With November starting, a slight glimpse of hope follows in the form of fall. Ah, fall is truly the most unrepresented season in our country, mostly due to it not existing, but despite that, it’s like the best thing ever. Now imagine it’s summer… Ew, and doing any basic task requires enough effort that even A-level physics starts seeming easier; at that point, you simply know, it can’t get worse than this. Surprise, it can and it will, introducing monsoon, which prepares you for an even worse time. If I could describe it in a single sentence, I’d say “disgusting bugs mixed with sweating profusely.” Yeah, I don’t like it if it wasn’t obvious enough.
But then the long-awaited (that is, if you are even slightly sane, but seeing as we are all doing A levels, yeah, I doubt that) season of fall arrives, which is usually referred to as autumn, but Americans are quite quirky with their words, therefore, we have fall. In summers the thought of doing anything, simply becomes the bane of your existence, but now it’s slightly less infuriating (welcome to fall).Indeed the weather is slightly better but don’t forget, this is Pakistan and our perception of good weather is horrendous, and because of this horrible weather, it might feel like we’re all going bald (let us remain delusional!), but contrary to all the leaves that fall in Fall, our hair luckily doesn’t seem to follow suit. As the change in temperature seems quite minuscule, the existence of Fall is rarely recognized (it’s either summer or winter). But since this article is about Fall, just this once, we will finally acknowledge Fall as an actual season.
What does fall even entail? Spooky season… and Shaadi season, but they both have their uncanny resemblances. Spooky season is the best time for all those horror fans among us, despite me not being one myself, because why would anyone willingly subject themselves to torture? *insert another A-level joke*. Spooky season mixed with the ever-enjoyable Shaadi season makes for a perfect blend of fun. But you know what’s scarier than horror movies? Those lovely summer electric bills, which can easily give anyone a better scare than some cheap jump scare from an old Bollywood horror movie. However, with the arrival of Fall, we can feel less scared about what’s to come next.
Another great addition that comes with Fall is blanket season. Now you can nap anytime, anywhere, and feel the most comfortable while you procrastinate your heart out, despite having a concerning amount of work pending—but now you can do it wrapped in warm and comfy blankets. And does it get any better than this? Well, it does for our sports enthusiasts, especially those volleyball players. Playing no longer guarantees a heatstroke, though with the lovely Pakistani weather, the chances are still there. But truly, has that ever stopped our volleyball players? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.
On the topic of sports, this change in weather ensures a lot less sweating, which allows those of us who seemingly don’t understand the concept of deodorants (you know who you are) to make college life slightly more bearable.
Besides playing sports, another enjoyable aspect of Fall is the beginning of depression season with its brown leaves and cold winds. And what pairs perfectly with depression? Yep, you guessed it—love songs that make you feel even more lonely and question all aspects of life (or is that just me?). Music hits incredibly differently during these times, and a quick listen to one on a calm, chilly Fall evening makes you feel all kinds of emotions—and I truly live for that. Fall creates an aesthetically pleasing environment that either soothes your soul or makes you cry.
Now, if I were born in a different country, I’d be talking about how this is pumpkin spice season and how much I love Starbucks and whatnot. But again, that’s never going to be us; therefore, we’ll gladly enjoy the extremely short days and the refusal to leave our warm beds at 6 a.m., all because of a horrible schedule—but who cares, at least the weather is good.
If I could summarize the weather of our country, half of it would just be, ‘Woah, is this what a heat stroke feels like?’ and the other half, ‘I can’t feel my fingers.’ Despite summer having a few good things here and there (keyword: few), it will never be close to my heart. As Fall begins, the realization soon enters your mind that winter is truly almost here, and despite everything wrong with it, at least it’s not summer—and that’s exactly what keeps me going.
Chief Reporter (2024-2025)
Hamiz Ather