September

September is a unique time in Beijing.  For one, it is a break.  It is a break from the humid and smoggy weather that hangs over Beijing summers, and stands right before the city delves into its long, dry winter.  It is when residents close their eyes on a warm cloudless day, sighing, wishing that every day could be like this one.  In the expatriate community, there is a massive shuffle of people.  Students leave their summers abroad and internships and return to their campuses an ocean away.  Scholarships and fellowships run dry as summer days fade and autumn beckons.  The season also eats away at the sojourning community of long-term expatriates as well, with some moving on to different cities, different careers or to further their studies.  With this change comes new groups, new individuals coming into the imperial capital for the first time for new opportunities.  

However, as much as it is a time of change, it is also a time of constancy.  Weathered residents have grown accustomed to the summer cycle of going away parties and welcomes.  For locals, it is a time long anticipated.  The summer misery of packing into sweaty and crowded subways will ease in the coming months, and couples will take advantage of their last opportunities for quiet walks into the night.  It also brings the National Holiday in the beginning of October, which, along with the sentiments of national pride, also come with its own unpleasantries.  Time off is mandated by the government, but so is the need to compensate for it by working weekends later on.  Traffic control is tightened, and major roads cannot be crossed at certain times.  It is also a time when the government is more conscious about dissent, reminding us here that behind the facade of change and reform, some things move much slower than others in China.