Canadians, Mexicans, and cold weather
Ok, it’s taken me a while to really figure out what’s going on, but I finally have a working theory. Brrrrrr… excuse me while I flip the space heater back on … there, that’s better.
There’s a typical conversation that happens over and over here in Mexico. It happens like this. We’re with some Mexicans talking about the weather. It’s a cool day, and I’m wearing a long sleeved shirt, a sweater and a warm jacket. And I’m sipping a hot chocolate. Then a Mexican friend says, "But, you can’t be cold – you’re from Canada!"
Yes, I’m cold and Canadian, at the same time.
I’m dressed just as warm as my Mexican friends (or warmer). Why is that?
Now, tourists from Canada are a different story. They’ll wear shorts all day (something Mexicans will rarely do, except at the beach). And I understand – they come here to get some sun. When it’s your only chance, you soak it up. We sometimes joke in Canada that in winter people will wear shorts if it’s above 0°C (32°F). A bit of an exaggeration, but true – it’s because people take the opportunity any time they can to throw off the heavy jackets in winter.
But I’m not a tourist – I live here. And so I have a whole different way of thinking. And I have a theory.
Why are Canadians living in Mexico cold? Here’s what I think.
In Canada, cold is serious business. You don’t mess with it. It’s the enemy.
This goes back to the days of the fur traders. In summer they were tormented by mosquitoes and black flies. Winter was a relief, but also a struggle for survival against the bitter cold. Little shelter, poor heating – cold air was an enemy to conquer.
Canadians have and do conquer the enemy. But it gives them a different attitude about cold than a Mexican might have.
In Canada, people fight the cold, in Mexico they put up with it (or even enjoy it if they live in an area that’s usually very hot).
Here in Cuernavaca, the houses have no central heating. They’re not airtight. This time of year I wake up to a house that’s 14°C (57°F). No one in Canada would put up with that. They’d call the furnace repair-person. They’d complain to the landlords.
If I’m cold in Canada, I go inside a house that’s 22°C (72°F) or more, and wear a sweater. I get warm. It may be -40° outside, but most people dress in several layers and then go inside to thoroughly warm up.
Here, if I’m cold, there’s no where to go. It’s probably colder in my house than outside. If I go out and about, it’s usually no problem because it gets hot in the sun. But if I’m in the house all day, it’s not unusual for me to wear a sweatshirt or sweater or jacket the majority of the day.
(Note: In case you’ve sweltered some December on the beaches of Acapulco, I should note that we live at a high altitude here near a forest with pine trees – all of Mexico is not like the beach resorts when it comes to temperature. In fact, it’s a lot hotter in downtown Cuernavaca than it is here at home. Some places in Mexico are incredibly hot – others get snow flakes at times.)
For this reason, yes, I have honestly spent more time being cold here in Mexico than I ever did in Canada.
But, with my Canadian mentality, I’m fighting back. We put on the space heater in our bedroom, and move it around the house with us if need be. I dress in layers, and make use of the hot chocolate machine at school. And I finally bought myself a warm jacket, which I frequently wear inside. It’s not a wind breaker – it’s what Canadians would call a warm fall jacket.
So that’s my theory – it’s the lack of central heating, and the Canadian mentality, that’s making me cold.
Don’t get me wrong – I love Mexico, and I love the weather. I love not having to put on 7 layers before going outside in January, and I love not having to take them off when I go inside. I love the flowers that bloom year-round. I love dry season and I love rainy season.
And I’m thankful that we live in a city that never gets unbearably hot or cold – the city of eternal spring. Emperors and presidents have built their vacation palaces here. If you live in a hot part of Mexico, you come here to cool off. If you live in a cool part of Mexico, you come here to warm up. Cuernavaca is a great place to live.
And the cold? Well, I’m starting to find ways to conquer it. But we’re not friends yet.
15 December 2007 @ 8:47 am
Yes, Jim. It has to be something about the fact that the houses act as iceboxes and really never warm up. If you don’t go outside, you have no idea if it’s hot outside. Good post!!
15 December 2007 @ 2:24 pm
Mmm. I feel for ya bud.
The office is usually right around 17°C, and that’s with a heater blowing full blast to combat the draft that comes in over the front desk.
We try to keep the hallways around 10°C in the winter, but that’s because heating this whole place costs about $3,000/day.
I can usually keep my room right around 20°C, which is great considering it’s -30°C outside…
I guess I can understand the inverse of your theory: sure, it’ll get real hot here in the summer, but I don’t think A/C is really necessary. I’m alright with a fan or two.
16 December 2007 @ 11:41 am
Interesting theory!
My friends wear sweaters and long sleeved shirts here if it dips below 30 degrees, if you can imagine that. In many ways, I love that I can wear flip flops year-round, but I wouldn’t mind a good dose of frost now and then!
*L*
16 December 2007 @ 3:46 pm
Well, Alan, you’ve got me there. I can think of few things worse than an unheated building in Manitoba! At least your room is fairly warm.
As for the temperature dipping below 30C — well, 29C is a whole lot different from 10 or 15. Perhaps my theory only works at lower temperatures!
17 December 2007 @ 11:44 pm
We wake up to 45 here in Puebla.
Ken
20 December 2007 @ 11:31 am
I have to say, you’ve done an excellent job of explaining the difference between the Mexican and the North American mentality–the Mexican accommodates his/her environment, while the Canadian/American seeks to conquer it. However, I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to explain cold in Mexico to those who haven’t experienced it. I posted a piece awhile back about this very issue, and most simply just didn’t get it. I think it takes living in the environment awhile or at least experience in a foreign context (read living in one not simply vacationing) in order to appreciate the reality.
Nevertheless, thanks for making the effort. Perhaps with more commentaries like this one, people in warmer climates will understand what we deal with.
20 December 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Hi Dave!
I hadn’t thought in exactly those terms, that people from the US and Canada tend to want to “control” their environment. I was thinking mostly in terms of Canadians (since I seem to be colder than my friends from the US too!).
That’s certainly true- we try to control environment more, and we’re also more separated from it. That’s partly just the difference between colder climes and warmer ones, though it may also be a sign of wealth, or just the “western” culture.
Anyway, I may or may not “feel” the cold more than my Mexican friends – but they do feel cold too, so it’s not like we’re opposites. 🙂
21 December 2007 @ 12:45 am
A very interesting theory Jim. Since I’ve lived all my life in Canada and have never had the privilege of visiting Mexico, let alone living there, it’s been a learning experience hearing what you and Shari have said about feeling so cold at times. We certainly tend to take our central heating for granted unless there’s a power outage or something wrong with our furnace.
I’ve also enjoyed reading the other comments on this subject.
I suppose there’s really no perfect climate on this earth. As I often say, “It’s NOT Heaven!”