My original post on Chinese people “chillin'” was on May 29th when it just started getting hot and humid out, compelling Chinese people to find inventive places to sit and take a load off to avoid overheating… In my second post on chillin’, I extended the meaning of the theme to include Chinese people with a relatively relaxed attitude even when in the public sphere; this includes not only our traditional street loungers, but also our street pajama-wearers and street dancers.
But with the arrival of winter, I must yet again extend the meaning of the chillin’ theme…
…to include Chinese people who are literally chillin’. It’s about 40-50 degrees in Shanghai right now which doesn’t sound that cold, but it’s the humidity that makes you feel a chill all over… I’ve decided to hibernate this weekend, and am sippin’ on a boiled Coke with ginger while writing this post, but most Chinese people are still hanging around outside.
And no one is doing it better than these guys… Not only are they chillin’ literally because of the chilly yet humid weather, but they have a full setup helping them achieve the maximum level of comfort in such wet, cold conditions.
These guys have a full leather couch on the side of the street, along with makeshift walls to help block the biting winds; they also have a number written behind them possibly for any fellow chillers who want to have a choice seat in this relatively central location that gets quite a bit of sun during the daytime.
I know it’s not a funny pun to say these guys are chillin’ twice over, but I can’t resist such an obvious joke… Just to clarify, these guys are definitely not homeless and chose to be chillaxin’ on the street so please no one take offense to me pointing out this bizarre habit of the locals; the locals simply know that outside will be warmer than their houses because the kong tiao (air conditioning system) really only cools Shanghai’s apartments in the summer and does little to nothing to heat them in the winter. Everyone’s apartment will be freezing all winter long, so good for these Chinese guys for saving some electricity and money and soaking up some vitamin D in the process. Keep chillin’ Chinese people, and chill wherever you’d like!!
Filed under: Chilling, Chinese People, Conspicuous Leisure, Just for Fun, Resourceful, Xin Tian Di Tagged: Chillin', Cold and Humid, Resourceful, Street Sofa, Xintiandi
