Freezing in Guangdong

[website]

Whoo, it's cold in Shenzhen. It's supposed to be 42 degrees F on

Saturday. That's not too bad and there's no snow, but there are also

no heaters and everyone keeps their windows open year round. Everyone eats inside while wearing coats and four layers of clothes! Chinese people say foreigners are weak because they can't hack the cold, but methinks they are just too poor and foolish to install insulation and

central heating. Heck, San Diego has the same winter temperature and they have heating. Who would have thought a city on a latitude

in between Florida and Australia could be so cold? A word to the wise-

if you like warm weather avoid China in the winter. Not many people think shivering in bed all day sounds like fun.

[Cyberian]

Your posts just gets more and more ridiculous, you know?

1. No, it is not freezing. It is commonsense to know freezing occours below 0C/32F. You are 10C/28F off.

2. You say there are no heaters and Chinese keep their windows open all year around. This suppose to be an insult implying they are too stupid to close the windows?

3. I am going to need a quote and source on your posting of you claiming that Chinese said foreigners are weak against cold. Methinks you are BS'ing.

[liuzhou]

they are just too poor and foolish to install insulation and

central heating.

Well, isn't it a shame they don't have your superior wealth and intellect?

Or perhaps they are sensible enough to realise that spending all that money on installing heating when they will only use it for 4-6 weeks a year might not be so wise.

[ala]

shanghaistreets.net

Shanghai is snowing.... Shanghai winters are always quite miserable.

Haven't figured out why yet. I've been to many supposedly colder places, but Shanghai winters has "seared" into my memory.

hmm, website may have a point.

[PollyWaffle]

2. You say there are no heaters and Chinese keep their windows open all year around. This suppose to be an insult implying they are too stupid to close the windows?

maybe he means it is stupid to wear four layers of clothes inside your open windowed house... if true, it is pretty difficult to rationalise...

[liuzhou]

it is pretty difficult to rationalise

Not at all.

If the temperature outside and the temperature inside are about the same there is no real heat benefit from closing the windows. There is, however, the advantage that at least you are breathing fresh air!

During the SARS epidemic, one of the main four bits of advice given was to keep you home well ventilated. Bugs and nasties breed in overheated under-ventilated atmospheres.

It makes perfect sense.

[Lu]

I'm with Liuzhou and Cyberian.

It can be cold in the south though. Here in Taipei it's only about 7C, not freezing but it sure feels cold. And some restaurants here have the aircontidioning on. In summer it's nice when inside is colder than outside, in winter it is not so nice. I really don't understand why they do this.

[owen]

This cold weather is tearing us all apart!!!

[Ian_Lee]

I guess the reason why Shenzhen is so frigid in the winter is the same as that of Hong Kong (albeit Shenzhen is usually 2 to 3 degrees Celsius lower than Hong Kong).

It is because the really cold days are just limited to about 2 weeks in a year.

Since the duration is so short, most people would rather just "endure" these short cold days instead of changing the building material or installing fixed heaters etc.

But it can be very cold in winter even at home. I would say it is more comfortable to spend the winter days in Edmonton than in HK.

But when you think of it, it is also very "intolerable" to spend the summer days in many northern cities. Normally these cities don't have air-conditioning (many 4-star hotels in Paris don't have), the windows are extremely small and the building materials retain heat rather than ventilate the heat.

That is why in an extreme hot summer, hundreds of people could die in Chicago or Paris which is absolutely inconceivable in HK or Shenzhen!

[madizi]

Few hours ago I talked with my friend through Messenger and she told me that in Taibei temperature is between 0C and 10C, what is the same as here in Slovenia. But Taiwan is much souther than Slovenia. And it seems that for Taiwan this temperature is very cold. But for Slovenia isn't cold at all, because normal winter temperature is 0C or below. Strange!! How is it possible?

[liuzhou]

How is it possible?

Simple.

There are factors other than latitude in deciding temperature. London is further north than Harbin, but has a considerably milder winter, for example (thank you, Gulf Stream).

The cold spell in Southern China this week is caused simply because the wind is blowing from the north.

