Baby, it's cold inside!

This month marks my completion of 2 years in Taiwan. I was going through my blog archives, starting from the beginning, and got a little nostalgic. In particular, I found my expectations of the weather prior to my arrival pretty interesting:

3. "On average Taipei, Taiwan is warmer than Port Jefferson, NY by 15°F," the weather. The effects of "Global Warming" aren't hitting New York fast enough for me. This was one of the coldest and snowiest winters ever, and everyone knows how much I LOVE cold and snow.

That was a description of the 2008-2009 winter season in New York. Since I came to Taiwan shortly after this post, New York residents would know better than I do that 2009-2010's winter was dubbed "snowmageddon." The following winter, 2010-2011 was "the first time in recorded history that New York City has had two snowstorms drop 18.0 inches or more of snow in the same winter."

Needless to say, I got out at the right time.

While I have been reprieved of the snow, my expectations about the temperature were a little bit off. I didn't do the research or math, but I'd guess that Taiwan has been on average about 15°F warmer than New York. I quickly realized that, like most stats, they can be presented in such a manner that makes it sound better than it is.

Here's my claim: Taiwan is colder than New York.

Okay, it's not true. But let me explain. Due to the colder climate in New York, I would venture to say that every building is equipped with some sort of heating system. I also take into consideration that where I'm from, most people were driving cars to get around, which also have heaters. I think back to my coldest winters and realize that, besides shoveling snow, the actual exposure to cold temperatures was limited to walking running to and from my car.

Here in Taiwan, I think the lowest temperature I've experienced is somewhere around 8°C, which is around 45°F, and during the winter months, the average temperature is around 60°F (15°C). That may not seem cold to you, but when the wind gets under my scooter helmet, it feels like I'm driving through a 7-Eleven slurpee.

What makes it colder than New York is the lack of heaters. On the many days when the temperature is high 40s-low 50s F (10-15°C), there is no relief in any building. I have a thermometer in my bedroom that lets me know that the temperature inside matches that of the temperature outside.

Kids and teachers alike attend class in what appears to be skiing apparel: hats, scarves, hand-warmers, etc. For long stretches of time, I was able to see my breath in my bedroom as I'm trying to fall asleep, and many times I've gone to sleep wearing a winter hat and a scarf (plus a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and heavy socks).

I had a conversation with a co-worker of mine one day where we ended up making fun of ourselves because of how we acted (like babies) when Taiwan gets "cold." I've obviously experienced much colder temperatures, but he had me beat by miles because he's from New Castle, England, where August's average temperature is only about 62°F (17°C). In this case, though, it's not about exposure to extreme temperatures, it's about prolonged exposure to temperatures that are drastically different from the summer months.

So the next time you are looking at 2 feet of snow out the window thinking to yourself, "Gee, it looks cold outside," at least it's not cold inside.