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We asked our barrage of questions of absolutely no bearing, and being the faithful readers you are, you told all.

How often do you take a shower in the summer? only some of us stink.
once a day 46%
twice a day 33%
three times a day 19%
other 2%

Does your electricity bill increase or decrease in the summer? Chengdu summers are bearable after all.
increases 31%
decreases 46%
doesn't change 23%

"Who knows, I don't pay it."
"I can live without the AC, but I need my heat."
"Increase! Also the water bill."
"Decreases. The flat is cool, and I don't use the AC or fan, and after the winter bill shock, I unplugged all the unnecessary devices."
"Down, down down. Air con is for babies."
"Decrease: we are kongtiao Nazis. Last year I think it only went on once."
"We're so hardcore, we don't even have a kongtiao."

Do you run around your flat naked when it's hot? gallery of sarcastic exhibitionists
"I do that when it's hot and cold. I don't as much "run," though, but leisurely stroll around."
"I run around my flat naked all year. I'll run around your flat naked too, if you let me."
"It's just one big nude-o-rama."
"No, I just walk and lie about naked. It's much cooler that way."
"Nah. Too many windows and roommates for that."
"I ditch the underwear, but I still wear loose shorts and a T-shirt."
"I sit and cook naked, or with a towel around my loins, but run? No, the toilet is centrally located."
"Of course! Where else can I run around naked??"
"If there's nobody else around, of course. Anybody who says they don't is a lying prude."

What's your best keep-cool trick? since when was there a 7-11 here?
"Cheap 7-11 ice lollies."
"Some neighborhoods have swimming pools. I sometimes like to sneak in at night and take a dip."

"Sleep on a soaked towel (perfected while in India), cold showers with ice, a schedule that deliberately limits the amount of time spent in non-air conditioned environments"
"Lounging by outdoor swimming pools all afternoon"
"Bao bing"
"Eat ice cream, lower the temperature on the AC, or just sit right on the floor"
"Enjoy the sweatiness"
"Leisurely bike rides help with the air flow"
"Sweet, hot, black fennel tea"
"Wander aimlessly around shopping malls half-dressed while sucking on a Popsicle"

Where's the best place for free AC in Chengdu? foreigner specialty: being cheapskates
"IKEA"
"Your friend's apartment"
"Bailian Tianfu"
"University classrooms" (That's not free!—ed.)
"Starbucks"
"Shopping malls and office buildings. Definitely not supermarkets. I don't even know how the food doesn't rot in some of the stores, it's so hot. And definitely not most of the bars either."
"Your mom's house"

Do you use your umbrella more in the winter or the summer in Chengdu? umbrella hostility
"I'd say I lose more umbrellas in summer"
"I use it only on rainy days"
"Summer. For those 4 p.m. showers"
"Winter, though I'm not against using an umbrella to save myself from the sun during summer here (this as a young man)"
"Never!"
"I use it more in the summer ... more rain."
"Don't use it often anytime"
"I don't even own an umbrella"

Your footwear of choice for the summer: flip-flop loyalists
Flip flops 98%
Other 2%

"Flip flops forever"

"Sandals (no socks)"
"Sneakers in China, normally flip flops in the States"
"Flip flops, as bad a choice as they may be for rainy days. Always end up with a splattering of mud all up the backs of my legs. And since I've been wearing the same pair for four years the traction's completely gone so traversing the slippery sidewalks (and especially the staircases of death) of rainy Chengdu is always a heart-pounding adventure."

What is your idea of a sexy summer outfit? we wear short shorts.
"For females? Whatever leaves almost nothing to the imagination. For me? Cut-off muscle tee, cut-off jean shorts and a mullet. For the ladies. I love it when the old women in my neighborhood go braless."
"On me? Not much. On women: those little baby doll dresses and legs up to Orchid Gardens."
"I'll be happy if fewer overweight, middle-aged men go shirtless around town this summer"
"Floaty and bohemian"
"Short shorts?"
"Less is more."
"The first thing that comes to mind is bikinis on sexy girls, with a little tiny towel around their waist, and definitely sunglasses. But on the street mostly the girls are wearing those hotpant overalls."
"I really like how it's socially acceptable to wear shorts that just reach the bottom of one's cheeks, no matter whether you're short, tall, fat, thin, male, female, young, old, cellulitous or not. Where else can you see so many people walking around completely unabashedly in such short shorts?"

Most unappealing summer apparel: aunt helga's underpants are hanging outside our window
"The stretched wife-beater rolled up to expose a belly"
"Anything with Mickey Mouse"
"Girls wearing baggy clothing"
"Giant sunglasses. Like Jackie-O crossed with a blind Elton John"
"Short shorts—popular with almost everyone but me."
"Short shorts that are too short, especially on men."
"Answer this question with a question: Who told the male college students in Chengdu that wearing obnoxious flowery board shorts/pajamas was the acceptable and cool daily choice for summer apparel?"
"Should be winter apparel, everybody's wrapped up like a zongzi. You can't even tell who's male and who's female"
"Umbrellas attached to bicycles!"
"Anything made of synthetic fibers that leaves your clothes sticking to your clammy skin, i.e. polyester shirts. Nasty."

When was your last summer romance? Was it in Chengdu? a suspicious dearth of responses.
"Years ago in a national park camping site. Not in Chengdu though."
"Summer 2006 in Chengdu. We are married now."
"09, Chengdu"
"Define 'romance.'"
"In my hometown about four years ago."
"Nah."
"Last summer, not in Chengdu. In Xi'an."
"It was more a spring romance and it's happening now!"
"My romances always start in the fall, winter, or spring, and usually end the same season."

