The Gloomy Days.
We went to the beach club on a cloudy day. The pictures posted lie quite a lot. The camera fixed much of the gloomy day we had and while people were enjoying the beach even on a rainy day it made me think of winter in Canada.
It looked cold as if I were to step outside the house on a fall day and need a sweater or a jacket. We were having dinner with friends of ours that were going to Canada. They were newly married and my friend is from Canada. As he and his wife are preparing to head back to Canada we discussed the cold and the winter.
Afraid of the Cold.
His wife who has never been anywhere cold is quite afraid of the cold and as we teased her about it I realized the mood of the day fit the cold.
The gloomy days of winter and the cold wind tugging at your face reminded me of the tricks my mind played on me on my first winter in Jakarta. As the rainy season rolls into Indonesia each year I was not prepared for the tricks my mind would play.
While it is dark and wet during heavy rains my mind associated the winter and Christmas season with cold. Of course, it is never truly cold here in Indonesia, but the darkness and heavy clouds I associate with cold weather are.
Often I thought, it’s going to be a cold one today.
However, it was never cold. As my mind played these tricks on me the other day, I felt just the same.
Dress warm we said.
Advice for anyone going from Indonesia or any other warm country to a cold one. Dress the part. Wear long johns if needed, and wear warm socks, boots hats, and gloves. Do not worry about being stylish, worry about being warm.
My friend will have to guide his wife through the cold and make sure she stays healthy and warm. It is one thing to talk about it and another to experience it.
The easiest way to experience the cold is like this. Take a bucket of ice and fill it with just enough water to fill in the empty spaces between the ice cubes. Then wait a min or two for it to be nice and cold. Stick your hand in there and see how long you will last. I for one feel like peeing my pants. I had to do that in Niagara falls for a wax hand sculpture once.
That is how I know this little trick and trust me, once you do this, you will know how cold feels. I am not brave enough, but if you are, try standing in the bucket of cold water and see if you want to experience winter ever again.
The Upside.
Experiencing winter for the first time will be amazing. Dressing appropriately is the key. Make a snowman, throw snowballs and go tobogganing.
Enjoy maple syrup, go for a snowmobile ride and you may as well try to ski. However, for me, the best part is to cuddling up by the fire and sipping hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.
Enjoy Christmas, and take in the festivities because the colored lights and the snow put on quite a show. Santa and Christmas trees go well together. A bit better than people frolicking on the beach with a Christmas tree in the background.
However, the one piece of advice for everyone visiting a snow-covered country for the first time… Don’t eat the yellow snow.
Zsolt Zsemba 