Ask A Foreigner

Freebase Dali · 04-19-2010, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lateralus

I have a question for Europe and the United Kingdom.

If I visit in the middle of winter, will I die? I'm from Australia and I hadn't ever seen snow until I went to NZ as an adult. I like the cold but I've never experienced any temperatures below 0. But I'm planning on traveling there in my summer holidays (my summer = your winter).

Edit: Zero degrees celsius

Well.. just to kinda put it into perspective for you.. I grew up in Louisiana (hot as balls), moved to Florida for 4 years (hotter than balls), then joined the Army and deployed to Kuwait right away for my first deployment... stayed there for an entire year... (balls melt in this 150 F. environment) and then spent the following year in Germany (cold as snowman balls) then deployed to Iraq (More melted balls) for a year, then back to Germany for a few years (ice cube balls. Yes... square ones) and all the while going back home to hot as balls Louisiana for leave, not to mention going to various other countries for missions and what not.

Suffice it to say, I've been jerked around between extreme hots and colds and everywhere in between for the last 6 years of my life. The most that will happen is you'll be uncomfortable, assuming you're not like some of those idiots who die when the summer is unseasonably hot because they never realized water is important for your ability to... be alive..

Acclimation is pretty much only relevant to comfort if you follow simple preventative measures to ensure you don't die in the cold. Aka... Don't go out in a two piece bathing suit to go and make snow angels or whatever it is you'll be doing in the snow.
Wear enough clothes for the situation. If you're shivering, your body is trying to raise its core temperature. Put more clothes on. I know hypothermia may be the "in" thing for kids today, death too, but it's easily avoidable if you don't mind being the dorky kid.

right-track · 04-19-2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lateralus

I have a question for Europe and the United Kingdom.

If I visit in the middle of winter, will I die? I'm from Australia and I hadn't ever seen snow until I went to NZ as an adult. I like the cold but I've never experienced any temperatures below 0. But I'm planning on traveling there in my summer holidays (my summer = your winter).

Edit: Zero degrees celsius

Anything above zero is t-shirt weather.
2 t-shirts for anything below zero.
Anything else is just being soft. Or "nesh" as it's called here.
Remember...we don't like whinging Aussie/Anzacs moaning about our weather!

Just keep your head warm and your feet dry and you'll be fine.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 04-19-2010, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lateralus

I have a question for Europe and the United Kingdom.

If I visit in the middle of winter, will I die?

Maybe of boredom in the airport when all flights are cancelled for 2 weeks because half an inch of snow fell overnight.

FETCHER. · 04-19-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

Anything above zero is t-shirt weather.
2 t-shirts for anything below zero.
Anything else is just being soft. Or "nesh" as it's called here.
Remember...we don't like whinging Aussie/Anzacs moaning about our weather!

Just keep your head warm and your feet dry and you'll be fine.

Zaqarbal · 04-19-2010, 06:05 PM

Mediterranean climate (Spain, southern France, Italy, Greece, etc.) is exactly like that of California. Or, with an Australian example, like Adelaide's (that's what Wikipedia says

). Winter is less cold. But there are some exceptions:

Due to the altitude of the inner plateu, the climate in central Spain is like that of the non-Mediterranean Western Europe. So winter can be very cold. Last year, I took this photo at the frozen gardens beside Madrid's frozen Royal Palace with my frozen hands:

In northern Italy (e.g. Milan) there are very cold winters too, and snowfalls are common there.

right-track · 04-19-2010, 06:51 PM

I've experienced different kinds of cold.
For instance; Many years ago I had to catch a flight from Manchester to Frankfurt and then a connecting flight to Bahrain.
For some reason my connecting flight to Bahrain had been cancelled, which left me stranded in Frankfurt (in February) overnight, before I could catch the next flight.
Thankfully the airline paid for me to stay at the Steinberger hotel (because I was travelling alone and the hotel was pretty much booked up I got upgraded to the executive tower suite. RESULT!!!... which is another story btw

)
Consequently, I had to stand at a bleedin' taxi rank for 20 minutes wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and a pair of tracksuit bottoms in 15 below temperatures.
Not at all very pleasant! The cold, not the executive tower suite.
However, not as bad as I would have imagined, because the cold I experienced felt very dry and nothing like the damp cold we get in the U.K.
In other words, -15 in Germany didn't feel as unpleasant as say, -5 in the U.K does.
While Britain doesn't usually get extreme low temperatures, if it's below zero with a wind chill factor...for a foreigner from a warmer climate, it's enough to freeze the bollocks off a brass monkey!

