When winter ( and spring) feels warmer than summer

One thing that has puzzled me since coming to Beijing is how locals seem to tolerate heat much better than the cold. Given that its cold for almost 5 months a year, you'd think that people born and bred here would deal with the cold better than they do with stifling heat.  You would also assume that for someone coming from the topics, a Beijing winter would feel like hell even after several layers of clothes.

But it appears not.

It's frigid outdoors but indoors, most places are warm thanks to central heating. I love the toasty feeling but I hate it when it gets ridiculously hot. That's how it is in my office. Now that I've gone back to work, I remember why it is that my wardrobe used to be stocked with racer back tees. It was simply too hot in the office to wear anything with sleeves! My old seat was far from any window and come winter it would get so  stifling that I had to request for an electric fan ( which is impossible to find. No one sells fans in winter) . I had to make sure the fan blew only at me. Because everyone else sitting nearby; who were already covered from head to toe; would complain that it's too cold! Cold?? There I was hyperventilating from the smoke-soaked stuffy 32 degreee celsius air and people were feeling cold? Am I missing something here??

Then I realised it wasn't just me. All the foreigners who come from much warmer climes find the winter heating in our office intolerable as well. I'm now seated closer to a window, which can be opened to let in cool air from outside. But it's still too warm! The heat has irritated me so badly that I've taken to wearing regular cotton skirts without leggings ( but with boots still), short sleeve tees and my thinnest pair of jeans with peep toe shoes. I've even stocked a pair of slippers to wear in the office. Got some strange looks along my 200metre walk to work and locals in the office asking me  “你不冷吗？”. No, I am not. I feel like a chicken that's being slowly roasted from inside out! All that's missing is a tray under me to collect fat drippings. 

How ridiculous is it to feel warmer in winter than in summer? I'm almost grateful the heating will be turned off next week.