Soaring and Dipping Temperature

As indicated in the Chinese Farmer's Almanac, August 7th was the day of Autumn Begins - a solar term or jie qi in Chinese - and literally when the day autumn begins. A solar term marks the day as one of the 24 divisions of the solar year in the traditional Chinese calendar or the Lunar Calendar, spoken as nong li in Chinese and literally Agricultural Calendar. Then, according to Lunar Calendar, yesterday was the Limit of Heat. How to explain this term? Well, let me try. Pertaining to Limit of Heat, or spoken as chu shu in Chinese, throughout northern China will experience gradual drop in temperature, of course, with the rest of China to follow the same sooner or later. Compared to the Southern regions, the average temperature throughout the Northern region will from this day of Limit of Heat onwards effectuate comfort and less humid to all. However, as the CCTV9 weather newscaster explained that the daytime temperature might still be hot but the nighttime temperature would gradually turn milder. I could already sense that.

In these few workdays while taking a short walk home for the hourly lunch break, I took exceptional notice on how the shadow of the residential building block was being cast longer and longer onto the street. Yesterday, when on the way home at around 18:30p.m, it was a heavy overcast sky. I could sense the dark night approaching earlier everyday. The earliest daylight still creeps through the window at 05:00a.m. at this time of the year. The longer summer daylight hours is gradually turning into the longer autumn dark night hours. All this phenomena helps me in understanding architecture and urban planning. The Globe is revolving and the solar azimuth is more angular now. The season is changing everyday and at every moment.

However, I have heightened my perceptual sense more than before and at any other time. On the way home last evening, on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006, just for record here, I was very curious about how a number of the neighbor residents setting prayers on the green areas right by their residential building block. Fruits or cakes on plates, burning red candles and bunches of joss sticks as well as paper money offered on ground – a few items that I took glimpses of while I was breezing by – were displayed. And I have no idea of this particular observed ritual. I am not sure if this is also observed amongst the Chinese-Malaysians whom many of them still faithfully follow, if not, ceremonially stick to their fore parents' folksy practice or convention. Or, this is no different from lighting candles and celebrating birthdays. This might as well be an inherited tradition informing all the sign of the ever changing season or philosophically speaking, living in harmony with nature.

The summer here in Shanghai can be a killer. Soaring summer temperature easily gets into one's skin. The heat dissipates through the window glazing as well as through the walls, into the toilet, underneath the bed sheet, inside the closet or inside the shoes, and in between the pages of books. Whenever reaching homes, the surge of heat contained within the kitchen area can be so strong or intense that one would feel cooler outside and before entering the kitchen area. However, there is actually a known fact about the Four Great Ovens of China, a famed title claimed by the cities of Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanchang and Nanjing. One can imagine how to relief oneself in these cities during summer. All this reminds me so much about Deep South of USA, where summer heat persists day and night and the heat sticks onto one's ear lobe or into the nostrils.

Inside the office, it is also no exception but not the same as I have just described. Whenever at work, however, I have to turn on the small fan sitting next to my seat and under the workstation. During summer, some offices throughout China, or rather, Shanghai observes or practises energy saving. In the case where I work, building temperature is centrally controlled and light is turned off at selected areas inside the office soon after 1800p.m. Unless required, the office has to apply from the Building Management to get lighting back on, of course, you have to pay for it.

Although leaves are still greener than ever but brown leaves are already seen on the ground. The beginning of autumn could now be detected; it is silently creeping from behind and around the corner. It will not be too long when one has to bundle up as temperature further dips. Last but not least, as in the song, “...though we've gotta say goodbye to the summer...but darling I promised you that I'd send you all my love...everyday in a letter, sealed with a kiss...” Touching, very touching, how very touching song! And how I also love autumn.


Jeremy
Greetings from Shanghai
August 24th 2006