December gives me an excuse to brew and drink copious amounts of chai. On most days, it is a straight-up Tapri version, runny, watery, and acidic with the slightest hint of milk. But come December, I bring out all the masalas to make a more interesting version. I have a box of dry spices handy for my chai- half a stick of cinnamon, a few pods of cardamom, dry ginger, 2 pods of pepper, all roasted slightly and pounded gently in a mortar and pestle. After allowing the tea to boil with a generous amount of milk, I add this homemade masala mix as a final garnish before taking it off from the stove. I have my chai in my chair with the window slightly ajar. The tips of my fingers feel cold with the winter breeze, a hint of the sub-zero temperature outside, which only makes the chai feel a lot warmer and delightful.
On most evenings, I take a walk around the block: an exercise to befriend the frigid weather instead of being wary of it. The sidewalk is calmer, and I enjoy the last couple of minutes of sunlight before it goes down at 4 pm. I pass through brownstone apartments, retail shops, through Boba Tea outlets, and a Shawarma King restaurant that does not see patrons on most days. Its neighbor, Six Hot Pot, however, has a different story to tell: I find a whole lot of activity occurring here- with people coming in and out, with servers bringing in a hot pot of broth to tables and everyone on the table sharing. People are happy indulging in the food, in the conversations around them: it looks inviting, almost asking me to bring my tribe too. I imagine sitting with my friends here, enjoying a good meal, learning about Hot Pot, laughing.
On my way back, the night is upon us although it has only been a couple of minutes since I stepped out. The lights at most apartments are out, and I gaze at the brownstone apartments- large windows that try to compensate for the lack of patio-balcony setting. It allows me to peep into their living rooms, with workstations emitting blue light, an odd cat sitting along with the window, looking back at me, a larger-than-life Beatles poster, houseplants, Christmas trees.
An excuse to doll up in this season, there are Christmas trees with string lights, with a star on top, and are sometimes placed right by the window which gives them a nice view of the street outside.
There is no escaping the holiday season and American capitalism is in full swing during this time of the year. I would often think the Holidays in America to be excessive- holiday flavored drinks, all the gift-giving, an odd wreath hanging on the signposts, red ribbons on the doors of homes, and the over-the-top display of cheer. This year, I decided to give in a little bit- I have a faux Christmas tree for tabletop, and for the first time have brought the holidays into my own home.