The climate in China is really quite unpleasant. Two weeks ago a coat was needed to keep warm. Now, a t-shirt and shorts are needed. Winter begot summer, while inconviniently leaving spring out of the picture. I'm used to having a gradual change of the seasons, hailing from the northwest of the USA.

In Seattle the winter usually dragged on and on, causing depression and muddy back yards, but when the spring finally came, it was glorious. Red breasted Robins that layed little blue eggs in trees lining lightly rain spritzed streets would feed on the worms poking through the drying puddles existing in saturated yards. The first starting of a sputtering lawn mower that turned into a relaxing hum. The smell of fresh grass clippings... 

Spring eased into a gentle summer that brought at times uncomfortable warmth, but in general, it was just more of the same natural beuty the North West is known for. Golden sunsets and backyard BBQ's. Summer was nudged out of the way by the fantastic color of dying leaves. Looking into the foothills of the Cascades one could see bursts of orange and red and yellow. Such a calm and mellow cycle.

Things are different in the plains of northern China. The Siberian winds bring numbingly cold air with them that makes for rather dismal winters spent wrapped in bulky layers of clothing. Once winter has grown tired of playing it's games, spring comes and goes in a breath of warm comfortable wind. What follows is the heat I now deal with.

In a matter of literally two weeks, the Beijing spring has dissapeared and Summer is now upon us. Sweaty walks to the same dusty subways that just a month before I braved wrapped up in a coat and sweater. This is just a taste of what will come too. I've seen the Chinese summer. It's not fun. It's uncomfortable. No, it's almost unbearable.

This long dry summer will end as abrubtly as it came, and with a two week or so long autumn, winter will once again visit.