Spring is in the air, but first we have the big chill

In my four-plus years of living in Beijing, I've adjusted to many new things, ranging from using public transportation to get around - I lived in California before coming here and, like most other people, drove everywhere - to acquiring a taste for exotic delicacies like Yunnan fried bee larvae.

One thing I've never nor probably ever will get used to is the March 15 cutoff for having heat in our apartments. I long ago concluded that this timing is really quite arbitrary. Yes, it more or less coincides with the official end of winter, but winter here has the unfortunate habit of clinging on.

It seems every year, without fail, the city is hit by a cold spell immediately after the heat is turned off. Last year was the worst, as the weather was chilly and damp all through April and didn't warm up until the May Day holiday.