You wouldn't believe it...

You wouldn't believe it...until you saw it with your own eyes.

Yesterday was another one of those crazy Beijing pollution days. I spend a lot of time (or at least some time!) on this blog telling you so much about all that there is to like about China and Beijing. But the pollution remains the one thing that makes you question your own sanity for living here. 

Here's what my Air Quality app said yesterday:

On an index of 0-500, we were once again "Beyond Index." I had originally been planning to go for a run, but decided to scratch that plan when I stepped outside in a cloud of smoke. At an index of 500, the world looks drab, it smells, my eyes itch, and I don't know if I cough from a cold or the pollution.

Visibility is much reduced.

This is on the way home from work (sadly I am contributing to the pollution).

Of course, it would be better to show you pictures of the same spot with and without pollution, but it seems that as soon as Beijingers see a blue sky, we immediately forget all the pollution days that came before it. Worse, we say crazy things like: "Oh, today is not so bad. The pollution index is only 173." (I am serious, we say this kind of thing! )

On the positive side: Never in my life will I take clean air for granted again. I wish you all a clean blue-sky kind of day!

In het Nederlands: We wonen graag en goed in Beijing, maar die vervuiling...die is toch wel het lastigste om mee om te gaan. Hier zijn wat foto's van gisteren toen de vervuilingsindex letterlijk van de kaart was.