April was warm when I left; December is cold upon my return.

You can tell a great deal about someone’s character from the little things in life.

Their travel outfit, for example.

Obviously, in Malaysia, where summer lasts all year, a T-shirt and shorts are plenty for everyday life. But what if your destination is northern China?

That is precisely why you bring a padded coat to Malaysia.

Equally obvious: the people shivering outside the airport in T-shirts and shorts at −9°C had not grasped this principle…

A little advance planning can save your life—or at least keep more than eighty percent of a passing crowd from turning to stare, thereby preserving what remains of your fragile self-esteem.

You could also read their outfit as a kind of “the warrior departs, never to return.”

At any rate, that was the first thought that came to mind as I watched those shorts-clad warriors.