It’s days like today that really get me confused. My normal “What will I wear today?” routine is that I wake up, poke my head outside, check the frizz factor of my hair (this is a big indicator of humidity for me), and then decide whether to put on jeans or capris. If it’s particularly sweaty feeling I’ll reluctantly pull on a skirt - but my inner thighs will hate me for it. All. Day. Long.
I don’t understand the weather in Shanghai. One day it’s wet and damp, another day it’s humid and sticky, another it’s hot and sweaty, and another it’s cold and sticky. Oftentimes it’s all of those things in just one day alone.
Seriously, make up your mind! So my dilemma each day is: how do I dress myself. I yearn for the easiness of getting dressed in a school uniform like my son Kai - it’s polyester today… and every day! So I know what you’re thinking - dress in layers! But no, that just means I have multiple things to sweat in or get stuck to various parts of my body.
Last year in August I was nine months pregnant and absolutely suffering from the humidity. I went out with a friend to Yuyuan Gardens and the urge to pee was upon me. So you know when you’re pregnant you basically have to pee right now, and my only option at the time was this little outdoor public toilet trailer that looked quite menacing.
My friend looked at me like: “Are you really going to do this?” And I looked at her like: “Dude, I have no choice!” So five minutes pass, then ten minutes, and another five minutes. Finally I manage to get back outside and my friend just had to ask, “Where were you?”
My pants were stuck and I couldn't get them up.
It took me 15 minutes to pull them back up with much grunting, heaving and a red face. Yes it did. I hate the Shanghai humidity with the deepest of passion known to humankind.
Last week when I was out and about I saw a kid dressed in a snowsuit. I didn’t know whether to feel sorry for the little girl because just looking at her I was sweating, or to give her high fives to because under all that layering she must be getting the kind of spa-like weight loss treatment that the rest of us pay good money for!
Truly my favorite season in Shanghai is the one almost upon us – fall – where the mosquitos miraculously disappear and you can almost wear a sweater, almost. And really I can’t complain too much. It’s only the first week of September and already there was a snowfall in Canada. So, at least I’ll take peeling off various layers in the car while my driver stares stone faced out of the front window over a September snow-day any day!
xo
Niki
// Nicole Chia is Urban Family's new mom blogger. Check out her insight into family life in Shanghai every week on www.urban-family.com. Read her previous post here.
