Freezing

While in many respects a capitalist economy, China still likes to remind its citizens that they are in fact living in a communist country. One of these gentle reminders is government-provided heat. The government of Shandong is the sole provider of heating services to local universities, including the one in which I live and work. The Shandong communist party decides by decree when the heat will be turned on. In past years, it was November 5. This year, for unknown reasons, the start date was pushed back to November 15. Saturday.

I don't actually have a thermometer, so I don't know what the exact temperature is in my room, but I would estimate that it's been in the low 50s or upper 40s for the past week or two. In other words, it's really cold. I try to avoid being in my room as much as possible by lingering over meals, "working" long hours, and imposing myself upon others in their dorm rooms. Nevertheless, every night I am forced back to my room to sleep. I have taken appropriate steps to protect myself from the icy air. For example, right now, I am wearing:

a chunky pair of banana yellow, hand-knit woolen pants
regular fleece pajama pants
socks, tucked into pants
long sleeved t-shirt
bright pink striped woolen turtleneck
heavy wool sweater with hood

I am also wearing these:



You can imagine, therefore, how pleased I was when my friend surprised me with an impromtu visit last night, catching me in my nighttime garb. I guess she felt bad for her uncontrollable laughter though, because today she stopped by with two new blankets to add to my collection.

Two more days. Wish me luck.