Posted on: 24-12-04 13:24:10
This post is directed to the new immigrants who have come to Canada (specially the GTA) after say May-June 2004. This is the first winter you are experiencing - and no sooner it started on 21st Dec, we have had a major snow storm. What have been your experiences? What were your expectations? How well or badly were you prepared for it? Did you enjoy the long long sheets of white snow and ice and the evergreen trees with snow on them and icicles falling out of everything - trees, cars, windows etc. Did you guys go out? If you did, how many of you slipped on the ground?
Tell us about it - it might be nice to read about new experiences as well as educative to both new and old.
Chandresh
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Chandresh
Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!
This is the first time we have lived in this kind of cold weather.
I have travelled to places that were as cold (even colder) but never lived in such weather for more than a few days.
The coldest I have been was -35C (without the windchill) in Minneapolis the week before Christmas around 5 years back.
With the windchill it would probably be -45C.
There was snow till my knees and as I stepped out of the airport, I could not breathe for a few minutes.
That said, the experience of the last couple of days was bad, but not that bad.
In some ways, we enjoyed it, and in other ways we were taken aback by the sheer seriousness of the situation in terms of driving, dressing, etc.
It was like you hear about it, you read about it, people tell you about it - but when it actually happens, that's when you realise the reality of the situation 
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Orginally posted by chandresh
How well or badly were you prepared for it?
I think we were pretty well prepared in terms of clothes.
No major surprises there, except perhaps better boots would have helped.
Quote:Sure ! It was great fun !
Did you enjoy the long long sheets of white snow and ice and the evergreen trees with snow on them and icicles falling out of everything - trees, cars, windows etc.
Quote:Yes, I was out on the roads for over 5 hrs. yesterday.
Did you guys go out?
Went through 401 and a couple of other routes.
It was a big, horrible mess with the slush.
Quote:Slipped, yes, but managed to hold on
If you did, how many of you slipped on the ground?
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"Mah deah, there is much more money to be made in the destruction of civilization than in building it up."
-- Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind"
seems the new immigrants had such an experience that they don't even want to talk about it!
Chandresh
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Chandresh
Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!
Quote:
Orginally posted by chandresh
seems the new immigrants had such an experience that they don't even want to talk about it!
Chandresh
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Visit-
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CanadianDesan/
Quote:
Orginally posted by chandresh
This post is directed to the new immigrants who have come to Canada (specially the GTA) after say May-June 2004. This is the first winter you are experiencing - and no sooner it started on 21st Dec, we have had a major snow storm. What have been your experiences? What were your expectations? How well or badly were you prepared for it? Did you enjoy the long long sheets of white snow and ice and the evergreen trees with snow on them and icicles falling out of everything - trees, cars, windows etc. Did you guys go out? If you did, how many of you slipped on the ground?
Tell us about it - it might be nice to read about new experiences as well as educative to both new and old.
Chandresh
We’ve never experienced this cold weather before. And this has been a big change for us after our 3 years in the hot weather of Dubai. From +50C to -35C. As for our expectations, we were a bit scared thinking about anything sub-zero and something like -35C was unimaginable. But now after having experienced it for some time, it seems that it’s not so bad after all. And if we are well prepared and properly dressed we can actually enjoy it. And the good thing over here is that the heating system everywhere is so good that you don’t feel cold at all anywhere indoors. And that’s why we used to feel colder in India throughout the day. In India especially North India, you can’t imagine sitting in at home without any sweaters or winter clothes. Moreover, it doesn’t get so foggy over here as back in Delhi. So in a way, the winters here are cool than the winters in North India!!!
Enjoying the white sheets of snow everywhere. Don’t know whether the feeling will be the same after having seen it for a couple of months more.
Driving in this weather is a new experience for us and a bit scary especially on the icy roads of highways. But again if you’re careful it’s not so bad after all.
What we don’t like about this weather is the dirty muddy roads and the dirt that accumulates on the cars.
So from our experience, though the real winter has only begun, so far it seems it’s been ok. The key is to be prepared and to be well dressed and keep yourself warm while outdoors. Let’s see how it goes in the coming months. Whether we enjoy it or get sick of it.
Jyoti & Vishal
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It is cloudy and nice in Vancouver. Some rain off and on but we are not affected by the storm .
Don't like living in snow and cold thats the reason we have been in west coast for the last 7 years ..
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We will find a way or we will make one
I feel a person yet not citizen is a new immigrant. So, I qualify to tell my experiences.
Last winters were my first winters of Canada or to say first time experienced temp below 10C that too sub zero. All the snow and cold was a wonderful experience. I took lot off photographed to send them across to family and friends.
This is my second winter and already huge piles of snow are getting on my nerve. Snow storm was my first experience. Infact I thought it will be similar to thunder storm we get in India. It never occured to me that snow storm is just snow dropping down and it is long hours of snow fall that makes it a storm. Now atleast my concept of snow storm is clear.
Yes, everything looks admirable till it is absolutely white. Once cars drive over and people walk over the snow, it looks very dirty. Second winter experience did not feel good like first winter.
Probably change is what we always admire in life.
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