I have a day off today. It's pretty sweet. What was even more great was the fact that it was snowing outside (the nice photo on the right shows the fluffy snowflakes raining from the sky). I'm going to miss the snow when I'm in Asia - the only chance I'll be able to see it again is if I climb Everest (which might happen, who knows). We've missed out on snow this past winter (and last winter for that matter). Our mild temperatures have made for a less than white landscape. Some of my favourite memories have been from the great winters in Canada. From my first winter with my family here and I threw my first snowball to snowboarding in Whistler with my friends during the Olympics in 2010 - snow was a key player in those fun occasions.
There were some great moments that come to mind - let me highlight the top three that come to mind:
#3 - 1st Winter in London, Ontario and tobogganing down UC Hill.
During my first year at Western (yes, now know as simply Western University), I was very lucky to have an incredible floor in residence. London, being in the snowbelt of Southwestern Ontario, was bound to get a big snowfall once November started, and all of us were just waiting. During the week before exams, it happened. We threw aside our books and grabbed lunch trays and headed to University Hill. It was an event to remember (probably because I wasn't drunk) and it was only ruined by my sudden stomach issues due to eating something at dinner that didn't sit well. I literally ran back to rez and well, let's just say my roommate Jag wasn't impressed by the smell of the washroom afterwards. Too much information? Most definitely.
#2 - Skiing for the first time
Any child in Canada has been taken to the slopes by their school. This exposure to winter sports was likely due to tired teachers who were looking for any excuse to get out of the classroom and not have to teach for one day. My first experience with skiing was in Grade 7. We were all made to do a skiing test at the hill in order to determine our skill level. Having never been on skis, I was expecting to be given the green sticker, marking me for the bunny hills. What I didn't expect was my disastrous test results. As I started on the hill, I couldn't remember how to stop, even though the instructor told us just moments earlier. I could only think of the moment where he told us to stick our poles into the ground, but had misinterpreted that as the way to stop. In my panic to try to stop, I just kept on trying to stick the ski poles into the snow and I picked up more and more speed, I almost sideswiped the instructor and started heading straight towards the parking lot. It wasn't until I closed my eyes and forced a fall that the ordeal came to an end. I ended up with a green sticker - no way I was graduating to Orange that day.
#1 - Snowball forts and fights
In elementary school, recess was my favourite time of school day - I think all kids would say that. I remember being in grade 1 and the biggest snowfall happened. Some people stayed home, but for those people that made it in, our teachers decided, it wasn't worth teaching a lesson today and let us outside to play. We spent hours building huge forts and by lunchtime, we amassed an arsenal of perfectly formed white cannonballs to launch at each other. By the time the fights were over, there were bruises, red faces and running noses. All the teachers could do was stand on the sidelines and laugh. The parents loved it - we were all exhausted and went right to bed once we got home. I wish kids these days got that opportunity to have that fun. I think today, they'll need a permission form just to go out for recess. Lame.
Going to a warm climate will be great. But nothing will ever replace the fun and memories of Canadian winters.
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