Under-appreciated Undershirts
I will have been in China for 20 years this week. And yet, I still bump into little cultural differences that take me by surprise.
Case in point: the humble undershirt.
Fairly normal way to dress, right? But I get asked on an almost daily basis during the summer why I would wear two shirts. “Isn’t it hot?”
I never really noticed until now, but wearing an undershirt to absorb a little sweat is not really a thing here. (Big old sweatstains are, however, most definitely a summer thing here!)
Congrats on 20 years in China, John! BTW, that how long I lived in Japan. Haha
You also see men rolling their shirt up above their bellies on hot days. I used to see 黑车 drivers do this while sitting outside their cars waiting for a fare. My friend called it a personal 空调. Turn up the AC!