Learn English with Teacher Joe

The Jing (I mean the North Jing, or Capital City, or Beijing) has entered Spring! We have warm days, cool nights, with a dust storm thrown in from time to time to keep things interesting. I spent my last day off in “Houhai”, where there are several man-made ponds that once-upon-a-time were the Emperors’ playground. It was nice to just sit in the sun, enjoy the sounds of small paddle boats drifting along the pond, and forget that I am in the middle of a huge city.

The scene is so different from spring in my hometown. On any day in April we might have a little sunshine, lots of wind and rain, or even snow. It snowed in Rochester last week, I heard. Rochester is sometimes called the Flower City and there is a big ”Lilac Festival” every spring - in May! Here in Beijing, the lilacs are already out, as well as magnolias, cherry blossoms and plum blossoms. It’s nice to have an early spring…