your soul if you don't have immediate access to warm water. And even for the ones that have the luxury of an electric water geyser, the cold, hard bathroom wares don't quite appreciate the touch of your warm, delicate skin.
When you get out of the house, you realise that even all those layers of warm clothes weren't really enough. You see, General Winter is a smart, tactical genius. For someone who halted the invasions of Russia by both the mighty Napoleon and Hitler, bullying the average Bengali teenager is child's play. He's going to target your weak spots – your hands, ears, and face. Most people here don't bother with gloves or scarves, and are quickly brutalised by cold winter winds from the Kingdom of the North. Your hands freeze up and become ice cubes made of man-meat, a weapon some jerks use to casually terrorise a friend's cheeks. And as your face becomes so numb that you can barely breathe, you make a firm decision to have some face-wear next time you get out of the house.
Rickshaw rides were romantic and a somewhat recreational activity during the first part of winter. As the cold waves kicked in, an evening rickshaw ride became a nightmare for a lot of people. If the already excessively low temperatures weren't bad enough, imagine having to sit through 15 minutes of cold gushing winds slamming on to your face.
The main issue with the cold waves is that the temperatures become lower than what the usual Bangladeshi household prepares for. This also leads to people developing many creative ways to keep themselves warm. Various extra warm places of the human body become shelters for our especially vulnerable hands. People start reinventing the notion of fashion by wearing 3 to 4 or sometimes even 5 layers of clothing, complete with the classic – wearing two t-shirts that look hideous together.
The war against winter also extends to beyond simply protecting your body. Thanks to technology and entertainment media addictions of our generation, we always seem to be too busy when food is served. It's not much of a problem most of the time, but when winter shifts gears, you better start listening to your mother and have your meals immediately. Even if you're just 5 minutes late, prepare to munch down on some rock-hard piece of wood that was once a food called ruti.
To successfully combat the Winter Soldier, it's not sufficient to keep yourself warm only from the outside. This is why hot beverages earn our affection a little more than usual during this time. Sipping on some hot coffee, wrapped up in a warm blanket, all the while reading some high quality literature is basically a temporary trip to paradise.
I'm sure what I've mentioned so far is relatable to an extent to all of you. And if you're reading this article, you're more or less privileged enough to not get the shortest end of the straw this winter. The hardships we all face from the cold are somewhat bearable but for the unfortunate, the line between bearable and unbearable is certainly crossed. People who don't have the protection of brick walls, warm blankets, and access to heating are leading excruciatingly difficult lives. It is times like these which make you appreciate and be thankful for all the amenities you are lucky to have, and also induce compassion for the needy.
It's only humane that we reach out and provide support to the ones that suffer ten times as much, and help them survive this war against winter.