Almost every immigrant has a "love at first sight story" with Canada. I'm not one of those.

When I landed here for the first time it was on one of those -30 degree weeks, cloudy, with dirt and snow-covered roads. For over a week the sky would stand white, the wind cutting through my flesh straight to the bones and all the layers of clothing gave me were rashes and muscle pain.

Why do people live here? That was all I could think.