Ok, so there I was… walking in a parking lot in an upscale area of a very large city in northern China, when I saw something that literally made me stop and take a picture. This particular day it was probably about 82 degrees, so to most foreigners, this photo would instantly make you ask some questions, like: why is the glass building there? It wasn’t raining, so the guard wasn’t getting out of the rain. This glass chamber does have a lock on it, so it is designated for only certain people. Also, with the glass walls, the guard inside does have a great view of the area he is protecting.
So, here is what you may not have figured out, even though I gave you a good hint. With this city being in northern China, it gets very–let me correct myself–extremely cold in the winter. About 2 years ago, I was in this city with a very good friend who lives near Buffalo, NY. It was the middle of December. Many times during this trip I mentioned how cold it was, only to have my friend tell me that it really wasn’t cold. Well, to a bald guy from the south, it was cold! One night, we were standing outside the train station at 11:30 PM waiting for a taxi. It was so cold that I had to keep blinking my eyes because the moisture in my eyes was freezing. Once again, I said it was cold, and finally, my friend agreed with me. I couldn’t wait to get on the internet and check out the temperature, since my friend finally agreed that it was cold. My research showed that it was 18 below zero F, so yes it was very cold!
Now you understand why this guard shed exists! I can only imagine how appreciative the guards are for this shelter in the winter!