{"id":696,"date":"2007-12-15T06:47:33","date_gmt":"2007-12-15T11:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/2007\/canadians-mexicans-and-cold-weather.html"},"modified":"2007-12-15T06:47:33","modified_gmt":"2007-12-15T11:47:33","slug":"canadians-mexicans-and-cold-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/2007\/canadians-mexicans-and-cold-weather.html","title":{"rendered":"Canadians, Mexicans, and cold weather"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ok, it’s taken me a while to really figure out what’s going on, but I finally have a working theory.<\/b>  Brrrrrr… excuse me while I flip the space heater back on … there, that’s better.<\/p>\n

\"Cold<\/center>
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<\/i>!"<\/p>\n

Yes, I’m cold and<\/i> Canadian, at the same time.<\/p>\n

I’m dressed just as warm as my Mexican friends (or warmer).  Why is that?<\/p>\n

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\u00c2\u00b0C (32\u00c2\u00b0F).  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.<\/p>\n

But I’m not a tourist – I live here.  And so I have a whole different way of thinking.  And I have a theory.<\/p>\n

Why are Canadians living in Mexico cold<\/b><\/font>?  Here’s what I think.<\/p>\n

In Canada, cold is serious business.  You don’t mess with it.  It’s the enemy.<\/b><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Canadians have and do conquer the enemy.  But it gives them a different attitude about cold than a Mexican might have.<\/p>\n

In Canada, people fight the cold, in Mexico they put up with it<\/b> (or even enjoy it if they live in an area that’s usually very hot).<\/p>\n

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\u00c2\u00b0C (57\u00c2\u00b0F).  No one in Canada would put up with that.  They’d call the furnace repair-person.  They’d complain to the landlords.<\/p>\n

If I’m cold in Canada, I go inside a house that’s 22\u00c2\u00b0C (72\u00c2\u00b0F) or more, and wear a sweater.  I get warm<\/i>.  It may be -40\u00c2\u00b0 outside, but most people dress in several layers and then go inside to thoroughly warm up.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

(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.)<\/p>\n

For this reason, yes, I have honestly spent more time being cold here in Mexico than I ever did in Canada.<\/b><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

So that’s my theory – it’s the lack of central heating, and the Canadian mentality, that’s making me cold.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

And I’m thankful that we live in a city that never gets unbearably hot or cold – the city of eternal spring<\/i>.  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.<\/p>\n

And the cold?  Well, I’m starting to find ways to conquer it.  But we’re not friends yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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. 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