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Neville_Bartos
Barker
Joined: July 22, 2009
Posts: 196
Location: Behind you
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  Posted:
Nov 03, 2009 - 06:52 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Chinese & the Weather, Clothing and Seasons |
Yesterday was bloody freezing. Yes it is not as cold as early to mid January but with that wind blowing it was still damn cold!
Rewind to April/May, late spring and damn warm for some periods if not all of May. Of course it is not on the scale of mid July but I still felt the heat!
Yesterday I brought out my great big winter jacket and was feeling very warm and toasty. All the Chinese in my workplace couldn't understand why I was wearing it! They all commented that it was not winter yet and you don't need the jacket yet all day all they could keep talking about was how cold it was and how cold they were in their thin autumn clothing. Hello logic?
Last April/May as I walk in to work in shorts and a polo they were amazed at "how little clothing you wear, you will catch a cold, you must be very cold?" The temperature was above 30 degrees, naturally light clothing is in order. They are all rugged up in their spring jackets trying to keep warm!
I just don't get it! It is like you only change the clothing for each season on the exact day the new season starts and if that season has not started yet then you should not wear the clothing most wear irregardless of how cold or hot it is!
It reminds me of some friends that have said that in some areas/compounds the government has a set date as to when the heating and air conditioning is switched on or off with no regard for the current conditions.
I link it back to the Chinese Work Ethic thread, so many of the people here are mindless robotic drones who have had their brain removed from their head and had it sewn shut again.
Thoughts? |
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Andreas
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 9140
Location: s/v Waratah
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Nov 03, 2009 - 07:04 PM |
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A number of keywords: logic, brains  |
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How do you make a small fortune? Start with a big fortune, and buy a boat. |
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leeas123
Seeker
Joined: Sep 18, 2008
Posts: 66
Status: Offline
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Nov 03, 2009 - 07:10 PM |
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you should go take a look in hk where it's even worse. even when temperature is around 20 degree celcius, you can expect the locals to be out in thick scarfs, puffa jackets, jumpers, etc. i suppose it can be cold inside public transport and buildings where aircon is always on but still, it's not like it's freezing. |
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root
Raver
Joined: Oct 06, 2008
Posts: 417
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Nov 03, 2009 - 07:14 PM |
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Just bought Columbia Glacier To Glade™ II Shell and feel self better. 
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Last edited by root on Nov 03, 2009 - 08:09 PM; edited 1 time in total |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2790
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 03, 2009 - 07:25 PM |
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weather is controlled by the government. It has not been officially declared winter yet, so they must not wear winter clothing. To do otherwise would be separatist. |
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Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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ladylady
Reacher
Joined: Aug 29, 2007
Posts: 259
Status: Online!
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Nov 03, 2009 - 08:05 PM |
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I don't know what you are talking about. I saw plenty of warm jackets, scarfs, and even some gloves today! |
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Tiny_year
Seeker
Joined: Nov 01, 2009
Posts: 61
Status: Offline
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Nov 03, 2009 - 08:08 PM |
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a simple shift of weather could light your fire? |
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IntellectualEyes
Squeeker
Joined: Aug 23, 2009
Posts: 15
Location: Jing'an
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Nov 03, 2009 - 08:19 PM |
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| Shangstar wrote: |
| weather is controlled by the government. It has not been officially declared winter yet, so they must not wear winter clothing. To do otherwise would be separatist. |
I've yet to get a satisfactory response from a Chinese person about how the hell people survive without heat during the winter in what the government calls "southern" China. Yes, the government doesn't subsidize heat here like it does in Beijing and other areas further north, which obviously makes it more expensive and probably discourages some people from using it as often as they would like to, but that doesn't mean that I don't get cold as f**k November - March. It's like "we don't get cold unless the government says it's cold". I just don't understand the disconnect from such a basic physical sensation.
I've been forced to the hypothesis that the Chinese just don't get cold in the same way that we do? Maybe if you grow up without heat freezing your little baby butt off in split-bottom pants you just become immune to it at some point? It still doesn't seem possible, but I honestly don't know what else to think. Any insight into this?
On the other end of the temperature spectrum vis-a-vis appropriate clothing for the weather, I don't get why people wear long pants, jackets, and multiple layers on a sunny, humid May day. Makes me feel skankily overexposed for wearing a tank or skirt or whatever, even though I'm actually one who's dressing in logical response to the weather. |
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Jimmy_Floyd
Barker
Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 190
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 08:32 AM |
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^ I think it is just mostly about not wasting money, and the terrible state of insulation in most buildings. It would cost a lot of money to keep these places warm using those aircon units, and whilst you're right that it's very uncomfortable here in winter, it's not actually going to kill you (probably). Somewhere like Beijing it just wouldn't be possible to survive in winter without some kind of heating.
Wearing a lot of clothes indoors makes it just about bearable in Shanghai and similar places, and I think that's enough for most people here. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I guess that's the way people think. Plus if those are the conditions you grew up in I suppose you just get used to it. I imagine England in the 50s was probably much the same... |
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miss_t
Talker
Joined: July 20, 2009
Posts: 85
Location: Shanghai Via Essex
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 09:31 AM |
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I work in a school and the past two days the kids have been sitting there learning in puffa jackets, jumpers, fingerless gloves etc as if it's the most natural thing in the world! The windows stay open because they believe fresh air is good for their learning.... I ontheother hand would take a nice toasty classroom any day!
