Weather Report

Cool and clear, mid-50s F, windy. Pollution levels are near zero, especially after the heavy rains last week. Altogether it feels very much like a mid-autumn day in the high lattitudes, except that after the intense heat of summer and early autumn (and given that most buildings are a] concrete and b] have no heating whatsoever) it feels much colder. Somehow this is not helping my allergies, go figure.

I handed the school my resignation this week. This actually triggers a two months “escape hatch” in my contract, so my last day at XIS will be before the break for Lunar New Year (early Feb.) After that I’ll be leading the web work for a locally-based international clothier.

Sorry there aren’t any profundities or funny stories here. It’s just very very nice to have some freaking sunshine for a change. I put some pics of the nice weather and a recent shopping trip on flickr, so take a look there for Life in China thrills.

Ooh wait here’s something fun to think about: the cold, dry weather has given me a wicked case of chapped lips. I seldom get chapped lips and never ever use lip balm. I used to use it all the time when I was working outdoors (doing archaeology) and somehow my lips never healed. So I quit cold turkey and miraculously, after about three painful days, my lips were better forever. I will thus testify:

Lip balm is counterproductive and addictive. It makes the chapping worse but temporarily relieves the pain, prompting you to use yet more lip balm. Which makes the chapping worse. And so forth and so on.

I am not alone in this opinion.

For the past 10 years or so, if I get chapped lips, my only remedy is to not lick my lips. Somehow, in about two or three days, my lips heal themselves.