Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The clearest day in Shanghai

About once every three weeks, maybe four weeks, the overhanging mist lifts, and the sky opens. What is this feeling? This odd sensation? And then you realize that it's the pollution dissipating for a day. Fresh air?

We had that kind of day a few weeks ago, and have yet to see another one. It was by far the clearest day in Shanghai. No black residue in our tissues, no film of soot on our skin, no construction dust to ride our bikes through.

"I can even see stars!" I said later that night, but then I realized that it was mars and venus (or saturn?).

Oh well, even the clearest day in Shanghai has it's limits.







These days, in mid-December, it's a freakish seventy degrees out. Our kids are wearing shorts, mosquitos have sprouted again, and I spent most of yesterday afternoon playing basketball outdoors with a combination of teachers, local students, and international students.
It has gotten all the way down to around 40 here (which is nothing compared to home I know), but even though I sometimes miss the cold, I'll take the occasional 70 degree day during the winter.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

it's 34 degrees in DC, which is just warm enough to ensure a nice slushy mix of precipitation falling from the sky that will most certainly freeze over tonight, making tomorrow's commute something slightly more enjoyable than a root canal.

i would take your weather any day. :)

hope all is going well!

Anonymous said...

It's 31 here with a thin coating of ice on the driveway and the streets. It looks wet until you go out. Dad was out salting this morning so he is able to get to work. Our neighbor had to drive up his driveway backwards. Love that rear wheel drive. Me, I'm home with a sore throat and counting my lucky stars or is that venus?? Ha! Ha!