Cold, anyone?

Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been busy with an ESL teaching prac for the past two weeks and haven't really had a chance to blog much. Hopefully I'll have some more time to myself after next week since I finish this prac next Thursday.

Meanwhile, the weather today was quite cool in Sydney, reaching a maximum of 23 degrees Celsius and with the next couple of days being around 20 degrees, it looks as if we're finally saying goodbye to summer and hello to another dreary winter.

It's a pity all the places I want to spend my summer holidays in are all in the northern hemisphere. It means I usually get the equivalent of two winters and one very short summer every year that I go overseas.

I end up stocking my wardrobe with winter clothes for extremely cold weather which spend most of their time hanging forlornly in my wardrobe in Sydney since our winters never plummet down to the negatives anyway. However, when you're outside in the dead of winter in sub-zero temperatures, you don't want to be skimpy with your clothing layers hence the down jackets, scarves, ear muffs and other paraphernalia that I keep handy.

For those who are not used to extreme colds and are planning to visit/live somewhere where anything in the positives is considered hot, below are a few simple tips on combating the wintry weather.


#1: Exercise regularly to stay healthy and warm.

Exhibit A: Candice playing badminton outside our dorm building no. 4.

Exhibit B: Elderly man swimming in the ICY COLD LAKE at the Summer Palace

#2: Retain body heat by wearing appropriate head and neck gear.

Exhibit C: The Panda-look is in at the Wang Fu Jing night markets.

Exhibit D: This man also went to a lot of effort to look like an idiot...er...I mean, stay warm.

Exhibit E: Even this Terracotta Warrior rugged up for the cold!

Exhibit F: Ever heard of the term "biting cold"? Well that's what it was like at the Beijing Zoo. The weather was cold enough to make your ears really sting. That's where ear muffs come in handy. They keep your ears toasty warm (although they do look absolutely ridiculous).

Exhibit G: See? Even Ninja Dan succumbed to wearing ear muffs!

Although not very willingly.

#3: Always cover up your hands and feet. I mean, you like having ten fingers and toes, right?

Exhibit H: Fur-lined Crocs?

Exhibit I: I will never look at a pair of oven mitts the same way again.