Eric's Beijing Diary

It's getting colder now; they've turned on the hot water in my building, so the radiator is putting out heat. But it's still really nice during the day, especially if the sun is shining. Rode my bike through the Peking University campus this afternoon after church. I was sitting on the grass on the shore of No Name Lake when I heard a splash. I looked across the lake to see a little boy struggling in the water. He had evidently been climbing around on the rocky lake side cliff, when he lost his footing. The water was not deep, and I thought he would just climb out, but he tripped. That was too much for his mother, who jumped in after him, got behind him and pushed him out. Fortunately, he had taken his jacket off, so it was dry. She was concerned about keeping him warm, but I was more worried about her. She was drenched. Anyway, she put the kid on her bicycle and hurried away. Although it is chillier now, it was sunny today, so I think she was probably alright.

There is no beauty like the beauty of Beijing in the fall of the year. It really is nice. The leaves are turning, now, and autumn is in full swing. If the day is cloudy, then it can be kinda raw. But Beijing has a dry climate. There are lots of sunny days. People complain about the wind, but I actually like a little breeze, because it cleans the air. Still, I can't help wondering how long this is going to last. Middle class people are rushing to purchase their first car. Beijing has been adding an average of 1000 cars to the road every day. The Olympics motivated a rationing, with odd numbered license plates allowed on the road one day, and even numbered the next. The change was remarkable, and Beijing has since implemented a modified version of it. I even heard that they were talking about limiting the addition of new cars to the road, which would be a sharp departure from their stated policy in the past. In the past, they have always given priority to development of the auto industry.