I'm definately going to be investing in some thermals if they're planning on having the windows open in winter! |
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You can take the girl out of Essex.... |
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Andreas
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 9140
Location: s/v Waratah
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Nov 04, 2009 - 11:10 AM |
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Same in my office. Heating on full blast yesterday, and of course all the windows open. Well not for long of course, because I told them to close them and not waste energy, but still I keep wondering what the line of thought behind this is. Or am I? |
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How do you make a small fortune? Start with a big fortune, and buy a boat. |
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mat
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Apr 26, 2004
Posts: 9030
Location: Loooooooooooose!
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 11:18 AM |
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It's good for your healthy. |
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www.justbeer.cn Get a Blondie into you! |
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Traminer
Reacher
Joined: July 09, 2007
Posts: 271
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 11:47 AM |
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Apparently there is some Chinese saying along the lines of "Dressing down (thinner clothing) in autumn and dressing up (thicker clothing) in spring is the key to good health"
I just think its silly to follow some silly superstitions with the arctic conditions earlier this week. |
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Budding Chinglish expertise |
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crivens200
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 05, 2007
Posts: 930
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:19 PM |
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Do some further investigation and you'll find that most chinese started wearing their 2 pairs of trousers from 1 October. They will wear them til 1 May. |
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bleepingbleeper
Reacher
Joined: June 18, 2009
Posts: 231
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:48 PM |
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i'm not seeing what the OP is claiming. most people i see are with their winter jackets on. could it just be the OP is a little eager to find something to gripe about with China?
i do, however, usually see the opposite - locals dressing in pants/slacks, long sleeve shirts, and even vests or jackets when it's warm enough for me to wear a t-shirt and shorts. and i saw this in shenzhen (south china). our office staff would ask me, "aren't you cold?" to which i inevitably reply, "aren't you hot?" while wiping sweat from my forehead. |
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blondesands
Raver
Joined: Nov 21, 2007
Posts: 377
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Nov 04, 2009 - 01:44 PM |
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| Jimmy_Floyd wrote: |
| whilst you're right that it's very uncomfortable here in winter, it's not actually going to kill you (probably). ... |
Sadly, remember reading last year that people DID indeed die in Shanghai during winter. |
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root
Raver
Joined: Oct 06, 2008
Posts: 417
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Nov 04, 2009 - 05:37 PM |
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chingiskhan
Low Seater
Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3358
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 05:46 PM |
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Well I'm from the UK where you often see idiots wearing just a tee shirt in zero degree weather, so I don't think China is especially odd. Most people dress according to the temperature although there are of course exceptions. |
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crivens200
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 05, 2007
Posts: 930
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 06:31 PM |
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| chingiskhan wrote: |
| Well I'm from the UK where you often see idiots wearing just a tee shirt in zero degree weather, so I don't think China is especially odd. Most people dress according to the temperature although there are of course exceptions. |
Newcastle & Glasgow, weekends in winter. T-shirts, mini skirts the lot. Nutters. |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2790
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 06:42 PM |
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dont forget Doncaster.
Suppose the layers of kebab fat in their thighs helps insulate them from the cold. |
_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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geoshan
Newbie
Joined: Nov 04, 2009
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 10:27 PM |
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There is Chinese saying that "chun wu qiu dong", meaning that put on more clothe in spring than the actual temperature and wear less clothe in autumn than the actual temperature.
This is the traditional experience summarized by locals in the past thousands years. For new foreigner in Shanghai just could not understand it.
Usually, Shanghai does not provide heating (nuan qi) which will be supplied in Northern China, like Beijing, Changchun. So people have to get used to the cold weather gradually. If people put on great jacket in autumn, he/she can not get ready to struggle with the real winter which is humid and cold.
In Spring, sudden weather change is very often. getting warmer is helpful for people prevent from flu. In winter, virus is dead or sleeping and will be active in spring. people are used to winter environment and the body is not ready to defend those virus yet.
There is always some certain custom in different area because of the geographic, climate reason. For Chinese people, they just could not understand why Finn does Sauna that way.
While in rome , do as roman does. |
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Andreas
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 9140
Location: s/v Waratah
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Nov 04, 2009 - 10:42 PM |
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Wrong about the flu. The flu virus is most active and viable in freezing conditions |
_________________
How do you make a small fortune? Start with a big fortune, and buy a boat. |
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Neville_Bartos
Barker
Joined: July 22, 2009
Posts: 196
Location: Behind you
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Nov 05, 2009 - 07:36 AM |
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| geoshan wrote: |
There is Chinese saying that "chun wu qiu dong", meaning that put on more clothe in spring than the actual temperature and wear less clothe in autumn than the actual temperature.
This is the traditional experience summarized by locals in the past thousands years. For new foreigner in Shanghai just could not understand it.
Usually, Shanghai does not provide heating (nuan qi) which will be supplied in Northern China, like Beijing, Changchun. So people have to get used to the cold weather gradually. If people put on great jacket in autumn, he/she can not get ready to struggle with the real winter which is humid and cold.
In Spring, sudden weather change is very often. getting warmer is helpful for people prevent from flu. In winter, virus is dead or sleeping and will be active in spring. people are used to winter environment and the body is not ready to defend those virus yet.
There is always some certain custom in different area because of the geographic, climate reason. For Chinese people, they just could not understand why Finn does Sauna that way.
While in rome , do as roman does. |
Thanks for the insight geoshan. I guess it is hard to change something that has been done over and over again for thousands of years. With modern knowledge though, unfortunately many of these old views don't stack up.
While in Rome, do as the Romans do...I have come to that realisation in many respects, i.e. someone pushed in line so blatantly last night that I pushed back in front of them and gave them a mouthful. When in Rome I guess! |
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