Necessity is the mother of invention

                                           
It may look stupid to you, but everyone in China is singing the praises of whomever thought up the "e-bike jacket." If you ride through the streets at 30-40 mph, you kick up quite a wind chill in the winter. It is unbearable, and it makes you want to stay indoors all winter.  But NOW! Mine is midnight blue. I get out much more now than ever before.

Busy and cold

Update on my life: I have been really busy, thus my longer-than-usual blog absences. And my feet are really cold these days. They are cold right now. Cold feet.

I have an American friend leaving town somewhat unexpectedly, so I told her I would take on a group of four junior high kids whom she was helping learn English. I went to their meeting place yesterday. I wore three layers on my feet, four layers below the waist, four layers above the waist … and then on top of all of that, I put on my down coat, down gloves and scarf. I still felt like a popsicle during the 1-1/2 hour lesson. I had to take off my gloves to write on the whiteboard, but we all wore our winter coats throughout the entire lesson.

I asked the kids if they were cold and they said no. They go to unheated schools, so they think cold is normal.

I already kind of wish I hadn't promised to take on this class. The kids are lovely, of course, but I find the cold conditions rather horrifying. Chinese people often ask me "你怕冷吗?" ("Are you scared of the cold?") And I always answer "yes."

Chilling proof

It's that "pink box" time of year. It has turned cold here -- freezing temperatures and unusually high winds. I've had to pull out winter clothes and Mimi has found warmth in her soft fleece pink box. Even though she was wearing a sweater on this really cold day, she still yearned for a little more warmth.

I was really trying to hold off until December to start the main heating in the house, but alas, I had to give in a week early. The main heating doesn't get my house very warm, and I still have to wear lots of clothes indoors. My Chinese friends, many of whom can't afford expensive heating bills, wear their down coats indoors. I don't do that, but I have on my long johns and expect them to be a staple in my wardrobe, day and night, until May.

Mimi has two sweaters that she tolerates. I love this green one with a bright pink flower on it; makes her into one stunning doggy in the neighborhood! (All the other dogs in the neighborhood wear clothes in winter too.) This sweater is the first piece of clothing I ever bought for my dog, and is still my favorite. I usually don't keep Mimi in clothes indoors unless it is really cold. And I never keep her in clothes when I am not home; her feet have been known to get caught in the bodice so that she can't move. 

Do any of you wear long johns all winter long? I bet not.

The calendar's revenge

My calendar says today is the first day of spring. But as if the heavens were laughing out loud, blustery cold air swept into my city today. It is COLD outside. In a mad fit of wishful thinking, I had already stashed my winter stuff away -- but had to drag it back out today.

Pictured: My Tokyo tweed backpack, my Mimi-like fur earmuffs and neck wrap (fake fur, I'm sure, based on the price I paid). Earmuffs and backpacks may not be worn by women my age in America, but when women in America start using a motor bike for their main mode of transportation, I will start to care.

Thundersnow

When I went to bed last night, I knew snow was in the forecast, and expected to wake up to a white world.

What I didn't expect was to be awakened at 4 a.m. with a loud roar of THUNDER. It kind of freaked me out a little, but poor Mimi was more terrified than I have ever seen her. She jumped off the bed, tucked her tail in, hid under a chair (it would presumably save her from being crushed if the sky fell on her), and wouldn't come out for hours. Not even the fireworks of Chinese New Year scared Mimi like this did.

I wondered how our snow storm could have changed into a thunderstorm. I peeked out the window and was surprised to see it was actually snowing after hearing that sound. I've never known of thunder and snow occurring in the same weather event. 

So then, I went back to bed, and I wondered if a meteor had possibly flown through the air like one did in Russia a few days ago. Yeah, that must be it. It surely could not have been thunder, right?

But I got on the Internet this morning, and sure enough, there is a rare phenomenon known as "thundersnow." 

Thundersnow is known for producing thick snow fast. True to form, this is the most snow we've ever gotten in such a short period of time, in all MY days in the Middle Kingdom at least. If you want to see a video of thundersnow -- not MY video, just some random video -- you can see it here: http://boingboing.net/2013/02/08/thundersnow.html

I thought when I moved south I was moving to balmy weather. We've had snow about 4-5 times already this winter. What's up with that?

