It snowed yesterday, for the first time this winter in Beijing.
I had sort of gotten used to the eternal, dry, cold fall, where the temperature changes were the only indicators of changing seasons. The leaves have stayed on the branches, albeit a bit mummified because of the dry weather, and the grass is completely yellow now, but other than that, it’s just like a cold fall.
Until yesterday.
I heard on the news that it would snow, but last time it was apparently only a few snowflakes mixed with rain drops. This time, I looked out the window, did a double take, and just stared slack-jawed on the view.
Snow. Real, white (from a distance at least) snow.
And you people know me: I jumped up and down, I squaled, I waved my hands a lot with a huge smile on my face. Flashes of perfect corduroy slopes and a brilliantly blue winter sky interspersed with the massive grey overcast world that was Beijing.
I haven’t missed the snow this winter, instead delighting in the perfectly dry grounds enabling me to bicycle as fast as I want, wear high-heeled boots and the absence of dirty slush everywhere. But yesterday, when I saw everything glazed in white, I realized how much I loved it. Walking outside, now gingerly, in my high-heeled boots, I couldn’t stop smiling, even as the snow on the roads seemed to turn black before my very eyes, even if people who didn’t know how to bicycle in the first place were still struggling past me, sometimes even with passengers. There were fewer cars outside, and they all drove slower and more carefully (due to the fact that winter wheels are an unknown phenomenon in China – once cab driver started laughing and cheerfully told me that was only for “race cars”. Silly girl like me, how would I know anything about driving in snow anyways?)
I was less delighted the same afternoon, when all the slush had turned pitch-black on the roads. But still, as I look out the window I can only see the white tree branches. And I keep smiling.

Tonight is New Year’s Eve. I should probably take some time to reflect upon the year that’s passed, the year ahead, everything I’ve learnt and experienced…
I’m not going to. I don’t like these ordained breaches, end-beginning, where society dictates you have start anew, look ahead, begin on a clean slate. Shouldn’t we do that most everyday? I know I try to. Therefore, there will be no New Years resolutions, except reinforcing my ambition to keep bettering myself and make the most out of everything I do.
But who knows, I might change my mind tomorrow. I’ve been called fickle ;-)
Also, tonight is probably the first New Year’s Eve spent solely with friends. My past ones haven’t been all that big a deal; first some time with family, then maybe going out with friends afterwards. Last year I had a severe throat infection and could barely keep myself awake past midnight, I recall being at a Chinese dinner party with my parents and our family friends. This year, decided as of this morning a la the last-minute Chinese style, I’ll be going to two house parties (in the same house, very convenient =D) and then to the Yen New Years party. It’s probably going to be a disappointment, cuz I’m so incredibly geared up for it, but effin hell – I’m so geared up for it!
And then next week I have 4 exams. So I’m going to go study now.
Happy New Year to all of you, and hope you as crazy and fun a night as I hope to have! And looking ahead (ah, fickleness), I hope we all have a wonderful year ahead, I truly do – hey, well wishes never hurt anyone. =)
Oh, and yesterday I took a cab ride with possibly the happiest cab driver I've met. His hobby was homing pigeons (?? The ones that used to carry mails?), he had about a hundred of them in a giant cage on the roof, and routinely spent a few hours a day tending to them and playing with them. When other drivers do 12-hr or 24-hr shifts, he took a lunch nap every day and never set the alarm in the morning. In his words: "Some months I work a little less and play a little more. So I make a little less. But hey, I've been doing this for ten years, and I still like it."