You know its winter in China when…….

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You look at the jeans you have been wearing for the past 5 days and go, yeah sure why not; another day or two would be OK, it’s not as if I’m sweating at all.



All the marigolds have been taken out of the flower beds and replaced with the “cauliflower” plants. Two colours, purple and white, they look just like cauliflowers.



All the trees have lost their leaves and the trunks are painted white, a paint to reduce fungus and insects apparently.



The trees are wrapped up for the winter in a fetching arrangement of a wicker basket.



The large shops have a huge thick blanket at the front doors to keep the heat in and the cold out.



You look longingly at the lingerie shops, but not at bras and knickers; but at long johns and tights to wear under your jeans because your legs are freezing even with jeans that are so thick they stand up on their own (especially since you have been wearing them for a week)



The motorbikes are wearing more cold weather gear than you are.



You get up in the dark and see the sun rising on the way to work well after 7am, and get home in the dark around 6pm.



You look at the winter fashions and you go sure why not: diamantes, fur, animal prints and leather and that’s just the shoes.



The parkas worn both inside and out all day by all the local people have more rolls and puffs than a fully grown Shar Pei dog.



You do a mental check of essentials before you leave your apartment: tissues, jacket, scarf and gloves.



You pour yourself a glass of red wine from the bottle in the kitchen sitting on the windowsill and you have to bring it into the sitting room before you drink it, to bring it up to “room temperature”



You go out wearing 4 layers of clothing and consider adding a fifth; you already look like the Michelin man so another layer won’t make a difference.

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Photos

Winter fashions
Boots, tights, miniskirt or shorts and jacket mmmmmm

Everyday wear
Yes you see these all day every day

White flower
Just like a cauliflower

Purple flower
These are in beds all over the city

Comments

[Linese]

Winter....
Loved your blog.... Brings back our first impressions of China in 2005. Also makes me wander why we're going back in early January.....

[rosy59]

The winter fashions are a sight to behold. The saying less is more applies to nothing in China. Any and everything has to be flashier and more out there. You should be OK for cold as you are in the south? Freezing here now, really cold all day.