Springtime!

It is officially spring. We’ll, it’s been spring since April hit. For a solid week all of the trees that I saw were in bloom. The beautiful part was that they bloomed not just from flowers dotting the green leaves, but on every inch of each individual branch. My bike to work suddenly became a joy instead of a torture. (The warmer weather certainly helped.)
The streets that often smell like garbage or sweage, actually had a flowery scent instead.
The abundance of blooming flowers didn’t last long. After two weeks, many of the flowers turned to green leaves. Still, others turn ripe every day.

There’s actually some rain now. We went a good five months without seeing a single sprinkle. Granted, even when it rains now, it’s usually because of the “Weather Manipulation Bureau” (I’m not making this up). The way you can tell if it’s actually raining (and not just because the government made it so), is by the time of day. Rain during the day, when most people are at work or in school, is the “thoughtful” work of the W.M.B. Today I was caught in unplanned rain during rush hour. I’ve explained the craziness of biking in Beijing, but there’s nothing compared to crossing slippery train tracks during rush hour with fifty other motorcyclists and cars. One guy in front of me slipped today on the tracks, and I nearly crushed us both, not to mention disturbing the ever-important flow of traffic, which is the only real law in Beijing.

The warm weather is worth it all, though. It reminds me of how it felt when I first arrived. I caught myself thinking today, “Remember when it used to be cold?” as if it wasn’t my state of being for so many winter months. I bet that’s how I’ll feel back in America. “Remember living in Beijing?”

It’s crazy to be nearing the end of my time here. I’m in full see-all-I-can-while-I-still-can mode. I went through all of the many guidebooks I came with and made a list of the must-sees while I still can. My goal is two items from the list at least each weekend. Last weekend Kelly and I managed the hike in the mountains, and then still went to the Forbidden City the next day. This weekend’s goal is the Natrual History Museum, because it has dinosaurs and, reportedly, an exhibit in the basement on evolution featuring actual cadavers. I just can’t miss that!

What Does NOT Suck at All About Beijing: no open container law
Realizing today I’m not taking enough advantage of this little leniency, I decided to grab a beer at the “deli” near my apartment. Is there anything greater than openly drinking a beer on the way home after a long day at work?