What are your favorite gifts from Chengdu to send or bring to people abroad? sincere gift givers.
"Those barking plastic dogs that do back flips"
"Huajiao, hot peppers, Zhuyeqing tea, New Year sausage"
"Local food, and an I LOVE CD T-shirt"
"DVDs. Box sets and movies"
"Weird, nasty snacks with meaty and spicy surprises"
"Tea because people abroad don't know the difference between good and bad tea and it's quintessentially Chinese"
"Pu'er tea and little knick knacks from the Tibetan district or Lotus Market"
"Plastic trash and T-shirts with absolute WRONG English texts"

How many cockroaches have you spotted in your flat since the weather warmed up? big and bold.
"Not a single one. I live in a pretty clean building, never leave food out and put roach traps around just for a safety measure. I can't stand them"
"Four. Barry, Geoff, Bob and Bob's friend."
"I'm neither patient nor brave enough to count them all, but suffice it to say that there's enough to form a small but forceful secret-service operative, especially in the corners I haven't touched in ages."
"A couple. Most are dead now."
"Two! They were huge!!! I am sure they are making better use of my apartment than I do!"
"Too many. I fear the small ones because there must be more of them, just waiting to become big guys."

What summertime activities do you wish you could do in Chengdu? summertime, and the living's easy.
"Scuba diving."
"Put a stocking over my head and run through Chunxi Lu throwing water balloons at random people."
"Pool party!"
"Picnic. Proper BBQ."
"Raves."
"Go swimming at the beach is the main one. Road trips and outdoor concerts."
"Walking in the countryside"
"Hiking."
"Weekly outdoor concerts in the park. A fair with bake-offs or cook-offs and lemonade."

Have you ever been sunburned in Chengdu? we didn't actually expect anybody to answer yes.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Nope. The smog gives me cancer AND protects me from the sun."
"Apparently not, mainly because in the summer I become a koala and am too lazy to leave my house except for once a week to make a big supermarket run and for the obligatory social interaction."
"Ha, yeah right."
"Only my nose."
"Yes."

If so, how did you achieve that feat? that zebra was a killer, apparently.
"At the Zebra Music Festival. Despite sitting under an umbrella for most of the weekend."
"Once on a hot July bike ride to Xipu and back; the second time at Zebra Music Festival"
"Walking around like a chicken with its head cut off after a long sleepless night at Zebra Music Festival, f—-ing great!"

When you get hit by the water truck in the summer, is it a welcome relief or a nasty surprise? where does that water come from anyway?
"'Surprise' still makes it sound too positive"
"I assume the water was pumped from one of Chengdu's many beautiful canals"
"A welcome relief"
"I'm always on alert, but to see the water truck on the flyover raining water on the unsuspecting victims waiting at the traffic light, very nice"
"It's never happened so far (touch wood)"
"Nasty nasty nasty."
"Oh! Nasty! I'll cuss out the driver"
"Nasty! I run for dear life when I hear those demented chimes."
"If I get hit by the water truck itself, it would be a very nasty surprise. If I get hit by the water from the water truck, that would be OK."

What do you do when you're walking down the street and step on a loose tile that squirts dirty water on the back of your leg? the ominous brown squirt strikes again
"Take it all in stride, smile and enjoy another 'real China moment.' Then I get one of those wet-wipes and get rid of the muck."
"Usually just keep on walking"
"Paper towel"
"I chalk another victim up to Chengdu's dirty landmines."
"Cringe and curse the Chengdu God of tiling. I've learned to avoid such areas as well as I can."
"Say 'gross,' try to wipe it off, and then ignore it"
"Yelp in surprise and then shuffle throughout the rest of my day muttering about how frustrating China can be sometimes."
"I just shake my head and say to myself, 'Those damn throw up tiles!'"
"Explode in outrage, then wipe it off with a tissue, and pay more attention to where I step"
"I figure by now I'm immune"
"It usually squirts on the person walking next to you, ha!"

Favorite summer cocktail? alcoholics.
"Whatever is in season... the Mangoritas (I coined that one, by the way) at Pete's is pretty neat"
"Gin and tonic"
"Hoegarden with a slice of lemon. Not strictly a cocktail but nice all the same."
"Margaritas and mojitos!"
"Mojito!"
"Margaritas"
"The favorite for all four seasons... Jack and Coke, of course"
"Cuba libre"
"Mango smoothie, probably best left non-alcoholic."
"Machu Picchu's Campari/Orange!"

Favorite soft drink? lightweights.
"Chinese lemonade"
"That Minute Maid orange drink with the somewhat incongruous pulp"
"Orangina"
"The grape ones with bits of grape-like solid bits floating about"
"Ginger ale or pomelo tea"
"Black-tea lemonade"
"Cold mango juice, fresh or canned"
"Green tea"

Favorite season and why?
"Autumn. Not as rainy ..."
"Autumn. People get sick and depressed—the perfect environment to get work done"
"Summer. I hate the cold." (This was the most common response.—ed.)
"Summer. It's when the magic happens."
"Spring, for obvious reasons."
"Spring. Like waking up after a lovely long sleep, lots of sunshine and not too hot." (Which city are you living in?—ed.)
"Fall, because you can feel the cool winter breeze bringing relief to the hot blistering summer days."
"Winter, because everyone looks like a zongzi."
"Winter, people seem to get back to normal again."

And don't forget ... 86.5% of statistics are made up on the spot.

Thanks to all of our Facebook and Douban friends and e-mail list recipients who answered the question yet again.

This article was originally published in CHENGDOO citylife Magazine, issue 24 ("Summer"). Photos by Michal Pachniewski.