Eric's Beijing Diary

Met a lady today who has an unusual job. She sells seashells at the seashore. I bought a bunch to take back with me. Big bright ones, too. These shells are really nice.

If you haven't guessed, I am back in Beihai. It's a little hot. Problem is, Beijing is pretty hot right now, too. And Beijing is terrible when it gets hot, because it is socked in, and humid, and the air just sorta hangs there like muck. That's why I have never been through a summer in Beijing. I think Beijing has the best weather in China, except for the summer. Beihai is hotter than Beijing. No question about that. But when you're sitting at an outside table at Tommy's on the Seafood Island in the cool (I use the term loosely) of the day eating a beef and mushroom casserole and feeling a breeze coming off the Gulf, it's not that bad. Evenings in Beihai are OK. I guess what I am saying is that, while I definitely prefer the cool air of North China, if it's going to be hot, then it is better to be by the water. Hot in Beijing is worse than hot in Beihai.