You know its cold when...

The hair in your nose freezes when you breath in.

Ice comes in through the key hole and under the door.

Your breath freezes on your hair so you look like you are going gray.

The temperature went down to -23 last week and trust me that is very very cold. Parts of the river are frozen solid. We are now in a "warm" patch the temp having reached the sub tropical level of arround -5, some weather reports say its going to get down to -40 next week so thats something to look forward too!!!

Work

Working here is hard, and this week has been the hardest week since I got here by a long way. I have seen things that have shaken me and for the first time since I got here the conditions on the ward have reduced me to tears. Somehow it feels wrong to write any details here of the things I have seen, as if things so undignified and sad shouldn't be aired for genral consumption.
There are picture in my head which disturb me and which I believe will stay with me for a long time. I hope they do, I hope I don't forget this feeling because as long as I feel this way I know I wont let the things I have seen remain unchanged.
Right now I am looking forward to a well earned break over the weekend, but I know that the patients don't get weekends off and that however hard it is for me to go back on Monday it must be harder for those who never get to leave.