Homesick For The First Time!

The past few days have been maddening. We have been getting one project after another. This is why I have not been able to update the blog! Although I must admit, I have not spent the last two weeks doing only project work! It's Diwali, and as I wrote in my last post, London is in a festive mood. The whole city seems to be celebrating it in some way or another!

I was honestly quite surprised to see Diwali posters on the 'big red bus'! We had a bash at the house on the weekend before Diwali. 3 days of non-stop fun!

So does this mean I didn't miss celebrating Diwali the way we did it back home? NO!

My Diwali started with me waking up late, but still managing to reach class in time. Sad thing was I had Accounting - a subject that I am not very fond of. By evening I was quite homesick! Diwali is just not the same when you don't celebrate it ON Diwali and when you don't have a late night party with friends!

I had honestly never thought about how much I would miss Diwali at home! It's not about the fireworks at Diwali. I know London will have Guy Faux day where the fireworks will beat that of Diwali (or equal it). It's not even about the dressing up and partying -- Halloween has that covered! It's something that for some reason I cannot put into words!

But then I decided to change my mood! We watched a movie and had our own fun! Next day, it was back to school! For now, I have to get back to working on my assignment!

Festive London

I have been in London for more than a month now. The start was super-exciting (if that's a word!). With time, it just started feeling like a second home. I'm sure eventually it will feel like a home, but as of now, it still hasn't taken that place, my 'home' is still Delhi!

I had thought that I would miss all the Diwali fun, but the fact is, I am not... surprisingly! I went to the 'Diwali on the Square' festival a few days back, and I realised that here, Diwali is far more than just being the 'festival of lights'. There were so many (should I call them) 'foreigners', who were dressing up in Saris, and trying to get a flavour of India, that I completely forgot it was a Diwali festival, it seemed more like a Cultural Festival!

This weekend, we are starting of Diwali celebrations at 'home'... Although the actual festival is still a week away, the festivities here tend to kick-off much before (or in case of the Eid festival much after)! I have loved every minute of it. The whole of London seems to be keen on discovering everything there is about other cultures--and that's what I love about this place!

Soon after I had come here, I had gone for an Eid Festival (although Eid was almost a month before the event) at Trafalgar Square. I had the same feeling then, as I had at the time of the Diwali festival. Everyone was having fun, listening to music, some were dancing, some were just photographing others--It was beautiful.

While on the one hand, Diwali celebrations are in full swing, preps for Christmas have also begun! Oxford Street has already started putting up lights. They turn on the Christmas Lights and officially kick-off the 'Christmas Season' sometime in late November. Although for me, it is just like back home, the festivities don't stop till New Years!