The 10 Plagues of Beijing Spring
During my bike ride to work down the Second Ring Road yesterday, I noticed tiny little bugs–gnats or something–gathering on my shirt. As I looked at them and wondered if one of them would end up getting smeared across my work clothes, I realized that this was meant that Beijing spring had officially arrived. This is something I probably should have understood last week when it was raining white pollen, but I’m a little slow at times.
To me, after the cold, dry, bleak winter, this is a very welcome sign. Yet, for every wonderful turn of events, there is always a negative side. In the case of Beijing spring, being able to sit outside on plastic chairs and eat on crappy folding table far outweighs the negatives. At the same time, the oddities of Beijing spring require a closer look.
These are observations, not complaints, mind you. The strange happenings of Beijing spring are indeed bizarre, and they come in waves. So, in the spirit of Passover, I give you the 10 plagues of Beijing spring. Many of them repeat every year, a few are unique to 2009.
- Those weird white fluffy things flying through the air. What are these things and how do they get so high? I’ve looked at the window from the 20th floor of office buildings and it looks like it’s snowing. Even in areas with no plant life. They blanketed the city last weekend, and now they are gone. Figures.
- Gnats. Let’s just say I make sure to keep my mouth shut while biking in spring.
- Dust storms. There’s nothing quite like looking out the window and thinking, “Are rain clouds usually red?”
- 4:30AM sunrises.
- Ritan Park stench. You know what I’m talking about. They drain that pond in Ritan Park and it stinks something awful for two weeks at a time. Those are not fun times at the Stone Boat.
- Return of gray skies. Remember how the sky was blue all winter? It’s like they’ve decided most of the Olympics reporters are finally gone and they can stop spray painting the air blue.
- Another spring, another day removed from the May Holiday. This year we get three days off. But two are on a weekend. That’s messed up.
- Children’s Day. My understanding is that kids don’t work, pay taxes or have any responsibilities. Good thing there’s a day when they can get out from under all of that stress and get pampered by their doting parents. Few countries spoil their kids more than in the US, but we don’t celebrate Children’s Day.
- Realization that the Olympics aren’t coming back. On the up side, foreigners can get visas this year.
- The impending return of the old-man-tank-top-roll-up-over-the-beer-gut moments. Actually, this is a positive development.
That pretty much sums up the weirdness of Beijing spring. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go outside and make a Mongolian-sand castle.
Joe responds:
Posted: April 18th, 2009 at 12:05 pm →
If you mean these weird white fluffy things (http://andprotest.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dandelions.jpg), then they’re dandelions.
CBD Ren responds:
Posted: April 18th, 2009 at 12:16 pm →
Joe-
The stuff I saw looked a lot different from dandelions. Are you sure that’s what it was? Why do they blanket the city?
Brendan responds:
Posted: April 21st, 2009 at 10:19 pm →
I keep seeing the weird white fluffy things described as “willow catkins,” but they do seem to be different things.
Also, re: visas — tried it lately? Have spent the last couple days calling around visa agents, and it sounds like the Olympics all over again for F visas, right down to the prices.
Hang responds:
Posted: April 23rd, 2009 at 12:08 am →
Those weird white fluffy things are from certain kind of trees. It was much worse 7-10 years ago. In some areas of Beijing it was like heavy snow coming down. You could breathe the fluffy things. The situation has already been improved.
chriswaugh_bj responds:
Posted: April 25th, 2009 at 9:55 pm →
I was under the impression the white fluff was from poplars, and not pollen, but seeds. Poplars are very popular, it seems, due to their tendency to grow tall and straight and relatively quickly (by tree standards). And yes, as Hang says, it used to be much worse, much much worse, to the point they could rival sandstorms in terms of respiratory nuisance. I seem to remember reading a couple of years ago that poplars were being injected with a kind of tree equivalent of the morning after pill to cut down on the amount of fluff they shed each spring.
Of course, I could well be very wrong on all of this. This comment is based on random bits of half-remembered information picked up over the years.
paul cambre responds:
Posted: April 25th, 2009 at 10:59 pm →
Brendan is spot on with the visa comment. The regulations are tightening by the day and its due to the 60th anniversary of the PRC this October 1. It seems since this year is the trifecta of anniversaries with the 50th of the tea bet in uprising, 20th anniv of Tea in An Me N and the 60th of the PRC then I am sure Beijing is on extra alert when it has its big celebration in october.
The white fluff is from the poplar and willow trees and yes there was suppose to be a sex change. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-449813/Chinese-poplar-trees-change-sex–Communist-decree.html
Thank goodness I am in the friendly confines of the Huangpu in sunny Shanghai! BTW I am curious if you think the so called “freedoms” that were suppose to take shape in Beijing and China after beijing ‘08 are happening? it seems i read articles everyday documenting the slow yet marked decline of rights and freedoms since the Niao Chao opened. some say this is due to the 60th and that the big year for more freedoms may come in 2010 after all landmark dates have passed. any thoughts about this? peace. p
China Business Stories responds:
Posted: April 28th, 2009 at 9:44 pm →
The oddities of Beijing spring..your post brought back some great memories of spring in Beijing last year..great and intreesting things to be reminded of, as none of them occur here in the Netherlands.. Enjoy spring!