Is that fog? Nope, it's SMOG!

I felt that it was necessary to dedicate an entire post to my inability to adjust to the air quality. I knew that the level of pollution was significantly higher here than anywhere else in the world, but I didn't realize I would adjust so poorly. I suppose that is what some would call naive, but I like to call it wishful thinking. Whatever you want to call it, I am not benefiting from my optimism.

I don't get sick very often. I have been in Beijing for 11 days and I have been sick for nearly half of those days. I contribute it to the nasty particles polluting my lungs. In an attempt to fight this chest cold, I have resorted to Chinese medicine and some good o'le Vitamin C.

In hopes of ridding myself of this cold I am trying some Chinese medicine.

If you look beyond the smudgy window, you can see how dense the smog is. 

I have been told that Spring is the worst time for the pollution and that it should improve, if only slightly, when it warms up - I will believe it when I see it, or rather, don't see it.

In addition to the terrible air quality, the streets are also filthy: kids run around with crotchless pants and defecate in the streets; public washrooms fill the air with a foul smell that wanders for blocks; washing water is thrown into the streets and into public drains. The smell of sewage seeps up the drain pipes, making for an unpleasant experience. Because the water quality it also poor, plastic bottles of water are readily available. Unfortunately, this means more waste which affects waste management. It is vicious cycle. I have a water cooler in my apartment but I still find I am using more plastic bottles than ever before.

Although there are a myriad of cleanliness concerns, I am glad I am here and experiencing it all. My fingers are crossed that all I catch is a chest cold.



An interesting read on measuring air quality in China:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j5ZtmyH-RaJJuSuxROXSfzM0MxPw?docId=CNG.a2c6398d74224e219834c94f0a38051c.7c1

The dismal side of this article: "it will take 20 years before we see an improvement in Beijing's air quality, provided that proper measures are adopted"