Sandstorm!!! And no, I'm not talking about that Darude song, this is the real thing. Spring has indeed arrived in Baoding, bringing with it a few tons of sand from the north-west. Apparently, it's a common thing this time of year, to have the wind throw just about everything all over the place, and carrying sand and dust everywhere. Today, just trying to walk down the street back from the university, I had my eyes full of little grains and bits... Will remember to wear those sun glasses tomorrow!!

Other than that, the temperature has suddenly climbed up to the 20s (centigrade, of course). For some reason, I feel like it changes the whole place. China has gone from being a chilly place with Siberia-like icy wind, to a rather pleasant temperate country, with a warm breeze. That is, of course, when the wind doesn't dump half the Gobi desert on your doorstep. But you know what I mean. This weekend, I was in Beijing and it just felt really different. In the bar area in Sanlitun, bars and cafes had their tables outside, people sitting around, having a pint and enjoying the sun. Now that's how I like it :)

And at the same time, everything seems to have suddenly turned green. And those trees that aren't green yet, are full of white, pink and yellow flowers (now you will have to ask my students to know what trees they are... i can just tell you the colours).

Thus, all in all, I'm enjoying the change, and feel like it's affecting my own mood too. Just no more sand, please!!


...and here was the weather report for the day.