Christmas all around

So this week started with a promise of rain and very low temperatures, and at least the later was true. It snowed at the beginning of the week (the picture is of the view from my window at home). After the snow the temperatures fell below freezing, this left ice puddles on the roads and sidewalks. At least the ground is frozen and we don't need to worry about mud.

The real problem around here is not the low temperatures, even down to -5 degrees is still manageable, the real problem is the winds. The wind chill factor here is very important, this means that the temperatures you fill can be a lot lower than the measured temperatures. This week, with the wind chill factor considered we have reached around -13 degrees during the mornings. And I must say that in that temperature your nose, ears and chin really ache. But, due to this weather, I went and bought a new winter coat, one that can keep me truly warm.

So Christmas is coming soon and trees and homes are decorated with lights, in all the stores they play annoying repetitive holiday music in the background, the TV shows only Christmas movies and people spend endless hours shopping before the holidays.
Yesterday (Saturday) noon, as I was walking the freezing streets of Boston I saw police cars and a large crowd of people. As I got closer I saw what was making all the commotion was about - around a 100 people, men and women, young and old, thin and fat were running in the street, wearing nothing but a Christmas hat and underwear/bathing suit (See photos)
. I don't understand what they were thinking with the temperatures around -2 and the wind blowing hard. Only when I got home and watched the new I found out that it was the Speedo Run in which each person has to donate no less than $250 to run in a speedo down the wintery streets of Boston.

Some Israelis also met for the first candle of Hanuka, which was really nice. Around where I live you can see many Menora's in the windows, and also lights in the shape of dradles, candles and more. It seems that the Jews here really want to resemble the christians and have lights and decorations so they found a way to decorate for Hanuka.

So that's it. Next week we have the department's Christmas party and I'll update you after watching respectable scientists turn into drunks.