"Baa" and humbug to those laughing at my manly Uggs

They cost a packet, they're perfect for the Beijing winter and they're gathering dust in my cupboard. They are also soft and fluffy and therein lies the dilemma.

My prized woolen boots were bought in a moment of rashness just hours before I returned to China from a recent holiday to New Zealand.

It's all my sister's fault. Visiting Kiwi-land a few months ago she whisked me into this trendy shop under orders, she said, to buy a pair of Ugg boots for her daughter Natasha in London.