In From the Cold Into the Cold

I swear to god it's colder inside this building than it is outside. WTF? Just had a conversation with some of the folks downstairs re: the purpose of shelter. The people who designed this building put together a very modern looking thing with a swooping roof and a lovely covered bridge that is reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture. I was knocked out when I saw the place.

But now, it's 12.2 Celsius outside. I took my gloves off a few minutes ago so I could rant about how cold it is inside and now my fingers are almost numb. Why?

All the windows are open. Everywhere. Except in my classroom. There are windows on both ends of the hall, double doors on the first and second floor, windows in the stairwells, and along all the hallways. All of them. Wide. Assed. Open.

The locals complain about the cold all the time so I can't understand the reflexive opening of windows. When I come in in the morning, I close them in the office, and close the office door. If I step out of the room for thirty seconds, I return to find that the doors and windows are open again, even if the office is empty. I don't know how my office mates are doing this to me. Or why.

Can anyone explain to me the reasoning behind this practice?

Someone just tried to. She told me that Westerners are all used to the cold weather outside and that we go inside where it's nice and warm and that's what we're accustomed to. But in Taiwan, people are used to it being cold inside all the time, so it doesn't bother them. Because there's no heat. There's no heat, y'see, so they're inviting more cold in. And a mighty wind.

But it's hotter than hell in the summer. Aren't the Taiwanese used to hot weather? Why do they have air conditioning? Huh?

Someone back me up here. I'm not being ridiculous, am I?