Remember how a
little bit of snow and ice brought Dublin to a standstill a few months ago. If
that much snow landed in Newfoundland, people would still be out in shorts and
t-shirts. When it comes to weather, these people are some of the toughest I’ve
ever seen.
In my first few
days here, the weather was fine. There was no snow, no ice and certainly no
wind. This was surprising, because one
month before I left Ireland, Newfoundland was hit by a major hurricane. The
hurricane closed down the campus for a few days, but nothing that these hardy
Newfies couldn’t shrug off. However, it
was the winter season they were dreading, and winter is only just starting
here.
The first major
snowstorm came out of nowhere and covered the city within minutes. I’m around
5foot6 and the snow easily engulfed my feel and, in parts, nearly reached my
knees. I learned very fast to use the university’s underground tunnels.
I can deal with
the major snow. It’s still a novelty to me and makes the city look stunning.
What I hate is the icy snow. You see, when heavy amounts of snow gets trampled
on, rained on and then frozen, it turns into this evil, horribly slippery
substance. I’ve fell over multiple times on it and it doesn’t cushion a fall
like snow.
The wind here is
also the strongest I’ve ever felt. It’s like walking straight into a tornado.
The only benefit to it is how nice it is to listen to when wrapped up in bed.
Trying to get to class in strong winds, and -24 degrees chill does not make a
particularly enjoyable experience.
It’s all
something I have to get used to. The winter season isn’t over here by a long
shot. Global warming, my arse!
As printed in An Focal
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