Lifestyle Changes for Filipinos Living in Canada: Number 1

It's been almost a month since I've come to Canada. I thought I'd post some of the things I had to adjust to since I've been here. Of course, I am in British Columbia, where the weather is comparatively milder compared to other places in Canada, so I am sure other Pinoys would have more to add here.

Number 1 Lifestyle Change: Heat is a luxury in your home.

I always thought I was a cold-weather person. Back in Manila, small red spots break out of my skin when I was out in the sun too long so I've been using sunscreen even before it became fashionable. I was one of those who always had an umbrella out when there was no rain, mainly because I needed to shield myself from the sun. So I was really looking forward to coming to Canada, where it's cold.

I still have no complaints about the cold. I love going out and walking long distances without breaking a sweat. However, I found out that I only love the cold when I'm outside, and bundled up warmly. I hate cold inside the house.

My cousin keeps his house at a constant 15 degrees because of the expensive heating costs here in BC. He told me he kept the thermostat at a constant 20 degrees for one month once, and his bill went up to 600 CAD. So the solution is simply to bundle up even when you're indoors. This is not a problem EXCEPT during three instances: (1) when you have to undress in your bedroom, (2) when you have to use the toilet, and (3) when you have to take a shower.

Sounds easy enough, right? Actually, it's not. Remember when you live in a cold climate, you dress in layers. So this means going to the toilet takes much longer than it would if you were in Manila. It's winter now so I have on five layers on top AND on the bottom. And then when you finally sit down on the toilet seat -- it's freaking freezing. Just think about when you have to go in the middle of the night; it can be really tough. Then, to make things worse, when the temperature outside hit below zero (we had snow) this past weekend,  I discovered patches of my skin ALSO break out in small red spots when the cold air hits it. I've learned not to scratch because that makes it so much worse so I've had to apply liberal amounts of lotion to parts of my skin every time they're exposed to the cold. The coldness of the lotion helps with the itch. Since the temperature is back up again (it's 7 degrees outside as I write this), the red spots have disappeared.

The cold also means you have to choose WHERE you want to undress. My bathroom is really cold so this means I undress in my bedroom, then put on a thick bathrobe (this is a MUST here; I always thought those people on TV wearing bathrobes were silly, now I know better), go to the bathroom to turn on the water, wait for the water temperature to be just right, then take a shower. Those few seconds between the time you take off your bathrobe and the time the hot water hits your skin is TORTURE!!! It's also difficult to get out of the shower because you never want the hot shower to end. LOL.

Then when you get out, you face another difficult task -- you need to put lotion on your skin, and you need to do it quickly before the steam in the bathroom evaporates and you catch cold.   You can get away with not putting lotion on your skin in Manila, but you'll be very sorry if you do the same here.  The cold can dry the skin very quickly.

This also means afternoon or evening showers are out. Since I've been here, I almost always wake up relatively early around 7:30 am, but I don't take a shower until the sun is fully up in the sky, which would be around 8:30 am. I am trying to get around this right now because I know this will need to change once I start working.  If my work hours will start at 8 am and the commute is over an hour long, I would have to get up 5:30 or thereabouts.  Oh well, I'll deal with that when I have to.

I'm already thinking what this would mean for me when I finally rent my own place.  I would need to find a place where the apartment is insulated well.  In Manila, we love a room with windows, and the more windows, the better because we can open them and let the air circulate.  Here, though, windows, even when shut, mean the cold can come in, which is the reason why I switched to a smaller bedroom with only one window in my cousin's home.  He let me stay in a nice big bedroom before but it was too cold for me.  Homes in Manila are designed to let the heat out; homes in Canada are designed to keep the heat in.  Basement living would probably be hell if the insulation isn't good, while condo living would be really expensive since it's warmer the higher you are.  Then again, my cousin says summer here can get really scorching so I'd have to see.

I'll post more observations as the days go by. Bye for now.

Hi There

It's March 1, 2011 and I've been in Canada for almost a month.

I love it here. I promise to write more starting tomorrow.