a blue sky with Chinese characteristics

I did write this once but I can't . . . so, in February I flew to Xining, 2 hours west of Beijing, and back a week later. Coming back was brill blue sky, the loop of the Huang Ho, brill white clouds, then the pilot announced descent and the horizon announced Beijing. The brill blue sky turned to coffee, weak milky coffee and the clouds disappeared. BJ was invisible under coffee gateau from 6000 metres up and 15 minutes out.
And then I walked out of the airport and got into a taxi and drove off . . .under a blue sky. Amazing. A Beijing blue sky with Chinese characteristics, these being I don't need sunglasses in China, and my tan has faded to a hideous white color. I look English, sick, anaemic. Of course yes part of that is being a teacher and spending hours indoors and I did change color by one tone in June 08. But the girlies still use umbrellas to stop getting anything like Vitamin D. Only peasants have a tan, in Beijing. Only peasants could ever get a tan, in Beijing.

So my conclusion is, there's blue skies New Zealand and there's blue skies Beijing. And there seems little industry around Bj, so I suspect 3million cars have somethng to do with it.

DaveZu