Little Sun - Blogabond

This past week, the temperature dropped and it has been freezing. It’s only been around 0ºC at the coldest, but the problem is that the buildings are not equipped to protect against the weather. Kunming is known as the City of Eternal Spring, and apparently it never got cold in the winters until about 50 years ago when the PRC drained part of the lake, changing the micro-environment. Or something. Don’t I sound like I know what I’m talking about? Since then, the city, and surrounding areas have gotten more and more polluted, and of course the overall global climate has changed. Now Kunming can no longer truly claim to be the City of Eternal Spring because it actually gets cold now, and every once in a while it starts to snow. But they are kind of in denial about it and none of the buildings have any kind of central heating systems. This includes my apartment and classroom. Whenever I remark that it is pretty cold, people tend to respond with, “well, doesn’t it usually get much colder in your country around this time of year?” to which I reply that yes, it does, but it’s generally a little warmer when you go inside a building, rather than colder like what now happens here. The result of this weather change is that everyone sits around in class wrapped up in winter jackets, hats, scarves, mittens, and loses feeling in the feet. My household purchased a small portable electric heater, or as the word for small portable electric heater translates from Chinese, a “small sun” (xiao taiyang – your vocab word for the day; expect the quiz later on). Now, it is getting warmer, luckily, and the sun has come back out, for which I am very grateful. The rest of the winter will probably not provide the tropical temperatures I was secretly hoping for when I decided to come here, but it shouldn’t be nearly as cold/snowy/icy (even remotely) as winter-time New England.

Other highlights to relay are that I celebrated my first birthday in China. It was a good day, thanks to it falling on the day I have painting class, and to the great community of fellow students that I seem to have fallen into here. And, to “take the cake,” shall we say, I was sung “Happy Birthday” in Russian, Kazak, Hebrew, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and English.

written by

agentsarainkunming on November 24, 2009 from Kunming, China

from the travel blog: CHINA

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OI VEY, Number One Daughter - bundle up, you shouldn't catch a cold, drink plenty of warm tea, and take your Emergen-C - a little Chicken soup wouldn't hurt.....

Thank you for your (as always) entertaining and informative blog on the weather in the City of Eternal Spring (not). Sorry it is not the tropical paradise you had hoped for! STAY WARM!

We are heading into Thanksgiving with Liz, John, Hannah, Marsha, and Uncle Bob, followed by Anna and John's big wedding weekend, and your presence will be sorely missed!

Always know that you are our number one blessing. We are happy and grateful that you are surrounded by such a lovely group of friends from all over the world. We hope you all share a joyous, yummy, Chinese Thanksgiving together!

Much love,

Yo mama

written by Jeanne Segal on November 24, 2009

Dear Little Sun,

Or maybe...too "little sun" :-) I second your Mama's suggestion to keep warm. Anna was just sick with a fever and ultimately laryngitis which is tough on the 25+ hours of teaching she has been doing.
O/w it seems life in Kunming is rather interesting. I laughed a lot about spoiled Chinese children and the 'Monster" T-shirt! Good to get in with a restaurant owning family...seems you are blessed!
Well, Happy Birthday Little "One" and a Happy Thanksgiving, too! I will be sharing the day with my 87 yr old Mom and Dad and the evening with old friends---some of whom you have met over time but likely wouldn't remember. My dear Fred ---finally a boyfriend I've had for 6 mos!---is off visiting a brother in PA. That's all for now---Love from one of Yo other Mamas///Kath XXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

written by Kath Fairhurst-Lown on November 24, 2009

Dahlink: Now here's Happy Birthday song to you in Yiddish:
Cheppy Boid-day to yuh,
Cheppy Boid-day to yuh,
Cheppy BOOOOID-day, our little bupkelehhhhhhhhhhhh,
Cheppy Boid-day, toooooooooooo
yuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhh!
I LUV you, Doll!
your auntie soobies.

and remember the old Zen practice:
if you sit in a cold room and meditate on a candle flame, you will experience its radiant warmth throughout your whole being.
A hat helps.

written by Terry Lilian Segal on November 26, 2009

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