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[canadian-girl]

I know I know..stupid question.....but oh well! heehee. Do I need turtle necks? or just a few sweaters? (the blonde roots came out on this question..and yes, i'm blonde so i'm not trying to insult anyone)

[TaoyuanSteve]

If it gets down near 10 degrees C here in the dead of Winter, people are wearing ski jackets. It likely is no where near as cold as where you come from. On the other hand, buildings are seldom heated, so that has the effect of making it feel colder than it really is. I wouldn't pack wooly mitts, but a few light sweatshirts are probably a good idea.

[jason_seeburn]

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[m o n k]

People often said to me, "You are the strong man!" because I rode my scooter without a jacket in the southern Taiwan "winter". But they also told me that whenever I had more than 3 beers.

But seriously, it can get surprisingly nippy on those nights when it rains. I would bring at least a few warm things. Turtleneck or sweater would depend on your fashion preference.

Has anyone else gotten a kick out of the people wearing huge down jackets and flip-flops?

[Xenophobe]

I lived in Kaohsiung for over five years and for the most part winter is the most comfortable time of the year. However, there are some cool snaps between late December and mid February. The temperature can drop into the mid teens at night and on rare occasions even a little lower. In winter of 2001, we hit 9 C on a couple of nights but the next week we were back in the mid 20's again. As previous posters noted the buildings here are made of concrete and once they cool off it takes awhile for the sun to warm them up again.

The north end of Taiwan usually has cool wet weather for weeks on end in the winter. Friends of mine, in Taipei, had to buy a space heater for their apartment. You'll also find that after being there for awhile (a couple of years) that your idea of what is too hot, too cold and humid will change. I found that 28 - 30 C was my idea of comfortable and on a return trip home, when the temperature was 35 C with 30 % humidity I wasn't complaining while everyone else whined about how horrible the heat was.

My best advice for winter clothing is to take what you would wear in late summer early fall for the south of Taiwan and to dress for wet early fall in the North of Taiwan. This is based on weather in the Lower Mainland of BC. Oh yeah, don't worry about the mountains as there are very few if any buxibans there and the only place in the mountains to have snow (more like heavy frost) in August is at the very top of Yushan which is about 3000 m and there are definitely no schools there

[daily chai]

Don't use up valuable luggage space with heavy winter clothes--they are cheap and widely available here. Today my partner and I went shopping in Tien Mou (Taipei) and got 2 men's cotton sweaters for NT$690 each, and a pair of Diesel pants for NT$500. The stores get factory overruns on the cheap. There are probably some seconds but I never see defects, and I check them carefully. As for sweatshirts, I strongly recommend that you only bring one polarfleece pullover or cardy for the trip, because they are sold everywhere in a huge variety and are outrageously cheap (NT$300 or less).

You'd be surprised how hot you can get teaching in a room full of warm bodies with your adrenalin pumping. I get cold and my hands get cold very fast in cool weather, but I almost never wear a turtleneck sweater to work. I'm from a cold place too and I know how nerve-wracking it can be to imagine leaving home without warm clothes... but you're going to a tropical island. Southern Taiwan parallels Hawai'i. It's warm here. I've only seen snow and freezing temps in a national park on a high mountaintop, and it was a very rare event.

When you get here buy a pair of polarfleece pants to wear around the house on chilly nights, and avail yourself of a whole wardrobe of polarfleece cardies and pullovers to keep you warm on the way to work. When you get there you won't need them. Bring what has sentimental meaning for you, or things you really love to use everyday. Clothes are manufactured here or in China and very inexpensive. HTH!

[Wonder]

I agree with all of that but bring a good rain jacket, something good enough to repel the wind and rain whilst on your scooter.

That's the only time it gets downright miserable. Riding a motor scooter in the pelting rain. Of course, once you get off the scooter it feels like a light drizzle.

I've been looking around for decent jackets recently and the good, casual jackets are kinda' hard to find. All they seem to be selling right now is those huge down bomber jackets that were sexy in the 1970s.

Anf of course, all the Taiwanese are buying them. Too damn warm and cheesey for moi!

[izzyismydog]

Okay, I am from Edmonton so damn I am used to the cold... but last February I had to roll myself up in 2 layers of clothes and a touque and mittens and a sleeping bag to get to sleep cause it gets DAMN COLD. And I live in the SOUTH of Taiwan!
I am currently wearing a long-sleeved shirt, sweatpants, socks, a polar fleece and I am cold! I'd be typing in mittens if I could be. We have gotten out the extra blankets already (and I dug out my mittens and touque and longjohns the other day...).
I think this means we have officially acclimatized and this winter will feel even worse than the last (we got here mid-winter last year). We also purchased a space heater this summer in a fellow Canuks going-away sale...
and also to mention, if you take a size large in N. American sizes, you'll have to buy (ugly) mens winter wear here if you don't bring it with you... though it is really cheap.
but rain jackets here are better and lighter than what I brought from home.

[Dr_Zoidberg]

[m o n k]

Nah, the 40 oz. Taiwan beers--the real stuff, not that TB Light. I chase it with Pocari sweat!