Back in August, I wrote a blog entry about the attack that occurred in the second level of the Beijing drum tower. I received a comment on that story that I deeply hope is true, but ... partly because it was anonymous (see update), and mostly because there have been no further news reports that I've been able to find, I have no way of being sure. Here is a copy of that comment:...
I feel that I should begin by expressing how safe I felt while I was in Beijing. I felt safer in every part of Beijing than I do in downtown Minneapolis. The news outlets don't really say that enough while sharing this bit of news. Actual physical attacks on foreigners are very unusual in Beijing. Like any large city, crimes of opportunity are common, but confrontational attacks against foreigners are incredibly rare....
Last October, during the beginning of my time in Beijing, I wrote this blog post that mentioned air quality with two comparative photos. Since then, I've been following the blog of James Fallows who also has been posting photos for comparison. In the last several days -- China has done several things to try to improve the air quality for the Olympics. Temporarily shutting down most factories East of Beijing Even-Odd car restrictions...