Winter chills

Nataliya Tripp

Well, back to Tassie winter. After all the things I have just said, no one would believe me that I’m freezing here in Hobart. I can’t make myself warm no matter how many clothes I put on. People are surprised that I feel so cold, having grown up in Ukraine. I remember how cold it was there, but I don’t remember myself being as cold as I am here. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? It took me a while to realise the reason of this “winter confusion”. No matter how cold it was outside in Ukraine, we always rugged up well and inside it was always warm and cosy. Centuries of cold climate taught our ancestors to build winter-proof houses. Not a single draft can be felt from under the door and windows are thick with double-glazing. Central heating keeps houses warm and, because it runs everywhere throughout the house, each room is heated. Indulging in the warmth of indoors gives you a heavenly sensation, makes you forget about the bitter cold outdoors. Because of this beautiful feeling winter in Ukraine was my favourite time of the year. When else can you experience a pleasant, relaxing warmth that embraces you as soon as you enter your home? It’s like jumping from winter into summer within a few seconds.

TWO YEARS ago when I was packing my bags to go to Australia I made the biggest mistake in my life — I left my warm clothes behind. Who needs warm clothes in a country where the sun shines 365 days a year? I heard from my fiancé that Tasmanian winters could be quite cold. Hah, he doesn’t know what cold is, I thought. It turned out I didn’t know either.

Cold is usually associated with snow and frost, when the temperature drops below zero. That is how it is in Ukraine: December, January, and February are winter months when trees and buildings are covered with snow and people wear fur coats. That’s the only way to keep warm. On the coldest mornings, when the temperature drops well below -20°, car owners have no choice but to pour hot water on their door handles just to be able to open their doors. Also you’d better make sure you have a spade at hand just in case you need to scrape the snow off the car roof. In every good household a spade is a must-have, otherwise you won’t be able to get to your car at all because overnight a few metres of snow have fallen.

Getting ready to go out in the morning is a ritual that takes a good hour or so. You’d better start dressing far in advance if you don’t want to be late. Even if it only takes fifteen minutes to get to work by car, multiply that by three — you can’t trust Ukrainian winter traffic! You are in danger of either being trapped in snow or forced to drive at a snail’s pace along the ice-covered highway. In the city, switching to a train is a good alternative, since it’s the most reliable winter transport, as well as being underground. I can’t say the same about buses though, especially after I once spent nearly an hour on a bus caught in snow, waiting for the truck to set us free.

Snowy winters can be a real disaster for those who live in country areas: years of experience have taught them to provide for winter far in advance, otherwise they face a tough three months. Trucks can’t get through to deliver food and basic necessities; therefore the supplies of preserved food are not merely the whim of food lovers. Baking bread is very common in nearly every household. That’s why I loved visiting my grandma during Christmas holidays. I can still remember the wonderful, unforgettable smell of freshly baked bread; we used to have it hot straight from the oven, with a bit of jam or just on its own. There is nothing better than a hot slice of Grandma’s homemade bread on a cold winter day.

Tiny round balloons

Children in winter, dressed in many layers of clothes, look like tiny round balloons, covered from head to foot — with hat pulled down and scarf completely covering mouth and nose. All you can see are two little eyes. Since schools are within walking distance children rarely get a lift. Usually they walk either accompanied by the parents or on their own. They always carry a change of shoes and very often a change of clothes too, depending how deep the snow is. The most vivid memory of my own school years is getting home and drying two sets of clothes, soaking wet, from walking to school and home again in the snow. During big snowfalls classes are cancelled and school are closed until the snow melts. It can last for a few weeks — luckily for school kids, who look forward to these unofficial winter holidays at the beginning of each school year.

Well, back to Tassie winter. After all the things I have just said, no one would believe me that I’m freezing here in Hobart. I can’t make myself warm no matter how many clothes I put on. People are surprised that I feel so cold, having grown up in Ukraine. I remember how cold it was there, but I don’t remember myself being as cold as I am here. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? It took me a while to realise the reason of this “winter confusion”. No matter how cold it was outside in Ukraine, we always rugged up well and inside it was always warm and cosy. Centuries of cold climate taught our ancestors to build winter-proof houses. Not a single draft can be felt from under the door and windows are thick with double-glazing. Central heating keeps houses warm and, because it runs everywhere throughout the house, each room is heated. Indulging in the warmth of indoors gives you a heavenly sensation, makes you forget about the bitter cold outdoors. Because of this beautiful feeling winter in Ukraine was my favourite time of the year. When else can you experience a pleasant, relaxing warmth that embraces you as soon as you enter your home? It’s like jumping from winter into summer within a few seconds.

I miss the Ukrainian winter with its contrasts of temperatures. I miss snowball fights and building snowmen. I miss looking in the windows covered with beautiful patterns in frost created by Nature itself. When I was leaving for Australia my mum gave me a little gift — a painting of a snow-covered countryside. I love it; it makes my heart melt no matter how cold it may look.

Earlier: My life-changing experience