Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 1 degree, bitterly cold but with beautiful blue skies.
One degree is cold for anyone, and I certainly felt it this morning! When I arrived on November 25th, it was chilly and damp because it was raining.
However, today’s cold feels different with the sunshine and a blue sky; it’s lovely. You need to dress warmly when going out, but it’s definitely worth it.
Sometimes, when I go out and feel my fingers and toes tingling from the cold, it reminds me of my winters as a child. It would snow, and my friends and I would go out to play and slide in the snow. At that time, the fabric for clothing was simple compared to today. I think the same also went for shoes and boots.
Our protection from the snow and cold was limited. I would be in pain from how cold my feet, toes, hands and fingers were. Today, technology, aided by science, has significantly improved clothing, providing us with increased protection against the cold compared to what was available in the past.
When I was in Sheffield, Steven took me to a retail park and one of the shops specialised in cold-weather hiking and camping gear.
The north of England, the Moors, the Dales, and Scotland are bitterly cold; you are open to the elements all the time, and the wind can cut through you, making the cold even worse. I was impressed firstly at the size of the shop and secondly by the array of clothing, equipment for walking, hiking and protection against the cold.
Again, being in England has shown me how much England, and perhaps the world, except for Brazil, has improved in terms of open, free trade markets. Because of globalisation, variety is everywhere and available in all price ranges. In Brazil, it’s possible to purchase quality imported clothing from renowned manufacturers and labels, but you will have to pay a premium price, literally an arm or a leg.
So why buy quality clothing if you don’t have any arms or legs to wear it?
Maybe in England, cold is a bit like pain. You only have to feel it if you want to. If you are feeling pain, you can take a painkiller to block it. If you don’t want to feel the cold outside, a good coat and clothing will keep you warm. Additionally, in most English homes nowadays, everybody has central heating, which can be either gas fires, electric, or even warm air conditioning, protecting them from the cold.
In Brazil, central heating hasn’t arrived yet in the South, where the winters are similar to those in England and bitterly cold. In winter in São Paulo, it is customary to wear a coat indoors to protect yourself from the cold. To me, it doesn’t seem logical to wear a coat inside your own home.
I suffered a lot when I lived in São Paulo in the past; it was too cold inside in the winter. In the mornings, I would get up, go to the kitchen, turn on all the gas burners of the stove and the oven, and then return to bed for another half hour so that the flat would warm up a little before I got up and prepared to go to work.
Luckily, the flat never caught fire or exploded!
What I have noticed about myself is that when I arrived in England, the cold was a shock-a kick in the teeth, a kick in the back, a kick in the legs, a kick in the back of the neck. I was getting kicked everywhere.
Now it’s okay, it’s liveable!
Certainly, some days are colder than others, but I can endure it. Perhaps I can endure it because I know I’m going back to Rio, so what I’m experiencing here at the moment is only temporary. However, in general, the levels of cold here, with a good coat and central heating, are more than acceptable.
Humans possess an incredible ability to adapt. A wealthy person who loses everything can adjust to being poor, and vice versa—a poor person can adapt to their newfound wealth.
So, for me, although it was shocking when I first arrived, it is now becoming increasingly normal. As I mentioned earlier, with a good coat or proper clothing, adequate protection when going out, and central heating and warmth inside your home, there’s nothing to worry about.
I often discuss how the weather influences our behaviour, and I still believe that, but beyond protecting from the cold and offering warmth. If you have family, a good partner, or someone to share your life with on chilly days and nights, providing good and loving company, then either staying or returning to England to live in the future is more than possible for me.
Today has been another productive day, with calls to my classes, blogging, and journal entries; everything is going well. Tomorrow, my mother will go to the hospital to have surgery on her knee. She seems calm and confident. About it
A good day, and nobody died!
In bed by 11.00 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
