JALANDHAR: “Whoa, this is amazing and so beautiful, it is like cotton flakes were falling from the sky”, a Canadian student Anmoldeep Kaur Khaira has told of their life-changing experience of first white winter in Canada. Khaira’s who hails from Pindian in Punjab. She did her studies in Canada.
Anmoldeep Kaur Khaira share our first exprience of white winter in Canada
I have spent more than 20 years of my life in Punjab, the state of India where I have survived sweltering hot summers. However, winters have never been so harsh. It was my dream to pursue my master’s from one of the reputed universities of Canada. When I was planning to go there, I had heard lots of struggling stories of surviving in winters there. However, I saw those told stories played in front of me when I went through my first winter in Canada.
I live in the city, of Brampton which is in the province of Ontario. Until early December, everything went well. The temperature had not yet fallen below zero. To prepare for upcoming winters, people here advised me to buy a snow jacket, snowshoes, warm gloves, etc. Soon, it snowed for the first time of the season at the end of December. When I stepped out of my home to get to work on that day, it seemed to me as if I have landed in the land of snow-white. Everything around me was covered with snow.
As soon as I started walking to get to the bus stop, I could then feel the real challenge of surviving in the snow. It was getting difficult for me to make my way out of snow easily as I feared being fallen and the cold breeze blowing made it more cumbersome. By hook or crook, I made it up to the bus stop. When I was standing there waiting for the bus, I saw one white couple jogging in the snow as if they were enjoying the first snow of the season.
I was surprised to see that at first. Then, I realized that it was I who had experienced snow for the first time, however, for them, it’s been part of their life since they were born. Standing there, I also saw how important it is to drive carefully in snow. However, authorities here make all arrangements in advance to clear up roads and highways for the smooth flow of traffic. Also, I saw the real-life use of the physical phenomenon which I studied in my school which stated that when salt is mixed with ice, it lowers the freezing point of water, which in other words, melts the snow. Thus, concerned authorities and people make sure that they sprinkle salt whenever it snows to ensure that no black ice is formed.
Know tips to survive as newcomer
Khaira share her first experience and said,
Eventually, I got to feel the -20-degree Celsius temperature in January which I feared the most. And, really, it was -20 degrees because one cannot afford to keep any body part uncovered in such harsh winter when going out. But, centralized heating systems indoors are a real blessing that tries to abate the severity of winters. Overall, I would say that undoubtedly, winters are extreme here. But, government and other concerned authorities try to play their part well to help people. Also, people here help each other a lot to go through tough times. Indeed, for me, it was tough, I craved for sun all the time. Gradually, I believe I will get used to it.
Anmoldeep Kaur Khaira
Pindian
Anmolkhaira327@gmail.com