The Cold Part I: In Parkas

Here I am sitting in my flat in a fleece, wool sweater and red beret looking out at whipping winds and grey skies. This story of the cold starts in August- August 2003. We'd just got off the airplane at the old Ankara airport and I was standing on a torn-up sidewalk in 37 degree heat with a toddler, a 7 year old, 11 big bags, four carry-ons, no cell phone, no phone numbers and no one picking us up. Eventually, we were found and put in a mini-bus to be taken to our new home. The hot wind whipped my hair as I held the two-year old who bounced on the seat excited for her first car ride out of a car seat. And what did Linda talk about the whole way home? The winters. She said how long the winters were, how think and frequent the snow, how the gloom hung over the city, how the cold got deep in her bones. It was unbelievable in the heat and dryness of the day. It was so dry that it made you want to get back in the airplane to plump up.

Well, part-way through the first winter in Ankara, we got snow boots mailed in; snow pants, long johns and toques followed soon after. But I read the weather for Hong Kong. It said that the coldest it gets here is 10 degrees. And I know 10. 10 degrees is a t-shirt, and fleece; it's a turtleneck and shell; it's a baseball cap and hoodie. So we each brought a sweatshirt when we moved. I brought my beret because I've had it since 1996, and I sold or gave away all 16 pairs of our gloves.

And then August came. We got to Hong Kong. It was 34 degrees and raining. As soon as I stepped outdoors I felt the weight and thickness of the heat, but right away I started to hear about The Cold. 'It just lasts a couple of months,' they said, 'but it's a damp cold that gets right in your bones.' 'None of the houses are heated so you'll be shivering in your own bedroom.' 'You'll see.' I kept checking the climate charts - sure enough average lows in January-14 degrees, average highs-18. I was mocked for bringing the cool coat I had bought from Shannon when she moved to Singapore. I was teased for not having gotten rid of my favourite grey sweater I bought before the baby was born.

The question was, how could do you think it's going to be? But last week it started to blow. Today, in spite of people over for brunch and two coffee cakes, one quiche and cranberry orange scones keeping the oven on for hours, people kept their coats on. Here I am, shivering in my own living room. Even three days ago, I was still giggling at the parkas, hats and scarves I was seeing all over town. Today, not so much.

I wanted to have funny pictures of people looking like it's the Arctic, but it's hard to get pictures of the coats of the people walking when you're shivering. I liked these people all bundled up by the fountain outside Dior inside the Landmark building. Check out the thongs on the woman sitting a little farther over. The picture of the girl in the purple tam is right at our ferry terminal. I followed her and her friend for a long time because they were just the cutest with their boots, sweaters and handbags big enough to float home in.