FREEZING MATSU ISLANDS 2011: “cold winter no heater”

FREEZING MATSU ISLANDS 2011: “cold winter no heater”

By Kevin Stoda, Beigan Island

I just plugged in these terms on an internet search: “cold winter no heater”. I did so because I living on a freezing cold island that has almost no heaters on it. As a matter of fact, most of the residents in Taiwan and the Taiwanese islands do not use heaters. However, my island, Beigan Island, is the furthest north—it is halfway between Taipei and Shanghai. (Today’s weather in Shanghai is 31 to 44 degrees Fahrenheit.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/1713

Until recently, Taiwan has considered itself a developing country. This mentality is still present in the nation’s heating infrastructure, especially in homes and rural areas. This saves the planet from unnecessary greenhouse gases, but it does nothing for improving the quality of life for people who no longer live in an under-developed land.

Living in such a cold place, it is important to learn how to stay warm. Here is what my websearch provided, in terms of tips.

http://www.wikihow.com/Stay-Warm-at-Home-Without-a-Heater

• If you can not afford to heat your home, contact your energy supplier. They will work with you to find a payment plan you can afford. In addition, you may be eligible for federal assistance paying your bill.
• Eat enough fat! This will keep your thyroid and metabolism functioning properly, and you'll stay much warmer.
• Take a hot shower or bath and use oil or lotion on your skin when you get out. It's almost like putting on another thin layer of clothing. But if the cold got to you and you caught a cold, try running down to the shops and getting one of those portable bathroom heaters. They work a dream! But they cost money to buy and can make the bills you pay more expensive, so how about trying to set limits on how long you use the heaters and they'll warm you up quick as ever!
• Humidity holds heat. Increased humidity will make a significant difference in your comfort level. Whenever you take a shower or bath, leave the warm water in the bathtub to increase the humidity in the air.
• Use a hot water bottle. Great for warming your hands & lap while sitting; also put it under the covers at the foot of the bed.
• If the air is too cold when you're trying to sleep, consider rigging a makeshift cloth "tent" over your bed. Your own breathing will warm up the inside of the tent very quickly. There's a good reason those antique beds had roofs and curtains...
• Use a humidifier. The added moisture in the air can increase the apparent temperature of your home by as much as 15 degrees.
• Use electricity for household devices and appliances. Turn on the lights. Incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, and can significantly increase temperatures in a room. Other electronic devices such as a powerful PC, large television, refrigerator, etc., all dissipate heat inside of a house. Keep the devices that you normally use inside the same living area to help maintain indoor warmth.
• Use a candle heater. It doesn't create as much heat as a fireplace or real heater, but will create warmth very cheaply.
• Take advantage of solar energy; place a dark rug in sunny areas of your house during the day to absorb the sun's heat.
• From macrobiotics: eat buckwheat groats: they'll heat you up when cold. Russian athletes never travel without their "kasha," apparently. Also from macrobiotics: there is a Japanese cummerbund, I think made of angora if I remember, and about 12 inches wide, which if worn around your middle will keep you warm as toast. It is not tight; is comfortable. It is slightly stretchy, not much. Do not remember its name; probably on macrobiotic store sites.
• Place short fans set to their lowest settings so that they blow across radiant style heaters to circulate the warm air away from the heater, allowing the heater to warm new air.
• Microwave socks or small homemade "pillows" filled with rice, dried corn, or beans for one minute in the microwave and use as a heating pad or bed-warmer (if you don't have a microwave, use a hot water bottle).
• If you can afford it, leave other heat-producing appliances on, such as computers/monitors or strong lamps.
• After cooking, leave the oven door open to let the heat escape and warm up the area of the room around it.
• Leave your house! Go stay with friends, or spend all day at your local coffee shop, public library, or senior center.

Generations ago, Americans winters were experienced in many parts of North American, like they are here on the Matsu islands today. A perusal of life in the northern mountains of Mexico in the past decade showed me similarities to my struggle today.. (I lived in Northern Mexico in from 2002-2004.)
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/Kust_ColdNights.html
Likewise, in the 1980s, I lived in a large fairly-self-sufficient farmhouse in France (on the border with Switzerland) that heated only the living room—and only 3 hours in the evenings. At that time, I first learned to make do with long warm nights under covers (often with book and light in hand).
If global weather extremes are heading your way, join the club.
BBBbbbbbbRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!