Northern China.

I am being interviewed by a school in Northern China (north of Harpin) and I was wondering if anyone has experienced life at minus 20 to minus 35...?!?
Any hints, tips or specific items I need to take along?
Cheers, Steve.

Hey Stephen;

I'm in Canada and the weather in winter here can be even more cold with wind chill! Where are you from?

Helpful hints:
-down filled jackets are both warm and easily squishy to pack into your luggage
-check out a mountain Equipment Co-op store (www.mec.ca) you will find lots of great gear specifically for cold temperatures.
-warm socks are a must. Pure wool can be itchy though, so try a wool blend
-if the wind is strong, you can get wind burn just like sun burn and it is equally as painful, so make sure you cover your entire face when walking. If you just wear sunglasses, you will have sun-glass outline and look like a raccoon!
-layering clothing is key. Undershirts (Helly Hansen has good ones) and long johns help for sure.
-keep warm from the inside out: Eat spicy food and drink HOT teas, coffee, cocoa, etc.
-stay dry
-prevention! Don't get sick - chew on ginger, take vitamins, eat well, etc. Being sick when it's cold outside just seems to make your illness worse, so just don't let it happen.
-it's the external parts of your body that get cold first: your fingers, toes, ears and nose. Keep those warm! Wear a toque, socks, and gloves for sure! Keep your head warm first.

That's my advice! Winter can be Awesome! There are lots of things to do, and the weather never stops us from having a blast outside. Hope it helps! Good luck!

Awesome thanks!!!

well..if you are not already in northern China, you might as well avoid that area all together. Not to mention that northern China is undeveloped.

Hey,

Are you in China now?

I'm in North-East China near Harbin. If you're still looking for information e-mail me at:

shellyyy.vo@gmail.com

I'll be happy to help!

I was thinking of teaching in Urumqi (Xinjiang province) on the NW part of China (silk road region) but the climate is a turn off.

Seven months below zero and climate like northern ontario.

When I was visiting beijing a lot of places did not have heating

Hey Asif,

I'm in N.E. China (Changchun city) and the winters are brutal. It gets to -20 here and it's really, really, cold. I'm from Ontario and used to snow, etc... but nothing could prepare you for this.

To give you an idea:

You'll wear layers, like even under your jeans and you will often wear your winter jacket/gear indoors too. So some days you never take off your coat. Some places have heating but it's rare. There are no carpets here, so that makes it a little colder. There isn't a lot of snow at all... just really cold temps.

Unless they are paying you tons, I would go somewhere warmer. The winters aren't worth it.

Hope this helps!

hi Shelley, not very encouraging news!

i guess i'll stick to a one week tour of xinjiang province in the summer instead! :-)