It's Finally Spring in Beijing
Spring is finally in town! It's my second winter but honestly, it doesn't get easier. Winter began in mid-November and it was 0 to -10 right off the bat. Absolutely obscene temperatures for a desert girl like me. They said winter would last until March. MARCH. M A R C H.Well, it lasted until April.My poor husband from the tropics had to endure two weeks of no heating because the government only turns on the heating from November 15 to March 15. It snowed on March March 17.
Spring arrives!
So Spring is finally here, and the temperature is pleasant. If you're considering a move to Beijing there are two things that dictate life: air quality and temperature. People don't go out as often when the air is bad, and *WE* definitely don't go out when it's too cold.But why reminisce about the days sitting next to a space heater?These days, temperatures range from 10 to 19 degrees Celsius. Ten is cold for me, so it really drives me bonkers when Siri says it's 18 degrees only to find out it feels like 10 outside because it's windy.
That's exactly what happened when I took Allegra to a park nearby. I was too eager to NOT wear four layers of clothes for a change. Guess what, it was windy, everyone outside was wearing a jacket, and I had to walk faster to warm up both my body and hers. She was wearing a cardigan though.
She's happy because she can move her arms around and not be stuck in a winter suit.
Parks in Beijing
We love Qingfeng Park because it's right near where we live. It's a big place but not as massive as Chaoyang Park, and it's full of flowers and trees and little steps that Allegra can climb. Honestly, if you've survived a long winter like me, you'd be happy to see ANY trace of life bloom. Even the littlest ones you used to take for granted.
Spring is beautiful in Beijing, if you can get past all the tree jizz pollen!
On our way home we found this old Hutong that we think is going to be torn down soon.
It's next to some fancy hot pot restaurants, so it's just a matter of time before it'll be gone too. That's the thing with Beijing, the old homes here that hold so much of it's culture are being done away with and replaced with modern, expensive, hipster homes. It's sad when you think about it, and we saw it first hand when we walked through the old Hutongs in Nanluoguoxiang.Anyway, I'm glad Spring is here! Never thought I'd be happy to see ANY sign of life, and I really never thought I'd be grateful for flowers! How about you, what's your favorite season? 