Winter in China: It's a bit chilly.

In the midst of another cold January in Xi'an, I often like to vent my inherent Britishness and complain about the weather. (Of course, I reserve the right to complain about the weather regardless of the time of year.) Still haven't seen a snowflake this winter, but it's certainly cold enough for it. It actually hasn't rained in Xi'an for a long time, so I'm guessing that the lack of snow is simply due to a lack of available moisture. My apartment has no central heating. Well, actually, technically, it does. But 'they' won't turn it on. Apparently you can't turn on individual apartments, just the entire block, all or nothing. So unless everyone wants to turn it on, it stays off. So it's off. But hurrah for oil heaters, heat lamps, air heaters, electric blankets and wearing jumpers 3 at a time.

The INSIDE of my bedroom window, a few mornings ago

Go into a shop or a restaurant and it's the same. The vast majority of them have large aircon units that could warm the room in 10 minutes... but they just choose not to use them. On the occassions that the heaters are used, someone will always open the doors and windows. It seems that people would rather keep their outside coats and jackets on that take them off and just close the window. Something else I've noticed is that car drivers will have their windows open all year round, even on the coldest days of winter, when they could easily close them and be significantly warmer. Is this weird? I think so.

I heard that big part of this is rooted in Chinese traditional medicine, since many people believe that breathing 'recycled' air is a great way to contract some kind of airborne illness. This was 'confirmed' by the 'fact' (=unfounded rumour) that SARS was spread by breathing such recycled air. I think a similarstory circulated regarding bird flu. So freezing-cold fresh air = good, nice warm air-conditioned air = bad.

Recently, after a couple of clicks on the 'next blog' button in the top-of-the-screen toolbar, I found this blog post discussing thermal comfort in China. The part that interested me essentially says that Chinese people have a significantly wider range of temperatures they feel are acceptable, and I can absolutely confirm that it's true. Able to see your breath in the 'comfort' of your own home? No problem. So hot that sweat is dripping into your eyes, down your back, down your legs? Again, no problem.

Maybe I'm a victim of being born and raised in a, comparatively, extremely comfortable environment. Damn you Britain, damn you for making me soft. And damn you, January, and probably damn you February too. It's the Spring Festival... where is the sunshine?

Crotchless pants (spit or swallow?)

A horribly out of place title on a China blog? Of course not, since I am, obviously, referring to the delightful pants sported by Chinese toddlers. Like normal pants. But without the crotch. Underwear? Nope. Nappies? Apparently not required. (These kids must be freezing cold right now. I still see them wandering around dressed like this as the temperature hovers around zero. I hope they're not wearing similar clothes up north where it gets really cold... guess I'll find out in a few weeks.)

Do parents dress their kids like this in other parts of the world? I have no idea. This is one of the (many) sights that people think is weird when they first come to China, though after a while it is such a common, everyday sight that it's barely noticed. But while non-Chinese generally think that this is an odd (but still slightly cute) way to dress toddlers, is it really such a bad idea? Lets consider the practicalities for a moment. Crotchless pants: There are no nappies to buy/change, which must save the parents a small fortune, and countless hours of being up to the elbows in something they'd rather not be. The kids simply 'go' anywhere, usually by a tree, or just a wall if no tree is readily available. On the downside, as already noted, these little 'uns must be freezing when temperatures drop. While I'm not endorsing the use of pavement as a WC, the Chinese approach also negates the situation of the kids having to sit around in snug-fitting poo-pouches all day, which is essentially what they are.

As I understand it, this sartorial approach originates from a belief in traditional Chinese medicine. It has been believed for a long time that 'waste' should be removed from the body as soon as you feel the urge, and that holding onto it is bad for you. The same rule applies to the spitting that China is infamous for: People don't spit because they have a burning desire to offend foreigners. They don't do it because they want to make the place a mess. They do it because it is the done thing. It's been done for a long time, and is actually related to traditional Chinese medicine, steeped in history. So regardless of any governmental guidelines, I suspect the habit will still be with us for a long time. Along with the crotchless pants.