During my Chilean friend Claudia's first sub-zero winter in Montreal, her Canadian friends took it upon ourselves to mentor her in the art of surviving winter. There are little bits of knowledge you take for granted, having always grown up with snow and ice - how to dress in layers, what makes or breaks a good winter boot, what the difference between -10C and -25C really feels like.
One of the most important skills passed on was the art of walking on an icy sidewalk. I'd never really thought about it, but when it's icy you can't step down with all your weight on the ball or heel of your foot because it'll slide out from under you. So you walk in this flat-footed shuffle-y style, spreading out the point of contact between your foot and the slippery surface and therefore reducing the risk of falling.
Did you know that to walk on Buenos Aires' slippery tiled sidewalks in flip-flops when it's pouring rain you have to employ the exactly same technique?
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