Today is the beginning of winter, but it's still not winter yet. There's still over a month until the winter solstice.
Even though it's not winter yet, a heavy snowfall couldn't wait to arrive.
Last weekend, while having dinner with friends, we talked about going to Fragrant Hills to see the maple leaves. He said that the maple leaves at Fragrant Hills haven't turned red yet, but they would be almost there in another week. However, what we got instead was an early snowfall, which scattered the entire autumn. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see the red-covered Fragrant Hills or the rows of golden apricot trees. All that's left are lonely tree trunks and a few stubborn leaves clinging to the branches.
Chatting with friends from the south, I learned that they're still using air conditioning, while I joked that I've already put on my winter coat. It's really like "you're wearing short sleeves in the sunny south, while I'm wrapped in a blanket in the snowy north."
The most suitable leisure activities in this kind of weather are reading, watching movies, and eating hot pot. With snow falling outside and cold wind blowing, going out is impossible, so hot pot is out of the question. I can only read books and watch movies to sustain my life.
Recently, I started reading "Records of the Grand Historian," the original work without annotations, which is quite challenging but also has a unique flavor. I also finished reading a book about the Chinese government and economic development called "Immersed in It" 《置身事内》, which is of high quality. On Twitter, I saw someone recommending a feel-good movie called "In Bad Days" 《在糟糕的日子里》, saying it's interesting to watch with a spouse. However, at that time, I was having a conflict with Shero and we were giving each other the silent treatment, so I ended up watching it alone. It's also an interesting movie.
Without hot pot, eating dumplings is also good. Dumplings are a perfect match for snowy days. After a lazy day, I went out for a walk in the evening to buy dumplings. Stepping on the accumulated snow by the roadside and looking at the desolate tree trunks, I once again lamented: I missed the autumn in Beijing.
Although I missed autumn, winter is also worth looking forward to. The following images are from the Beijing Park Management Center (see watermark).