Today, I went to the hospital for an abdominal ultrasound, taking public transportation as usual. On the way back, it was so cold that I returned to the departure terminus to take the same bus in the opposite direction, because I wasn’t able to wait for the bus on the other side of the street: the assault of the wind was too hard to endure in such low temperatures, even at the bus shelter. People outside Canada cannot imagine how much effort it takes to maintain body temperature. I was dressed warmly, but I was wearing autumn gloves: I nearly froze my fingers. The velocity of the wind, the harsh weather, the wind chill factor— it all becomes complex when you live on an island, exposed to the open air. On days of severe cold, we avoid exposing ourselves to the forces of nature. Frostbite can happen so quickly: we must avoid it at all costs.
