Saturday, January 19, 2008

Against the laws of physics

It has been a cold week in Beijing. I don't think it has been above freezing all week, even on the sunniest afternoon. It's regularly been several degrees below during the day, and getting down to -10 or worse overnight. There's a pretty good covering of ice on the Houhai lakes now, and skating has begun in earnest.

However, the canal near my apartment, alongside the BeiErHuan (2nd Ringroad North), which was formerly the moat outside the old city wall, is still completely unfrozen. I mean, completely. There is not a trace of ice anywhere on it.

A month or so ago, when the weather was not anywhere near as cold as it is now, this moat was intermittently freezing over. But now, nothing. What are they putting in that water?

Perhaps we're happier not knowing....

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

weird. i think every other canal around the city is frozen over.

it's like they poured a lake's worth of antifreeze into your moat or somtin.