I do have to record today, March 15, as I opened my eyes in the morning and looked around at the color of daybreak turning orange. I couldn’t believe what I saw outside my window. Nothing. Nothing but orange with vague silhouettes of buildings which I know should be there.

Here is a report from The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/15/beijing-skies-turn-orange-as-sandstorm-and-pollution-send-readings-off-the-scale

I know it’s my first time to see this, not just in my almost five years in Beijing, but my entire life. The news says it is the worst sandstorm in 10 years. The first idea came into my mind is the book I ever read, “The Worst Hard Time”, the untold stories of those who survived the Great American Dust Bowl” during the Great Depression period.

Now it is 17:00. Almost after a whole day the AQI still shows over 2000. I have turned on all my air purifiers but still smell the dust and my throat starts to cough out the air I am breathing in.

Meanwhile, my colleagues and friends in Denver are going through the snow storm with 24 inches of snow. The 4th largest storm on record.

Colorado blizzard is now Denver’s 4th largest storm on record

I cannot help crying out, “What a crazy world!” What did we do to our home planet?