Beijing Summer 2007

Its stinking hot.

It is ussually about 36 degrees

SUMMER IN BEIJING

men walk around without their tops on
there is outdoor dining
people look tired and sweaty
there is angst in the air, a restlessness
old ladies with fans
many people eating iceblocks
and increase in homeless/dirty looking people who maybe have flooded in from the provinces
more hawkers
men also lift up their shirts to expose their bellies
woman wear sockets with high heals and sandles
woman wear visa's which are like a tinted window, covering their whole face to block out the sun
i see woman riding bicycles in high heels and skirt!!!!!
peope drink beer and have bbqs. well cook on outdoor coal cooker things.
there are fly swats
mosquitos

there is nothing like grey skies and heat. i like it (really)

i feel really at home. why does austraila think it has the monopoly on hot weather, beer, topless men, the beer belly, fly swats and mosquitos.

The way people refer to these things about Australia its like Australia thinks these things are totally unique to them. It must stem from the past British migrants comparing Britain and Australia. From a British perspective these things are quite novel. But from a world perspective --- there are many countires with fly swats and mosquitos etc etc.

So the national identity is simply a comparison to Britain. At the moment, that will change.


But a really dry heat that I like

In August it is going to be 40 degrees apparently. great!

But I can survive. Its not that much different to Australia. Its too hot in Australia for me so I am not complaining. The best season in Beijing is Autum which is in, ummm, sept, oct, nov
winter dec, jan, feb.


John is still going to travel with me, which is great. just the two of us.
he said it is okay if sometimes we are grumpy etc.


Yesterday we had no electricity, water, mobile phone, landline phone, internet etc
This morning no electricity. water off. but luckily it came on so i could have a shower

chatted to my sister on MSN. i love her, she is the best.
i want to make people my priority from now on.
it used to be mandarin.