Comments on: The 10 Plagues of Beijing Spring http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html This is China Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:05:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: China Business Stories http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3458 China Business Stories Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:44:31 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3458 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! 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!

]]> By: paul cambre http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3456 paul cambre Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:59:36 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3456 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 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

]]> By: chriswaugh_bj http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3454 chriswaugh_bj Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:55:36 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3454 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. 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.

]]> By: Hang http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3453 Hang Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:08:37 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3453 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. 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.

]]> By: Brendan http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3451 Brendan Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:19:35 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3451 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. 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.

]]> By: CBD Ren http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3447 CBD Ren Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:16:13 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3447 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? 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?

]]> By: Joe http://cupofcha.com/2009/04/18/the-10-plagues-of-beijing-spring.html/comment-page-1#comment-3446 Joe Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:05:39 +0000 http://cupofcha.com/?p=462#comment-3446 If you mean these weird white fluffy things (http://andprotest.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dandelions.jpg), then they're dandelions. If you mean these weird white fluffy things (http://andprotest.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dandelions.jpg), then they’re dandelions.

]]>