The Grass Is Greener

[not so old china hand]

One of the pleasant things about Beijing is how green it is in summer. The roads are lined with mature trees, roses are planted everywhere, and the grass on the road verges is groomed and watered every day. All this is maintained by a vast army of gardeners with a fleet of water tankers.

However the winters are cold and arid. The leaves fall, the roses are cut back, and the grass withers away and lays brown and sere.

When Beijing was bidding for the Olympic Games in 2001 great efforts were made to spruce-up the city in advance of visits by the IOC. Apartment blocks were painted for the first time, new awnings appeared over every window, and litter was strictly policed.

One day in early spring I was walking along Chang An* near Wangfujing** when I saw a water tanker and crew inching along the side of the road. I thought to myself "It's a bit early to be watering the grass." Then I did a double take, the grass behind the crew had turned a bright emerald colour. In a scene out of Alice in Wonderland they were painting the grass green.

Sometime later I was recounting what I had seen to a group of people at the pub. One said he had seen that same thing happening at his factory near the airport. He asked the groundsmen why they were painting the grass green, The foreman replied:

"OK, What colour would you like us to paint it?"

*Beijing's "Main Street" running east to west through the city.
**Beijing's answer to Oxford Street and Fifth Avenue.
 

[sonjack2847]

That reminds me of a gardening company who were not the brightest bunch.

When they were laying a lawn with turf the foreman kept saying  "green side up"

[Methersgate]

I remember the Beijing snow. Because the city is in a semi desert, it does not snow much, but it does snow enough to be inconvenient for a few days.

 

The snow hangs around, because the temperature remains below freezing point, and turns first grey, then black. The black stuff then disappears, leaving little piles of soot. The snow has not melted; the air is so dry that it sublimates. 

[jpbago]

sublimates. 

 

Sublimation is the transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas phase without passing through an intermediate liquid phase.

[MikeB]

Apparently word is getting around.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/us/seeing-discolored-lawns-california-businesses-apply-dab-of-green.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LargeMediaHeadlineSum&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news