Sleep tight
In many ways, our trip around Yunnan was a first for us. One of those firsts was our first real encounter with a Yunnan winter. The rule here in China is that south of the Yellow River, buildings do not have central heating. If we were living in Hong Kong or Guangzhou, we probably wouldn't have minded that at all. But living up in the heights of Yunnan, weather gets a bit chilly. We've never really dealt with it the way a typical resident would have, though. Our apartment came with a space heater, and over the months we've managed to acquire a couple more. Naturally, we use them a lot. While it doesn't quite make our apartment balmy, it does take the edge off the chill as well as give us a warm place to stand when we get dressed or get out of the shower. When we've traveled, we've also been spared the winter chill as we've always been booked into hotels with room heaters.Well, this trip was different. When our students planned our trip, they were smart. They found inexpensive hotels that met our requirements--Western toilets and hot water. We had never asked for heated rooms, however, as we had never thought that the rooms wouldn't be heated. The first night, when we returned to our hotel room after dinner at Gail's house, we realized that we were in for a chilly night. The temptation was to skip showering and jump right under the covers. But the hot water in this hotel was available at night, so despite the cold tile floors, we all did our showering. While it was unpleasant, I should point out that the experience wasn't bad. Like most Chinese hotels, management provided a big thermos of hot water. I always thought that the practice was due to the fact that Chinese folks like to drink tea. That may be the case, but in the winter time, hot water is a good way to keep warm. The blankets on the bed were also well suited to the environment. After a few minutes under the covers I was as comfortable as I have ever been back home.
On our second night, we stayed in a guesthouse in the old city of Dali. The situation was the same, hot water but no heater. Actually, there were heating pads on the beds. By turning those on and letting them bake a bit under the warm blankets, we were treated to beds that were nice and toasty. I even took off a layer after trying to sleep under those warm covers. If I had read about these accommodations before coming to China, I would have probably have avoided the place. But having experienced it firsthand (And having been charged only 40 kuai/$5 US per room) I think it's a pretty good deal. And it's really just the way folks live around here. When we visited the homes of our students, the heating situation was the same. We all wore our coats inside the same as we did outside.
I suppose it's all just a matter of how one attempts to keep warm. Back in America we attempt to master our environments, ensuring our homes can be set to the proper temperature despite the weather outside. In China, folks just dress for the weather, indoors or out. The thought of coming into a warm, cozy house is really a cultural expectation. On our trip, cozy meant gathering with others around a cup of tea and a good meal (or two). I have to admire the gestalt of it all, and feel a bit guilty about my own way of life. Of course, I'm not about to get rid of my furnace back home. Even if the rest of the family would accept it, I am a product of my own culture. But I can't help but think that maybe the customs here aren't worth considering.
posted by John @ 9:47 PM
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