November 30, 2009

The Winter of This Content

I neglected to mention Beijing’s climate in my first two China-related posts (where it might have been remotely relevant), but I figured its worthy of at least a brief summary: it’s pretty much the same as New York. Winters see sub-zero temperatures and a fair amount of precipitation while the dog days culminate with the eighth sweltering moon; the months in-between are temperate and altogether pleasant. I should also note that it’s appreciably drier overall, receiving less than half of the total rain and snowfall of New York City, which is apparently due to a phenomenon (slash doomsday device) known as the Siberian Anticyclone. As for Beijing’s notoriously poor air quality, the New York Times has a nice summary of recent progress.

November 1st marked the first snow of the season

Since my previous visits typically occurred during the idyllic post-solstice months between academic years, this marks the first time that I’ve been in China during the fall/winter. I must say that the gradual temperature drop only vaguely suggests the passage of the season: I’ve come to realize that 20+ years in America have conditioned me to associate the arc of holidays from October 31st through January 1st with the impending end of the year (not to mention time off from school or work). Each of these celebrations anticipates its successor as being less-than-a-month-away, imparting that uncanny sense that time is passing too quickly and too slowly at the same time.

The first two have come and gone with little fanfare—Halloween here is just another excuse for debauchery; Thanksgiving is a slightly more exclusive affair, in the form of prix-fixe menus at Western restaurants; both holidays are mostly observed by Beijing’s expat community—and I can hardly believe that it’s already December. Even so, I should note that the Chinese have taken to Christmas festivities, probably in the interest of emulating Western consumer culture and staking a claim to the American Dream of commercialism. Not only were they playing (English) Christmas jingles at the supermarket the other day, but customers were humming along, butchering lyrics, and cashiers had Santa hats on.

I remain perpetually undecided as to whether this is comforting, amusing or alienating, or whether it is an inadvertent parody, misguided homage or latent critique of Westernization and globalization. Insofar as the Chinese sense of humor is not nearly as dry as its climate, I can only conclude that they’re not doing it on purpose… which is precisely the source of the ambiguity.

Or maybe I’m just reading into it too much.