When I first packed for China, my thoughts were occupied with how I was going to fit two years worth of clothes into a suitcase and duffle bag. I thought about the seasons where I would presumably be living (warm summers, mild winters). I asked for advice from friends already here, and packed what I thought was an adequate amount of clothing for the coming months.
In the summer, I found myself without enough summer clothes. I lamented the fact that I had taken up space with long sleeve shirts and cardigans – especially useless in Guangdong province. I hand-washed the same clothes over and over again because they were cool and flexible. I couldn’t understand why on earth I had thought to pack jeans, yoga pants, and cardigans.
But, as life presented obstacles and changing situations, I suddenly found myself in Shanghai and Suzhou.
Suddenly winter was no longer “mild,” and I found myself freezing throughout the greater part of the day. I now can’t fathom why I packed so many t-shirts and not one sweatshirt! I had no winter coat. A situation I rectified by buying one at the Shanghai fake markets (150 kuai). I also realized that I could no longer acceptably wear flats without the risk of freezing my toes off. Therefore, I bought a pair of fake Uggs (another 150 kuai and super warm).
I have begun to wonder if there is any concept of heating or insulation in Chinese buildings. My apartment, my school, and most places I go are freezing. People never take off their winter coats. They wear gloves at almost all points during the day.
This is especially true at the primary school where I teach. I knew I was judged for wearing too little from the start. But I gave up trying to explain that I owned plenty of warm things at home (in the US) and didn’t want to buy new ones here because then I’d have multiple down coats, making future travel a nightmare. I settled on buying three fleece jackets and had my mom send me a vest from home. This didn’t seem to impress my fellow teachers, but has provided me with the flexibility I need to teach in the classroom. The school is not heated (except for the teachers’ offices and mercifully my desk is right under my office heater). The teachers and students wear their heavy and bulky winter coats all day long. The kids rarely have gloves on and sometimes I wonder how they can possibly write when my hands seem too cold to move.
I’m amazed all of the time by the beautiful and new Chinese roads, buildings, transportations systems. And I’ve seen it all when it comes to living conditions and bathrooms. But, it seems the one luxury that I can’t get over is my desire to be warm. To work in a warm classroom, with the windows all shut for once. I believe in being warm. I believe in heat.
当我第一次打包去中国的时候，我想的是如何装够两年要穿的衣服进我的行李箱和行李袋。我想象着我可能要经历的季节（温暖的夏天和温和的冬天），我向我已经去过中国的朋友询问他们的建议，装够了我认为在接下来几个月来足够的衣服。
夏天的时候，我发现我自己没有足够的夏天的衣服了。我感到遗憾的是，我带了太多的长袖衬衫和羊毛衫—-这些在广东确实很无用。我不得不把同样的衣服手洗了一遍又一遍，虽然他们样式挺帅而且穿起来挺舒服。我有点后悔为啥我装了那么多的牛仔裤，瑜伽裤和羊毛衫。
生命总是不停的展现阻碍和变化。我突然来到了上海和苏州。
突然我发现冬天不能再用“温和”来形容，并且我发现每天的大多数时候我都是被冻僵的状态。我现在开始无法理解我当时为什么打包了那么多的T恤衫而不是毛衫来了！我没有冬天的外套，我不得不在上海的假货市场买了件外套（花了150人民币），我也认识到我再也不能冒着冻坏脚趾的风险穿平底鞋了，所以我买了双假的UGG(也花了150块，并且超级暖和)。
我开始怀疑中国的建筑里是否有加热或者隔热的设备。我的公寓，我的学校以及很多我去的地方都超级的冷。人们在冬天从来不脱去他们厚厚的冬衣，他们一天中几乎都戴着手套。
这点在我教书的小学里体现的特别明显。我知道我习惯了冬天穿得很少，但是我放弃了解释我其实在家里（美国）有很多温暖的冬衣的，我并不想在这里买新衣服，因为我有很多件外套了，买了之后未来的旅行就会是一场噩梦。我最后只买了三件羊毛外套，并让我妈妈给我从家里寄了一件马甲过来。这好像并没有给我的老师留下深刻的印象，但已经给了我在教室教课足够的方便了。这所学校没有暖气（除了老师办公室，而且谢天谢地，我的桌子正对着暖气）老师和学生们一整天都穿着他们厚厚的衣服，孩子们几乎都不戴手套，有时候我都怀疑他们是如何写字的，因为在冬天实在是太冷了。
我很惊讶很很感慨中国崭新和美丽的道路，建筑以及交通系统，我也看到了一切关于生活起居上的改进例如浴室。但是，让我在冬天感到温暖却是如此的奢望，我多希望在一个温暖的教室里教书，在一个关着窗子的温暖的屋子里。我渴望温暖，我渴望暖气。