Mojo · 04-19-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayleigh.

My winter just there, was pretty cold. It wasn't bad though, just pack loads of warm clothes, and especially thick jumpers and socks. Don't want the tootsies falling off do we

the coldest it got around here during winter was about -17/18 celsius

but I doubt we will have a winter as cold as that again. You'll be fine. Like I said, warm socks is a must. Gloves too, a decent (long) wooly scarf, and a cool wooly hat!

I dont own any of these.

duga · 04-19-2010, 06:57 PM

I feel like I can handle almost any temperature (I say almost because I'm sure there are some extremes that will really bother me). I grew up in Tennessee...it can get into 36-40 degree range. Then I moved to Indiana where it has been known to get in the mid -20's. That covers the dry climates, as well...then I lived a few years in one of the most humid countries in the world. Now, even though I don't prefer certain temperatures, I can definitely handle them all. Bring it.

edit: you will notice my use of Celsius. Screw Fahrenheit.

right-track · 04-19-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

i dont own any of these.

^ lad

FETCHER. · 04-19-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

I dont own any of these.

I own 5 really thick jumpers.
3 pairs of gloves, one of them is reaallly thick for snowboarding and such up north.
I own 2 massive massive wooly scarfs.
and 2 wooly hats.

I just mentioned everything I do when it gets cold here.

Also lateralus, a decent pair of shoes wont go wrong. I've had many a time where I've worn silly shoes to school, and had freeeeeeezing cold feet because it rained or snowed during the day

.

04-19-2010, 06:05 PM	#175 (permalink)
Zaqarbal Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Spain Posts: 824	Mediterranean climate (Spain, southern France, Italy, Greece, etc.) is exactly like that of California. Or, with an Australian example, like Adelaide's (that's what Wikipedia says ). Winter is less cold. But there are some exceptions: Due to the altitude of the inner plateu, the climate in central Spain is like that of the non-Mediterranean Western Europe. So winter can be very cold. Last year, I took this photo at the frozen gardens beside Madrid's frozen Royal Palace with my frozen hands: In northern Italy (e.g. Milan) there are very cold winters too, and snowfalls are common there. __________________ "Lullabies for adults / crossed by the years / carry the flower of disappointment / tattooed in their gloomy melodies."

04-19-2010, 06:57 PM	#178 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	I feel like I can handle almost any temperature (I say almost because I'm sure there are some extremes that will really bother me). I grew up in Tennessee...it can get into 36-40 degree range. Then I moved to Indiana where it has been known to get in the mid -20's. That covers the dry climates, as well...then I lived a few years in one of the most humid countries in the world. Now, even though I don't prefer certain temperatures, I can definitely handle them all. Bring it. edit: you will notice my use of Celsius. Screw Fahrenheit. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

04-19-2010, 06:51 PM	#176 (permalink)
right-track Atchin' Akai Join Date: May 2005 Location: Unamerica Posts: 8,723	I've experienced different kinds of cold. For instance; Many years ago I had to catch a flight from Manchester to Frankfurt and then a connecting flight to Bahrain. For some reason my connecting flight to Bahrain had been cancelled, which left me stranded in Frankfurt (in February) overnight, before I could catch the next flight. Thankfully the airline paid for me to stay at the Steinberger hotel (because I was travelling alone and the hotel was pretty much booked up I got upgraded to the executive tower suite. RESULT!!!... which is another story btw ) Consequently, I had to stand at a bleedin' taxi rank for 20 minutes wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and a pair of tracksuit bottoms in 15 below temperatures. Not at all very pleasant! The cold, not the executive tower suite. However, not as bad as I would have imagined, because the cold I experienced felt very dry and nothing like the damp cold we get in the U.K. In other words, -15 in Germany didn't feel as unpleasant as say, -5 in the U.K does. While Britain doesn't usually get extreme low temperatures, if it's below zero with a wind chill factor...for a foreigner from a warmer climate, it's enough to freeze the bollocks off a brass monkey!