How Cold Is Cold (Old Post from 2008)
This morning, the temperature in Cincinnati is 0′F (-17.8′C).
I forgot who asked me this, but someone from Hong Kong asked me how cold the winter over here in the States was.
I told her it’s so cold, you don’t even want to think about anything else. Every time you step outdoor, all that occupies your mind is to find the shortest, safest way to your destination possible. And I was referring to my experience in the normal winter, like when average temp was in the 30s (Around -1′C).
The funny thing is, you might get a day off if the road condition is bad eg heavy snow, heavy rain etc. but you don’t get a day off when the temperature drops below freezing point! People dies in Hong Kong when the temperature is below 10C (50′F)! So this morning, with utmost bravery, I drove to work in my cranky Yaris, parked my car, slipped my two hands into my pink gloves and gray beanie I have only used when I go ski, took a deeeeeep breath and counted internally 3, 2, 1, I got out of the car and started my sprint towards my building as best I could in my 3 inches high heels. (I threw away my only pair of leather flats in Tokyo because I didn’t have enough space in my suitcases ) and endured that 3 mins jog in the freezing cold. I seriously wanted to kill myself to end the seemingly endless torture once and for all. Now I can see why that guy who got his fingers chopped off accidentally by a woodchop at work tried to electrocute himself 16 times to kill himself to stop the extreme pain.
So after all that hassle of getting up, bundling up and all, I found out that one of my bosses and two other female colleagues in my group who’s sitting in my hallway (that’s half of the group!) took the morning off…Can someone please kill me already?
In an attempt to recuperate, I went to the restrooms.
“Isn’t it great to get some warm water on your hands?” This lady adjusting her glass in front of the mirror standing next to me said while I washed my hands.
“I know! It feels good! I just came from outside and…” I glanced up from the wash basin and saw my own haunting reflection. Apart from my nose and my cheeks where I dabbed all too much pink blush, my face was sheet white. It looked like someone painted a red stripe across my face — marked for slaughter. I looked horrified.
As if reading my mind, she said. “Me too. I came into blew my nose and warm up as well. It’s so cold I have to wrap my scarf around my face but then my glasses fogged up and I can’t see anything!”
And we both grunted at the same time.
When it’s time for me to leave, my boss stopped by my office to say goodnight (I don’t know how he sensed it) and said, “When’s your cold getting better? Quit being sick already. Sigh…” (of course he’s joking)
“Never? And I don’t think it’s gonna help that I’m going to Chicago this weekend. I’m really starting to regret it now.”
“What?! I think I’m going to have to write “Travel Crazy” into your action plan next year in the manager’s comment section. Take care.”
Another coworker commented that “…at least it’s going to be in the 20s over the weekend.”
“Since when is the 20s considered warm?”
Yes, I think I must be out of my mind to go to Chicago at this kind of weather.