What usually crosses our minds when we’re watching movies showing people in winter countries: “Cool!” They always look gorgeous in their winter coats, colorful shawls and fancy boots… walking fast with their gloved hands in pockets, their breath puffing in the air, not to mention their glowing red cheeks! Oh, i’d give anything to be just that. It’s simply cool.” Wait, it’s not cool; it’s cold! There are two cold, hard facts you should know before planning to go abroad in winter or study in a four-season country. After reading this article, start counting your warm blessings.
Cold Fact #1: Winter can mean low humidity in the air. (For your information, our bright-weathered Jakarta has around 80% humidity, while the capital city of South Korea, Seoul, can have a humidity as low as 20% in winter.)
Effects: dry skin and lips (survival kit: apply body lotion/body butter, lip balm/petroleum jelly); dry air, indoor and outdoor (survival kit: turn on indoor humidifier machine.)
Consequences: You’ve got to spend extra cash for buying more lip balm and body lotion/butter, because you’ll be needing them way more often than in Indonesia. You’ll need to own a humidifier machine at least in every bedroom of your dwelling (this also means extra cash) and you’ll have to discipline yourself to fill a small jerry can inside the machine with water every other day or so.
Cold fact #2: For god’s sake, it’s cold out there! If you’ve been following the news on tv, then you probably know what is hitting countries like China and Afghanistan, with temperatures plunging to -20 degree celcius. Yep, bitter winter, they say. Sub-zero temperatures are a guarantee for this kind of winter. (imagine living inside a fridge, to be precisely, inside a freezer! That’s what it’s like.)
Effects: Chilly, cold, numb sensation…you name it! Sometimes you can even feel the chill pierce right into your bones and cause your movements to become stiff. Your fingers are so stiff that they lose their dexterity to handle things, ordinary things, really…like finding some coins inside your pocket or just putting on or off your gloves. Some people can’t take the low temperature so that their noses bleed. (survival kit: change the air conditioner from cooler mode to heater mode.) In big buildings like hotels, shopping malls, and spartment buildings, it takes a week for the mode change to function fully… iamgine what happens in between. Pheww! Outdoor, you can keep yourself warm by wearing longjohns, a thick turtle neck sweater (it will protect your neck and an in emergency, it can also serve as nose cover) under a winter coat, shawl, a wool hat (better yet, an ushanka, a russian hat with ear-flaps), earmuffs, knee socks for those with weak knees, leggings, gloves preferably from wool or leather/suede, boots or sneakers.
Consequence: Can’t live without it, but turning on the heater to warm up your cotherwise chilly nights can only translate into an escalating electricity bill. Oh,no! Don’t expect to look slim in winter apparel. At lunchtime in a fast-food outlet, you also won’t be as quick as in your hometown to sit and enjoy your hamburger, as you’ll need to open nearly all those bulky winter clothing inside the hearted restaurant. Move it, move it, move it! Have you ever wondered why people in winter tend to walk fast on the road and side walks? First, they need to get inside a heated room as soon as possible. Second, quick movements generate more heat than slow movement. (c’ns vol 7 no. 54)
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