Snow

It snowed overnight. Sufficiently cold not to melt before reaching the ground, and thick enough to form a white blanket.
(21.02.2009: Now we know. The snow was artificially seeded to end the worst drought in 38 yrs. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51I10X20090219. )

Went for my physical after sending Kristine to school bus. Conversion of my tourist visa to PR visa requires physical good health. The clinic ia situated in northwest Beijing outside of 5th Ring Road. Took more than 90mins getting there first by subway and then taxi. Ought to be faster than other forms of road transport in a snowy morning when traffic crawled at slow pace. Saw 3 accidents within a 6km journey. The place is not easy to find even for my taxi driver. Easiest to get there is by subway to XiErQi (西二旗）on subway line#13, take Exit A, down the exit stairs to the left. Bus 963 stops just underneath the station. Y2 on Bus 963 takes you to the front gate of the Clinic in a big brown building. Another way is to look for China Weather Bureau Satellite Station (中国气象卫星站), take next right and next left to the Clinic.

Costs: Y645 for blood test, ECG, chest Xray, blood pressure, eyesight, plus Y30 to courier results to me. Upon arrival, fill in a form available at counter. Register the form with passport at Counter 1 or 2. Pay Y645, and the take forms and barcoded stickers to 6 different room, all adjacent to each other for the tests. The blood test, ECG, and chest Xray are somewhat serious stuff but the eyesight, mouth inpsection, body inspection, and blood pressure check were ornamental. The lady doctor/nurse who inspected my mouth was reading newspapers on the job. Sit down, open your mouth, say 'AH!' and back to newspaper! I think I failed my eye test. I correctly identified a fine print but not the one adjacent to it on the same row. I told the lady I couldnt see it clearly with my right eye. She asked me 'Why?'.

No food before the tests, so be prepared with food and drink in your backpack.