Feeling victimized

I had been thinking of writing a quick post about what a great summer we've been having.

Really, I think this is the best one we've had since 2003. And my memories of that may have taken on an unduly rosy tint because: a) it was so long ago now; b) SARS hit Beijing, so all schools and colleges got closed down, and I enjoyed a couple of months' paid holiday (shame about all the fear and suffering caused by the disease, of course; but, thankfully, the number of cases in the end was pretty small; the weather was absolutely gorgeous in May and June that year, and for several weeks the city seemed almost deserted, as panicky Beijingers stayed home until the crisis had started to blow over; paradoxical as it may seem, and slightly guilty though we always feel to say it, the SARS summer was an absolutely marvellous time for foreigners in Beijing!); and c) I went back to England on the very day that the weather finally started turning nastily humid.

The following year was quite nice too, as I recall, but a shadow was cast over the memories of that summer by a traumatic event in the middle of it, and also by the fact that I forewent a holiday that year, staying in Beijing and working all the hours I could to try to put my finances on a more secure footing. 2005 was freakishly hot: it was regularly in the high 80s Fahrenheit from fairly early in April, and by the end of May or so was almost continually in the high 90s - just too darned hot, even when the humidity wasn't too bad. In '06 and '07, as far as I recall, the soupy humidity arrived early, spoiling much of May and June (as well as pretty much the whole of July and August, as it always does). And last year, we scarcely had a summer at all, thanks to frantic weather management in the run-up to the Olympics: week after week of abysmal air quality, dull grey overcast skies, and artificially engineered showers.

But this year has been just gorgeous. The ongoing drought in north China has perhaps been saving us from the humidity curse; and the economic slowdown has bequeathed us some of the best air quality and clearest skies I've ever experienced here. Summer was a little slow to arrive, but for the past 6 weeks or so, we have enjoyed an almost uninterrupted spell of dazzling blue skies and bright sunshine, with temperatures in the mid- to high 80s F being rendered very comfortable by dry air and refreshing breezes.

Unfortunately, I've been working like a dog for the past two months, and have had very little opportunity to enjoy this superb weather.

Last Monday was the first day I'd had completely free in about three weeks. And it pissed with rain all day.

This week I have contrived to keep most of the week free of work commitments. And we've had four of the most miserable days I can remember - a patch of most unseasonable chilly damp air having the great misfortune to coincide with a spate of early-harvest stubble burning in the surrounding countryside. The official descriptor for our weather this week has been SMOKE. I might have favoured SHITE.

And I am beginning to feel persecuted by the weather gods. Tomorrow I have to work again. What's the betting the blue skies are back?

Why seems it so particular with thee?