Unpredictable Weather

Call it the effects of global warming, or maybe its from being located so close to the ocean, but the weather in this city is just bizarre.

Autumn: Simlar temperaturewise to Autumn in Pennsylvania, warm at its start and chilly by its end, but there really isnt a period where the leaves change colors, and the dust storms and pollution seem to progressively get worse by the end of the season.

Winter: Dismal and gray. Gray, not because the sun isn't shinging, but gray because the pollution is so bad it blocks the sun's rays. Actually, it blocks the entire sun. Many days you can't even guess where the sun is in the sky. Every see images of Chinese cities on the news and everyone is shown wearing what you believe to be a "SARS" mask? Well it's not for SARS, its to keep from breathing in the dirty air and because the air is so cold, your face is warmer when wearing a mask. I can deal with cold temperature as long as I get to see some fluffy white snow in exchange. But not in Tianjin. The most snow you can expect is an inch or less and it instantly turns into brown slush.

Spring: Winter abruptly ends and BAM!, its warm. You go from wearing a heavy winter coat to short sleeves in a matter of a few days. ...one week later, spring is over.

Summer: Summer is hot, sticky, and I just can't handle it! It's only May and already temperatures are up in the 90's! I'm glad I'll be back in the US before the worst of it comes.

..............................................

Well it poured down rain today. This is a rare event here; it rains just a few days out of the year. OF COURSE this day would come on the day I don't take an umbrella to work! It started raining while I was teaching at a high school. Then, to go home, I had to wait 20 minutes for the bus to come! It's amazing how many Chinese people with umbrellas will stand there and watch the foreign girl get soaked. It wasn't until a minute before the bus arrived that someone offered to let me stand under their umbrella. By that point I was soaked through and through so it didn't make much of a difference but its good to know there's at least one kind person out there. Now I know I'm going to get sick and that's no good because I'm taking the train to Shanghai tomorrrow evening for vacation! errrrrrrgh