Transportation & Bipolar Weather

When China sets its heart out to do something, it gets done.  Take today for example.  In preparation for the 2014 Youth Olympics, the city of Nanjing has begun its campaign for what could only be called "civilized" behavior.  The Chinese call it "文明," which literally could mean culturally aware or some sort of civilized behavior insight of sorts.  You know China has set a goal though when there is a sudden onset of mass behavioral changes.

On a typical morning, I am either chasing after buses, slipping and sliding on the steps of or inside the bus, or being thrown around by the sheer momentum of the breaks being slammed on.  Today though, apparently there was a new initiative, and the buses for the first time since I've been in China arrived in an orderly fashion.  Instead of buses that sped past one another or cut each other off in traffic lanes (old habits die hard), they actually pulled up to a full stop at each bus stop/station and waited for all passengers to get on.  It was particularly shocking/stunning to see it for the first time.  Instead of zooming past the stop, causing bus riders to chase after them down the street, it was nice that they all just came to a slow roll into the station.  I was amazed at the sudden onset of this change, and this goes to show exactly that when China sets it mind on something, it happens.  Granted, bus drivers' old habits of switching in and out of lanes to beat one another to the stop was still a frequent practice, but at the very least, they would pull up to the stop completely, which was nice than being dropped off half a block away when the line to the stop was too long.

China is interesting to say the least.

On another note, China really ought to stop messing with the weather, and shooting up those rockets to cloud seed.  It's a bad idea, and our current weather predicament is a perfect testament to that.  Nanjing traditionally by this time of year has warmed up into a nice 60-70 range.  Though short-lived, it is a nice reprieve right before the summer heat and humidity.  However, for the past month, the weather has honestly been bipolar.  One day it'll be in the high 60s, and literally the next day, it'll drop down to the 30s.  I have never seen weather have a 20 degree difference in one day alone, normally it's maybe a 10 degree difference between the low and high, but this is Nanjing at the moment.

Today for instance, in what should be a lovely April, we saw a bit of hail.  The weather dropped from 50 to 20 something.  It's ridiculous.  I never know how to dress appropriately.  I'll either wear too much or too little.  Layers is my go-to at the moment, but when it changes so frequently, I have to constantly check the weather forecast.  Oddly enough, the weather forecast in China is extremely accurate, and it makes me wonder if this is controlled by the Chinese department on meteorological/weather control.  Honestly, enough, China!  It's about time that the weather go back to normal.  I'm convinced this cloud seeding ought to stop, because weather is best left in mother nature's hands.  We're likely to mess it up, as evidence it now proving.