Dear LJH,

You forget that Shanghai is south of the Yangtze and hence, reflecting the divine wisdom of the Great Helmsman himself, ineligible for central heating. Buildings here by and large have no insulation, only single-glazed windows, and, at best, an A/C unit to blow a bit of warm air at the humid cold. You can probably wear shorts and a wifebeater in your toasty flat. I'm wearing longjohns and insulated trousers, and a down jacket over a heavy wool sweater in my kitchen.

Even on days like today when it's below freezing, Shanghai people in modest homes open their windows to "let in the fresh air." It's just as cold indoors whether the windows are open or closed! People in Beijing open their windows in winter because otherwise it's too hot indoors, and you get that static electricity build-up that makes children fear touching doorknobs.

Winter in Shanghai is truly insufferable!