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Life in China The Foggy Capital
Life in China The Foggy Capital | The Foggy Capital |
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| China | |
| Tuesday, 15 May 2007 | |
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Beijing Day 2 – The Foggy Capital Sunny, a bit foggy I think I should stop writing the weather description at the beginning of my letters as it's going to be the same every day. I have found out from some local people that this "fog" is actually not natural. It is caused by pollution. In Chinese, they call it mai (second tone), meaning light fog, not real fog – the fog that caused by air pollution. I don’t know how to write this character, and the Beijingers I talked to didn't know either. It might be a new character or a very rarely used one. Do you know it? (I am asking the Chinese people here.) When I was in middle school, I was told that London was the "foggy capital." Also, almost every Chinese knows London as the wu du – the "foggy capital." Later on, I learned that this was not true. London hasn't been foggy for at least 30 or 40 years now. However, I think this phrase is very suitable for Beijing now. If you are too young to have experienced the foggy capital of London, well, don't worry; apart from seeing the film “Mary Poppins,” you can always pay a visit to Beijing, it's Beijing's turn now. MeiMei www.meimei.co.uk |
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