The last to go

I saw a lot of suitcases being dragged down the street today. It is the day before Chinese New Year's Eve, and though a lot of people have already made their trip home for the holidays, some didn't get off work until midday today. These girls are waiting for a taxi, and will likely end up at one of the local train stations or bus stations.

Today was one of the quietest days I have seen in years. It snowed all day yesterday, and started again soon after I took this photo today. It is very cold. I'm very thankful for the being in the warmest housing I've ever had in this country (despite no insulation), with heaters in working condition.

The grey skies of January

Back in the fall, I decided that no matter what, I wasn't going to let the gloomy weather of January and February get me down. I'm doing better than previous years, but there's just no getting around the gloom. Not even Mimi's and my shared birthdays were exciting enough to make January fun.

Below-freezing wind chill knifing me in the face as I travel by e-bike just takes the fun out of every little outing. Oh to have a car with windows that rolled up to prevent this!

My satellite TV is broken down too and has been for two months. I can't even watch TV for whatever little entertainment value it offers.

Because I had a lung infection back before Christmas, I was out of it for about a month. So I am still digging out from double the amount of work assignments that piled up during that time. Which means I am sick to death of looking at my computer. Which means I haven't updated my blog.

I did read a few books though, at night before I fell asleep and on Sunday afternoons. I love to read a good book in winter!

Anyway, now that I've explained myself ... I'm planning to get back in the swing of things, so keep checking back.

Transitions

All in a day's work (from this past Thursday) --

This morning: Caught in morning rush hour traffic in Bangkok

This evening: Caught in evening rush hour traffic in Shanghai

This morning: Shorts and flip-flops

This evening: Fleece-lined boots and longjohns

This morning: Sweating

This evening: Shivering

My trip is done. I'm back where there are four seasons and a happy Pekingese...so glad to be back.

The Plush Pink Cave

My sweet little darling spent most of the winter inside her posh resort, otherwise known as her cubicle. It must be nice and cozy inside. I’m supposing. I’ve never been inside it.


That hair sticking out the front is part of her really long bushy tail!

Dull

My mind is as dull as the grey skies outside. Day after day, I look out my big picture window and see wet-slicked pavement, bike riders wearing bright-colored raincoats and pedestrians carrying umbrellas. The elderly who usually play cards at the park downstairs are probably sitting at home, watching TV, bored out of their minds.

I want to be busy, check a bunch of work assignments off my to-do list, update my blog, finally answer long-unanswered emails or go out to meet new people. But I am overcome with rain-induced dullness.

On a dry day, it could take up to half an hour to get a taxi. On a rainy day, taxis are all full. I could stand outside an hour in the cold rain and still not flag one down.

I could take a bus, but it also requires long waiting times, only to get on a standing-room only bus next to people whose wet umbrellas and outerwear are pressed against my own. It feels yucky and disgusting.

The last available transportation option is my e-bike. I could don a brightly-colored rain poncho, but when I got to my destination, I would have to fold up the wet plastic, stuff it inside a bag, do my errands, unfold the wet thing and put it over my head (and bulky winter coat) again. It's messy.

You've probably got a car. You probably cannot fathom the lifestyle of someone like me who doesn't have one.

So I stay in, waiting for a break in the weather, jetting out the door the second it stops, hoping it will stop for at least an hour. I need groceries if nothing else.

A few times I went out to coffee shops hoping to meet new people, but the shops were basically empty. No one else wants to get out in this weather either.

I vowed I wouldn’t let the weather slow me down this winter. I am still trying to fight against failure. The next two weeks' forecast shows more rain, so I'm going to make an effort to overcome the dull days of winter in the Middle Kingdom.

Activities for a cold, rainy day

I went to the Marvel Comic book website and made myself into a comic Super Hero. I did it for a team-building project (i.e., I kinda had to do it...I can't see myself doing this for any other reason). What do you think? Do I look fashionable and scary?

You can go there too -- it's fast and free:

http://marvel.com/games/play/31/create_your_own_superhero

You get to choose your hair color, clothes, weapons, etc. but not your age, skin elasticity or body shape. So if it doesn't look true to my age, it isn't my fault. If you decide to make yourself into a Super Hero, send it to me so I can see!