Plenty of tea here, but better bring your own hot chocolate!

This makes me look forward to arriving in January and leaving a Montreal winter behind me. I'll gladly wear some warmed clothes inside as long as it means I can still bike in the winter and not freeze my balls off!

Winter here is certainly different than it was back in Canada. I don't like cold - my wife doesn't like hot. I still complain that the winters are cold and she always counters my argument with how cold it was in Canada - but we had heat in our homes there!

I bought an electric blanket for the bed, but it has only two settings (hot and hotter) and she doesn't like it. There is only one control. At the metro store I found a single size electric blanket that fits half of our king size bed, so I can enjoy warmth while my wife can enjoy cooler temperatures.

I don't want to take a shower in a cold room and our bathroom does not have those heat lamps. I got a small electric fan heater that sits on the floor (far from water). Warm the room up for a few minutes before shower time and it's fine.

There is no preparation necessary and nothing to worry about - the winters are nuthin compared to Kansas, or even Atlanta, and everything is available locally. There are many children here and they seem fine.

If you are tall i have found clothes selection very small here. Also my foot size is 12 and i have never found shoes to fit me here. Usually bring 1-2 new pairs from US when home to visit.

Big shoes US size 10 is about the max size and XXL clothes not available here. Also clothes no good if you have a big bum/boobs, locals have small hips/and everything else.

XXL clothes are available, but they're not the same size as back in North America. On my last trip to Canada I purchased some men's underwear - size L. They're too big. In Hong Kong I needed XL, Chiang Mai, XXL. Here in China XXXL is still smaller.

XXXL labels are available, but this is Chinese XXXL, same size as China XXXL and it don't equate to nothing. I have china XXXL and stuff don't fit me and I am US XL or EU XXL. I have shoes with size 44 on the sole that are the same size as the shoes with 43 on them. they fit me perfect as I am a 42. even the stuff they say is from the export factory has chinese lables. nothing fits well here if you are larger. hats seem to be all on size, small. unless you wear baseball caps with adustable.

Agreed the XXXL stuff off taobao is like a UK L at best.

Hot water can be another issue. Some Kunming flats rely solely on solar heating for hot water. As much as I think solar heating is a wonderful thing (nothing beats having free hot water from the sun everyday), during winter, solar heating is not going to cut it.

Make sure your flat has an electric or gas water heater also, or the bath space to install one.