Planning for an Adventure in Beijing, China: Part 3 - Preparing for the Weather

     We'll be in Beijing, China, on the last week of November, during the last vestiges of autumn and the early days of winter.  Unlike China, the Philippines only has two seasons: the wet and the dry season.  However, we Filipinos often describe our climate as either of these two: hot, or hotter.  Kidding aside, since we don't have four seasons like China, well, except for Batanes as claimed by Seair's website, we're not accustomed to the cold, much more, winter.  And we cannot be blamed for that.  We're used to the almost year-round humidity and we don't use winter clothing here, so, we have a limited choice when it comes to buying those seasonal clothes.  This is where our problem now lies.

     When I went to Hong Kong almost two months ago, I bought some autumn clothes, the knitted ones  I can also use here when staying inside airconditioned places, like our office.  Then, I made some research and realized that the temperatures in November in Beijing ranges from 10 C to 0 C, and that is just about the average.  And since we'll be there on the last week of November, temperatures drop to single digits to the low negative single digits.  Seriously, it's a reason to be bothered.  I haven't experienced low temperatures, at least, not lower than what the airconditioning provides, and certainly, not in the lower -teens.  Besides, I get colds whenever the temperatures change due to my allergies.  So, yay me!

     Right now, I'm trying to find some winter clothes, preferably, the ones which are on super sale or extremely cheap.  If it's pretty and it fits me, I'll buy even if it's from a second-hand store.  We cannot use winter clothing here in our country so no need to splurge.  But I'll definitely buy thermal camisole and leggings/stockings; I actually prefer wearing skirts or dresses, and I'll just wear thermal stockings underneath to combat the cold. 

     Next on my list of problems: shoes.  I cannot wear my Fit Flops, right?   That is, unless I wear Japanese  tabi socks.  Hey, that is not a bad idea.  Hmm... Anyway,  definitely, I cannot I wear my platform sandals, even if its made by Crocs considering that those are not made for walking far, much less for winter walking (almost 3 inches high).  So, do I need some winter boots?  I have a pair of ankle boots made of soft faux leather material with cloth lining.  It's flat, it's soft and I've tried walking quite a distance with those boots and they're comfortable.  But I bought it just for Php 300.00 in Divisoria, two years ago, so I don't know if it'll last that long.  I saw a pair of winter boots, though, like UGGs in Terranova, a clothes boutique, as well as some autumn/winter clothing.  The boots were almost Php 1,700.00, and I'm not sure if I can afford it.  I still have to buy my thermal tights and camisole from Marks and Spencer and they're not cheap.

     I don't have any thick jackets yet and I plan to layer my clothes.  But I do have some neck scarves I bought in Hong Kong, and one my cousin lent to me, and a bonnet.  I don't have gloves, though.  While my list of must haves for late autumn/early winter survival are still deficient, I'm still planning on how I would look.  I still want to look fashionable as much as I want to stay warm.  And, I'll just buy another winter boots in Beijing, the cheap ones, even the knock-off ones, and a winter coat if the need arises.  So, I have to watch what I bring to and from Beijing, lest I end up with excess baggage.

     Even if faced with weather challenges, I'm still super excited to go to Beijing.  And I'll be much happier if it snows, even if I can only barely tolerate the cold.  I haven't seen real snow, ever, so as long as I don't catch pneumonia or something, I'd be happy to see snow falling from the skies.  Although I know that it rarely snows, much less in November, unless the Chinese government decides to make the snow fall in November, just like last year.