How Cold is Too Cold?

Winter in Kazakhstan is cold. I knew that before I came here. It is, in fact, one of the things I love about this place (coming from the girl who only ever saw maybe 5 inches of snow- total- her whole life before moving overseas). But this winter is so much colder than the years I was here before. Then, the lowest the temperature got was -30°, and that was only for a day. This past week, the temperature has been hovering around -40° for days, with the wind taking it down another 15-20°. So I ask the question: How cold is too cold?

• When you're outside for more than 20 seconds and your face starts to ache...


• When the wind brings tears to your eyes and the cold freezes them there...


• When I can't wear my glasses outside because my breath keeps them permanently foggy...


• When said fog freezes into a sheet of ice on my glasses that needs to be scraped off...


• When I can see my breath even on a heated bus packed with people...


• When cars won't start because the cold drains the batteries...


• When they cancel school (even here, in the land of snow and ice) because it's too cold.

And yet, even now I can't really complain (except when I'm waiting at the bus stop). We have warm clothes, a warm apartment, warm classrooms to teach in, and (usually) a warm car ride home from school every night. That is a lot more than some people have.

Plus, I know that there are those in places like northern Alaska, Canada, and Siberia who could say to me "-40°? That's nothing!" I guess it's all relative, huh? :)