Cold

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"It is cold in Changchun in the winter, be sure to bring enough warm clothes." This statement is very clear to me now. It might sound crazy, but a understanding the word "Cold" is key to understanding this statement.

I just woke up. It is 6:22 AM here. All night I was sleeping in a warm bed under a heavy blanket, in a small room with an electric heater. I expect most of the rest of my day will include an ongoing battle against cold. For those of you in US states with snow on the ground.....very few of your will actually understand this, because you have way too many things around to prevent cold.

Cold means, getting out of bed and stepping onto a warm wooden floor. Why is the wood floor warm you might ask? Because it does not feel like standing on ice. That is the tile floor in the kitchen and bathroom only 2 steps away. Don't drink too much liquid before bed time, or your feet won't be warm all night long.

Cold means, adapting to the Chinese water heater in the bathroom. The design team who built it, but a helpful temperature display on the front. It starts at 51 degrees Celsius, by the time you wet your body and wash your hair, you are down to about 35. At 22 degrees if feels warm, and below 20 it feels like someone is dropping ice cubes on your head. For any women, reading this I imagine it takes more water to wash longer hair, so you will get the ice cubes each day. I have no idea how Chinese women keep their hair long.

Once you finish you step out on to the tile floor. Fantastic!

For those of you who want to experience cold for yourself. Here is my recommendation. Put on long underwear, thick warm socks over your regular socks, a scarf, gloves, and a stocking cap. No we are not going sledding. Now go outside! I do not mean go outside scrap the ice off your car for 2 minutes then get inside where it is warm and drive somewhere. I mean go outside on the coldest day of the year. This past week it has been about 5 below every night, and up to a blistering 10 degrees in the peak of the midday sun. Then once you are outside, walk somewhere that is more than a half mile away and walk back. Why walk? It is the Chinese way.

Now go inside to warm up, but leave the front door open and take off all the warm stuff right in the doorway. Stand there for about 10 minutes in the chilly mix of your warm inside air and the cold outside air. Welcome to my Chinese Kitchen!

Remember to be thankful for what you have now, it is your responsibility to work to keep it.

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Comments

[rob]

ouch
wow, i thot i was bein green turning heat dwn to 48 at the farm office. it froze the p-trap in the bathroom. or better yet sleep in a bag in europe while on manuvers were it is 18 below all day and all powered vehicles are running 24/7 or they'll freeze solid. u just think you're cold....