-14°C in Beijing

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Besides the huge time zone difference, which makes you numb for a while, I arrived in Beijing in one of the coldest days of that year. Temperatures around -14°C and very windy. When I left the hotel without a jacket or a hat, I felt a heavy weight, as if someone had laid their hand over my head, but actually it was the cold wind starting to freeze me up.

I rushed back to the hotel to grab more clothes. It was a sunny day, but rivers and lakes were just a block of ice. February is not a good month. The cold weather suits the city, but not necessarily in the coldest month of the year. The blizzards and the temperature made it impossible to visit The Great Wall of China.

This turned out to be the longest day of my life. I started by walking to CCTV Tower, passing by Yuyuantan Park with a gorgeous frozen lake, street market with exotic fruit and vegetables. On the way back, I went to THE FORBIDDEN CITY and tasted the amazing Chinese cuisine.

View from CCTV: pollution, traffic and frozen rivers

The highlight of my day was a Carnival I was invited to by a friend, who works at the German Embassy. I dressed as a Russian man, it was very funny.

People talk about cruelty in China, but I did not see any sadness. On the contrary, everyone seemed fulfilled and at ease, despite the cold weather and low salaries. I believe it is the influence of the Buddhist mentality.