it's been three years since last time i went home. today it all seems a bit like a deja vu, the only difference is the sky i see - i mean, fucking hell, can it be any worse?

 

ok from the top.

 

lufthansa is a recommended airline. i'd happily choose it again if can be better seated next time (dunno was it because i sat too close to the window or the air con has gone mad, half way through i felt my face's getting numb and had a strong urge to throw up on the innocent-looking person sat next to me. it was so cold that i was wrapping my head using the sheet provided by the airline, which was generously wafer-thin. flight duration was 9 hours, not bad. catering-wise, it's more standard stuff but because it is easter, i was given two cute little chocolate bunnies. dunno why, when eating animal-shaped foods, i'd always start from their heads (evilly grin). oh and the flight attendants, they are so professionally trained, no, wait, "thoroghly trained" is the right phrase - i bet they had smile training sessions during which these girls had to perfect their smiles in front of a mirror.

 

the shock came when the plane was about to land where people all over the world will soon have their eyes fixed on. three years ago the sky over beijing wasn't perfectly clear, but at least it didn't look like now - dull, grey, depressive, bleach, SAD. just thinking about those tourists and athelets flew all the way to beijing, where the pollution is abeyond the city's historical high, makes me feel so very very bad.

 

 

now take a look outside. and no it's not just this particular area that looks like this, it was like so all the way from the airport.

 

 

gebrselassie runs marathons - he challenges human endeavour at its max. but even an iron man like him has to give in when facing such fearsome toxic air condition. an olympic champ rather gives away his potential medals and waits for another four years, that ought to be something to think about.