Ice Patches
I think we walked a mile or two, that's like 1.6-3.2 kilometers. Our path was covered with little foot sized patches of ice. Of course the sidewalks, and roads, are regularly scraped and swept of ice and snow. For some reason when you try to remove snow like that, or maybe I should say when you do, it leaves patches of black compacted snow and ice. So everyone here becomes experts at walking on ice. Maybe that's normal, but it's kinda new for me, you use extra muscles when you walk like that, I'm still breaking mine in. I didn't slip and fall all day, that was my accomplishment.
I've been thinking about this ice. Some parts of it aren't scraped and swept, like less traveled roads, they have at least six inches of that black compacted ice on them. It's black for many reasons, there's probably a little garbage in there, and a lot of sludge and dirt. The sludge here is mixed with many things, stuff you'd normally find a storm drain, and then lot's of stuff you'd find in a sewer, and then that stuff they scrape out of restaurant kitchen stoves. We take off our shoes here when we come inside. There is no running back inside to grab your keys or your wallet with your shoes on because you don't feel like putting them back on. Nobody in their right mind would do that here.
But rest assured, you don't have to take off your shoes at McDonalds! Actually McDonalds is a nice comfortable respite here. Come to McDonalds, order some fries, go upstairs with your buddy, do some homework, and then take in a nap. I haven't done it yet, but I might. And I might actually buy something there too, instead of just going in with soy milk and a Chinese chicken pie.