Saturday, March 05, 2005
Canadian Winters
When I arrived Canada about 35 years ago, I enjoyed the Canadian winters very much. It is white everywhere, and it looks like a Christmas card. The cool and quiet country side gave me a sense of peace and serenity. It gave me the greatest pleasure looking out the windows watching the snowflakes falling from the sky. I am not a romantic person but I particularly enjoyed walking along the Detroit River while it was snowing. Sometimes I fell into deep thought until I felt my feet were frozen.
Certainly Windsor is very "warm" compared with other parts of Ontario. There are more snows in Kingston and colder. But I still enjoyed winters there also. I picked up cross-country skiing, and I enjoyed skating on the frozen Lake Ontario. It was quite scary to walk on a frozen lake. Though it was several feet thick of ice, one could hear water "noise" beneath the feet. However, I had a coompletely free feeling at the middle of the lake, and I could only see dots of people far away from me.
That had been 25 years ago, and I was pretty young. And certainly, I didn't feel cold at all even it was -20 C.
Sault Ste Marie situates between Lake Huron and Lake Superior, and as a result there are lots of snow in the winters. Winter is long and it usually lasts for about 6 months with temperature ranging from 0 to -30 C. I did not enjoy winters anymore. During the winter, I have to put on several pounds of winter clothings and boots before going out. As I am getting older, I feel my winter clothings are getting heavier and heavier. Walking in the snow is no longer romantic but rather a health hassard. It is suggested that breathing cold air will damage the lung lining, and may also trigger heart attack to the older people. Moreover, long winters will affect the mood of the people also, and it is called winter blue. Lack of sunshine in the winter will also cause health problems to the people because the lack of vitamin D.
How can the Canadians cope with winters? Some retirees go to Florida, Mexico or Arizona in the winters, and they are called snow birds because they fly south in the winters. Hong Kongers spend their winters back in Hong Kong. Others take a week off in the winter, and go to south for the sun. The hottest place usually is Florida, because the kids enjoy Disney World. Cuba and Mexico are getting very popular because they are cheap, though there are not much to do there. You just stay in the resort eating, sun bathing and walking along the beaches.
For me, I hibernate in the winters. That means I would not do anything special in the winter. I just stay at home and enjoy the whiteness outside.
I am getting old. Winter here is too long for me. I need to find a place where it is warm in the winter. However there is no such place in Canada. Alas!
Certainly Windsor is very "warm" compared with other parts of Ontario. There are more snows in Kingston and colder. But I still enjoyed winters there also. I picked up cross-country skiing, and I enjoyed skating on the frozen Lake Ontario. It was quite scary to walk on a frozen lake. Though it was several feet thick of ice, one could hear water "noise" beneath the feet. However, I had a coompletely free feeling at the middle of the lake, and I could only see dots of people far away from me.
That had been 25 years ago, and I was pretty young. And certainly, I didn't feel cold at all even it was -20 C.
Sault Ste Marie situates between Lake Huron and Lake Superior, and as a result there are lots of snow in the winters. Winter is long and it usually lasts for about 6 months with temperature ranging from 0 to -30 C. I did not enjoy winters anymore. During the winter, I have to put on several pounds of winter clothings and boots before going out. As I am getting older, I feel my winter clothings are getting heavier and heavier. Walking in the snow is no longer romantic but rather a health hassard. It is suggested that breathing cold air will damage the lung lining, and may also trigger heart attack to the older people. Moreover, long winters will affect the mood of the people also, and it is called winter blue. Lack of sunshine in the winter will also cause health problems to the people because the lack of vitamin D.
How can the Canadians cope with winters? Some retirees go to Florida, Mexico or Arizona in the winters, and they are called snow birds because they fly south in the winters. Hong Kongers spend their winters back in Hong Kong. Others take a week off in the winter, and go to south for the sun. The hottest place usually is Florida, because the kids enjoy Disney World. Cuba and Mexico are getting very popular because they are cheap, though there are not much to do there. You just stay in the resort eating, sun bathing and walking along the beaches.
For me, I hibernate in the winters. That means I would not do anything special in the winter. I just stay at home and enjoy the whiteness outside.
I am getting old. Winter here is too long for me. I need to find a place where it is warm in the winter. However there is no such place in Canada. Alas!
# posted by CyberMan @ 6:31 PM 
