Frozen Moment in China

There are people that would like to gain more time by freezing it. Having survived the last days in China I would for nothing in the world voluntarily freeze anything at all. . .

Wrapped up like Santa Clause, my dear friend from Germany accompanies me while facing the chilly temperatures of Beijing's vanishing winter. Yet, each time getting off the subway station we doubt that it is vanishing at all. It rather seems as if it just started. Each day comes along with a new chilly shock, not a minute would we think of taking off our gloves - that is the pair I bought here due to my pure and naïve conviction that Beijing could not be that cold any more and that I'll be fine.

As most must sees are outdoors we are easily lurked into one of the cafés heaved for the million western tourists willing to pay around 25 kuai (around 2,5€). While far from competing with a 2-kuai-ricesoup it helps us surmounting the persisting and exhausting jetlag and encourages us once more to continue our sightseeing tour: Tiannanmen square, Hutong, Shopping Street, Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple, Bell Tower to name a few. In spite of our soaking wet feet the promenade through the heavy snow amidst the treasuries of the Summer palace was certainly one of the highlight.

China still is as left just a couple of months ago: people are spitting, laughing, chanting, trying to rip you off whenever they can, the security checks - while partly ignoring our willingness to cooperate - apparently measure with two measurements and food is good, sufficient and foremost hot. The only notable change might be that I am actually understood most of the times, a fact that serves us during our various shopping tours around Beijing: we have got so many friends now reassuring us that bargaining does not mean to get more than 50% off.

Before leaving for Taipeh and higher temperatures, Beijing's sun smiled once more at us enlightening the slippery path on top of the Great Wall.