Snow, Snow, Snow!

Last weekend, we had our first snowfall! Although Beijing is usually quite dry to begin with, this year has reportedly been unusually much drier with rain and snow falls far below average. While I don't mind the fact that we haven't had any sizeable precipitation (I got drenched enough while I was in Hong Kong this summer...), the environment definitely needs the moisture. It was really nice to see the university with snow on the ground, and it made the university's tranquil statue of Confucius really stand out in the frosty white covering. One of my classmates, an Australian, was really excited to see the snow, as it was his first time in his life to see the flakes falling. While we were in class - already distracted and restless since we were sitting in class on a Saturday, New Year's Eve, of all days – many of us were much more interested looking out the window at the snow flying by than we were in our poor teacher's lecture – she is such a patient teacher.

After class that day, I went back to my room and finished packing up a couple of backpacks. From the university, I took a taxi to the main Beijing train station (Beijing Zhan) where I made my way through the crowds and boarded the train on which I would ring in the New Year. The trip to the Jilin province, in China's frozen DongBei (literally East-North), was a little over 24hrs long. It was fun playing cards and talking with some of your average Chinese people (lao bai xing) on the train. That evening I ate in the diner car, went back to my hard-sleeper car, did my dental hygiene routine, and retired to my bunk early. So, I snored in 2006 getting some much desired rest!

While I was in the Jilin province, it was fun to see all of the snow covered mountains and clear blue skies! Although I really like Beijing and life in the city, it was nice to have a change of pace and scenery. The most profound experience was looking out the window of the train and imagining what life was like in ancient rural China as I saw the farming villages covered with snow and the traditional homes with smoking chimneys. Ah, the beauty of the Chinese winter with the purifying covering of the frosty blessing from heaven!