As everyone that reads this blog probably knows I am Canadian. For the majority of the world population when they think of Canada they think of snow since for a third of the year we are either covered in the stuff or the potential is there for us to be covered in the stuff. From this it is a natural assumption that Canadians must like/love snow since they live in Canada. This is not always (actually very rarely) the case.
We have a love/hate relationship with snow. There are several stages to the Canadian winter which usually starts with the first snow fall. During and immediately following the first snow fall, which I like to call the “romanticism stage”. During this stage everyone loves the snow. They love how it blankets everything and makes it look bright and beautiful. Depending on where you live this quickly turns into the “fade to gray stage” where the pristine snow turns into a gray slushy mess. Typically this stage occurs quicker in cities due to the increased presence of cars and airborne pollution.
It would take too long to go through the middle stages since it really depends on the predictability of the weather. The final stage that occurs around the end of January is the “loathing stage” where we just wish the snow would melt so Spring could begin. The symptoms that occur during this stage is irritability, depression, being tired all the time and not wanting to go to work. The final symptom can be attributed to the fact that during January most people get to work when it is dark and leave work when it is dark thus having no time to enjoy the daylight.
This ends your lesson on Canada for the day. There will be a test tomorrow.
7 Comments
I don’t care. I still want your snow!!! 🙂
Hahaha! Well said! After living here for a couple of years (and not being an American that grew up around snow) — I’d have to totally agree!!
I live in Los Angeles where we get no snow (unless you go up into the mountains), but I did spend a year in the U.S. midwest where they have snowy winters. I hated the gray slush. You can’t get away from it. It’s everywhere and it is gross.
Come, Troy… come towards the light. Move to Los Angeles. Sure, there’s smog, earthquakes, and gang violence – but not a flake of snow! heheheh
You wouldn’t want to live on this side of the planet. It’s so hot and humid. Give me the snow anytime. 😛
January? Haha, you don’t live in Quebec, do you?
We have to wait till april/may to see the slush go away.
Sometimes I wonder why I moved from France to Canada. But I’m sure the ‘other side’ (anglophone part) of Canada is brighter. French speaking Canada sucks. I have to get away from here.
Actually January is when you I usually start loathing the snow because it is so depressing but like Quebec we don’t see the snow disappear until April or May.
At least I have one supporter to my theories 🙂
Yeah, we’re just entering the “romanticism stage” right now. It’s soooo beautiful!
It’s only my second winter in Canada. I still enjoy removing the snow from the car top in the morning, when it’s been snowstorming all night (Huh? where’s my car?)
I might change my mind in a couple of years, though 🙂