[Cyberian]

If the temperature outside and the temperature inside are about the same there is no real heat benefit from closing the windows. There is, however, the advantage that at least you are breathing fresh air!

You missed the wind factor which can lower temperature.

[liuzhou]

a) Wind factor does not reduce temperature. It reduces perceived temperature.

b) If the wind is blowing, we shut the frigging windows.

[Ian_Lee]

How come Shanghai's weather is much colder than other cities (which are also close to sea) at about the same latitude in winter?

Here is tomorrow's (1/25) weather forecast:

Shanghai (31.06 degree north):

46 -- 41 (F)

Cairo (30.03 degree north):

73 -- 55 (F)

Kuwait City (29.3 degree north):

53 -- 37 (F)

Orlando (28.55 degree north):

64 -- 43 (F)

[badboy]

...in Taibei temperature is between 0C and 10C, what is the same as here in Slovenia. But Taiwan is much souther than Slovenia. And it seems that for Taiwan this temperature is very cold. But for Slovenia isn't cold at all, because normal winter temperature is 0C or below. Strange!! How is it possible?

I assume there's no heat in the buildings in Taiwan, similar to HK. Basically, you can't go inside and warm up like you can in Slovenia. Even 10C can feel pretty cold in Taiwan because that temperature is more or less constant, inside or out. Whereas in Slovenia you would only be exposed to that temperature for the limited amounts of time that you are outside.

I think Ian is right about the Edmonton-HK thing...I was in HK a few years back (edit - think it was Feb '98 ) and there was one week where I think even some daytime high temperatures were like a high of 10C and that felt absolutely freezing especially considering I had come from a snowstorm in Toronto the week before.

[Ian_Lee]

However, there are many ways to warm yourself up in the frigid winter of Hong Kong or Shenzhen.

The most common way is to have Chinese style shabu shabu as dinner. You can have either the Cantonese style 打邊爐 or the northern style 火鍋 when it is 5 degrees Celsius outside.

And nothing beats a warm stomach before you go to bed!

But in western world, the only thing close is Fondue in Swiss style cooking.

Sometimes I really pity some Americans eat cold cut sandwich as dinner when it is snowiing outside.

Well, most Chinese survive to eat while most Americans eat to survive.

[skylee]

However, there are many ways to warm yourself up in the frigid winter of Hong Kong or Shenzhen.

食煲仔飯!!!

臘味煲仔飯(left), 北菇滑雞煲仔飯(right),

鹹蛋肉餅煲仔飯

A travellog on 煲仔飯 -> http://yilan.url.com.tw/travel/travel-010629.htm

[Alhazred]

But in western world, the only thing close is Fondue in Swiss style cooking.

I have no idea what shabu shabu is, but in the western world (well, at least in France, not sure about the other countries), you can have a tasty and wholesome raclette in the winter. Nothing beats it. Very friendly meal to have with friends, everyone chatting and drinking wine while they're waiting for their cheese to melt.

I have eaten raclette once a week for the last 3 weeks ;)

edit: missing words...should use that 'preview' button I guess...

[bhchao]

Well, most Chinese survive to eat while most Americans eat to survive.

Ian, that is very true.

If you visit any of the Chinese restaurant plazas in the communities of San Gabriel, Arcadia, Rowland Heights, Monterey Park, and Alhambra; the parking lots are packed full and people line up for hours outside restaurants during the lunch and dinner hours on the weekend.

There used to be an American plaza in Hacienda Heights. Business inside the stores was really bad and they went bankrupt. Then Chinese came in and started opening video stores, bookstores, and most of all, restaurants. In just a short time, the plaza boomed and finding a parking space is a nightmare because everyone goes there to eat and spend 2 hours just to get a seat in a restaurant.

[Ian_Lee]

One way to get rid of the coldness in northern China is to "eat on the bed".

Once I was treated to an ethnic Korean home in a village in Northeast Jilin province. I was invited to sit on the bed (炕) to have dinner with the village chief.

After three rounds of Bajiu down the throat and half dozen plates of Kimchee gone, I felt so hot (especially the butt) that I took off every outfit except the shirt and walked outside the house which got 2ft snow stacked up.