The Hot Headed Chicken

Ever notice that China is shaped like a rooster?

Except this rooster wears thermals 60% of the time. Unlike his other feathered friend... Donald Duck.

China has a unique central heating system. Only the Northerners (red) get central heat, while the Southerns are left to suffer. Guess its a bit strange, yet amusing to see the Chinese parallel of a Civil War.

Unfortunately, Shanghai falls right below the government mandated equator or what I like to call...

-The Thermal Belt
-or-
-The Hot Headed Chicken

In the south we use air conditioning units to survive, except these ACs are multi-purposed, to produce both hot and cold air.

Not a problem, right???? Oh think again Dorothy, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore! This is China remember, nothing is as it should be.

These ACs only produce air periodically and are only efficient in its immediate vicinity. Thoughts of venturing to other parts of the house are simply unbearable. Kitchens and bathrooms turn into strict war zones, entered... ON - A - NEED - ONLY - BASIS!!!

Walls here are not insulated, but actually quite the opposite, they retain the cold because they are made out of cement. I often find myself, on a nice sunny day wearing a jacket inside and taking it off as soon as I leave.

Chinese Version of the Wizard of Oz --->

Sometimes living in Shanghai, is like living in a cave with an dying old fire breathing dragon.
In this case, an Old Chinese Fire Breathing Wizard. Not only do you need his breathe for survival, his fumes are harmful too. People tend to get sick easily here if you constantly use your AC, because the unit does not pull fresh air from outside, but just recycles and recirculates the air.

So next time you are reading this in your warm cozy homes, remember what others are experiencing on the other side of the world.

Sidebar

-Nothing says loving like something dying in the oven. This is what comes to mind, when I get too close to old chinese folks. Bewarned they have not brushed their teeth in decades!!!!!!!

Old Foo Man Choo breath! There's nothing in the world like it!

Additional theories to why their breaths smells so bad coming soon....