Chillin'
Date: Oct 8th, 2007 6:57:01 pm - Subscribe
Mood: delighted
as in the weather is turning cooler and the heat is not on yet.
Funny thing about life here, you get used to, and even come to enjoy some of the odder things about life that you would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS put up with in the States. For example: State controlled heat. In the fall, one pays for the winter heat all at once. The earlier you pay for your heat, the cheaper it is. (which reminds me...) BUT the heat doesn't come on until November 15. That is all well and good, but the temps here are already below 60 for the highs. Needless to say, long johns are out of storage and getting washed, waiting for the day of truly mind numbing cold. Once the heat is on, I come home and strip to my skivvies because the heat is so hot and DRY! Seriously, you can hang a pair of dripping wet blue jeans up in my bedroom and they will be dry in a matter of hours. I keep a bottle of saline in my room to spray up my nose to avoid nosebleeds.
"Okay", I hear you say, "I thought you were gonna talk about how you enjoy this!" I do, really. The summer was long, hot and humid. I hate hot and humid. I much prefer the way I feel when I am burning calories trying to stay warm. I'm about delirious with delight at the fact that I have to sleep with a blanket! I like that cozy feeling. I also love the fact that the street vendors are selling outrageously cheap winter clothes now. Picked up two awesome zippered hoodies for about ten bucks. I like zippered or buttoned sweaters and sweatshirts for the winter here, easier to adjust to differing temperatures. I have not purchased any longies this year. Last years are still in good shape. I love getting up and having coffee and then sipping hot Chinese tea (wu long is my fave) the rest of the day. I like the way my hands are nearly always warm and I can put them on people's faces when they are expecting them to be cold.
Tianjin is dreary during the winter. Not unlike most cities. But I love it anyway. The river freezes over and there is skating and ice fishing. A wonderful lack of Christmas commercialism. Tho', last year, there were more lights and trees than previously. I think Christmas is catching on here, at least as a commercial holiday. The religious significance is still lost on most Chinese.
The hard part of winter in China is spending the holidays away from my family. Both the Western Holidays, and Chinese Spring Festival. Spring Festival is the big family holiday here. My students will ask me what I will be doing since I have no family here. I don't really make plans for Spring Festival, I know that one of my Chinese friends will invite me into their home to celebrate with their family. It always makes me feel loved, welcomed and honored.
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