Freezing Cold

I bought this jacket in Shanghai to go to Tibet. Little did I know that Tibet would be warmer than this winter in Seoul.

It’s been cold here in Seoul this past week. Last week the temperature dipped and dived from +3 Celsius to -5, then it would go hurtling back up to +2 and then the next day a nose dive to -6. Checking the weather network every morning was always a surprise. This week, however, was cold. Damn cold. -14 Celsius cold.

Each morning I contemplated how many layers I could fit under my normal work clothes and avoid looking like the State Puff Marshmallow Man. It usually consisted of long johns, knee socks, wool socks, jeans, long john shirt, turtleneck, wool sweater, Columbia jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves.

But Sara, you say, this is nothing new! You wore all that last year in Shanghai!

Yes, I say, but there’s a difference.

Shanghai continually hovered around zero degrees Celsius. Inside was always the same temperature as out because the school corridors didn’t have windows due to the extreme summer heat.

Seoul, however, gave me hope. There were windows in the corridors and air conditioners / heaters in the classrooms. It’s further north than Shanghai and is consequently colder in the winter so there has to be heating. And indeed, there is heating, in the classrooms. This means that one goes from an overheated, dry, stuffy classroom, to the frigid corridor and into another overheated, dry, stuffy, classroom. I’m not sure which is worse – Shanghai or Seoul.

My breaking point, and decision on this matter, came on Thursday. It was -12 Celsius outside and I was wearing as many clothes as possible. Being the first one in my classroom for the winter camps that I’m teaching, I’m responsible for turning on the heaters. So when I arrive at 8:30am, my classroom is only a few degrees warmer than outside. Usually, it’s retained some of the heat from the previous day.

The corridors, though, are exactly the same temperature as outside. So that means that when the school custodial team decides that it’s a good day to wash all of the floors, and then they leave for a lunch break, the puddles of water on the floor turn to ice. ICE. I literally skated my way to my office after winter camp was over.

Ice inside the building. I almost cried I was so cold. Right then and there I decided I would take the Shanghai damp winter over this.