I don’t think they notice it. I’m impressed and envious; I feel like a hot house flower compared to them. Taiwan is mostly hot, with a non-freezing but chilly and uncomfortable winter. Today in balmy Taichung, it’s 24 C, which is about 80 F (I think), and it’s a bit close. High humidity, not much of a breeze; frankly I’m uncomfortable in a long sleeve cotton shirt. This is ideal short sleeves weather. Yet as I walked to church where I failed to find a seat because half the Philippino population of Xi district had beaten me there, I saw Taiwanese people in jackets, sweaters, and other cool weather staples.
My outfit of choice today
Taiwanese women are very concerned about not getting brown; whiter is righter. So they run around in 33 degree heat with 80% humidity in long sleeves and and long pants. How do they not die on the spot? Tank tops are a bit scandalous here, and I had a hard time forcing myself to wear enough clothing to not get looks. Fortunately I live in a big city now, so I expect to be able to get away with showing some shoulder.
You’d think this would translate to Taiwanese people curling up and dying when it gets down into a wet and 12 degree day. Nope. Taiwanese buildings aren’t heated, but that did not stop my coworkers from throwing all the doors and windows open and sitting at their desks in their coats. “Why not close the windows and doors and not wear your coat?” I asked in wonder. “We want fresh air” they say.
Ready for fresh air
They were perplexed that I would feel the cold so keenly– I’m from Chicago originally. “Well, we heat the insides of our buildings, so you’re usually not sitting in in a room that’s 16 C” I responded. Imagine sitting not in a freezer, but in your refrigerator or unheated basement; you’re not going to die, but there’s no place to warm up. It gets uncomfortable. My tip for that scenario is to get a hot water bottle and take it with you to work.
Like my other questions about Taiwan, I need to ask where this weather hardiness (obliviousness?) comes from.
Yet another expat's blog about Taiwan 