Below I share two narratives where I used my knowledge of science to protect myself from cold winters. This article was originally written in mid December as a personal memoir, but I now have decided to publish it on my website.
I must also admit that I have failed to follow my own advice on clothes. Today is 2°C and I have not wore wool/acrylic, leather yet. While I managed to “survive”, I also lost 3 kg of weight which had a huge impact on already underweight me. Now I need to bulk up before I drop below 40 kg. But that would be a long way too go as my goal is around 70-75 kg.
This happened at my “second home”, where I spend most of my daytime, but this day I was sleeping there too.
I woke up, alone, in my “second home”, at cold midnight, feeling hungry. Not a new thing for a chronic insomanic, and underweight me. The temperature was supposed to be 7°C, but due to tile floor, which is a very good conductor of heat, and wind, and howling of stray dogs, I estimate that my room temperature must have dropped too near 3°C.
I managed to deduce that the hunger was caused by cold. I was sleeping on floor with only a thin sheet underneath, and a thin blanket on me. So to cope with that, my body produced more heat, hence more calories burned.
So I took my unsweetened peanut butter jar, and ate a big spoon straight from jar. However, I did not gulp it down in a second. As I know that saliva is required for digestion of fats and chewing stimulates secretion of digestive enzymes. So instead, I faked chewing and moved it with my tounge for 2 minutes before swallowing it, even though it was uncomfortable, but now I am simply used to it.
Then I did 7 squats, specifically a lower body exercise because my feet were cold.
That and peanut butter made my feet warm again. But still, I must do something of cold floor. So I gathered up newspapers, rags and put them under my sheet. I also put a roll of newspaper and my backpack near my chest.
Then I snugly wrapped the blanket to my body and curled up in fetal position. By doing this, I was able to reduce surface area, dead air space, and hence sleep within a hour.
I have learned from this lesson and bought a new blanket, elevated sleeping platform, warm clothes. While the blanket is still kinda lightweight, I’d rather compensate it through clothes. Blankets bring laziness, and are unergonomic, suffocation.
Let me share another quick story that just happened few days ago of this event.
Time was around 7:00, it was extremely cold, and foggy, due to pollution. I reached to my “second home”. There I saw that door was locked and I did not have keys. Worse, there were some stray dogs were roaming there and not at much distance, few suspicious men were standing. I was not much afraid of cold, as much afraid of the people, dogs there.
While I did have my EDC bag with pb, pepper spray(the same which I
reviewed earlier, its backfires), phone, lighter, steel water bottle,
but no knife. Though, even If did have one, I would not have used it for
self defense. Because it is simply not a good self defense weapon. There
is a popular saying, In a knife fight, both people go to hospital.
The winner goes upwards(for treatment), and the loser goes
downside(morgue).
I “equiped” the steel water bottle in my hand, and took a shelter near the wall, even it meant decreasing the distance between people and me, but it was better than standing in open. Then to warm up my body, I started doing some exercise.
A man, whose whole body was covered in blanket, asked me in Hindi that what I am doing here. I lied to him, in Punjabi, “I do not know Hindi, only Punjabi”. I was hoping that he won’t reply but he asked me same question in broken Punjabi. I then again lied that I was waiting for the bus. Then he thankfully got silent.
Finally, after 15 minutes, my father arrived and provided me keys.
I quickly opened the door and then as quickly locked from inside. So that no air, dog, or person comes.