It was just another ordinary-unordinary day in Beijing. Each day here brings something fresh – a fresh adventure, a fresh learning experience, a fresh sight. If only, it brought fresh air. I walked down the hazy grey streets with my mask on, thinking about what this poisonous air was doing to my health. Is it taking years off my life? Is it doing the same amount of damage to my lungs as smoking? Is it making me crazy?
I stopped in my tracks and rubbed my eyes twice. Maybe this air is making me see things. In front of me stood an elderly woman dressed in a Rastafarian hat with a blue Mao coat that drooped past her knees. Frumpy and overweight, she seemed to be anything but extraordinary. In one hand was a shopping bag, in the other a leash. I imagined her leaving the apartment saying to herself, “Okay, I need to do two things today. I’ve got to buy panty hose and… Oh, what was the other thing? Oh right, I need to walk the bird.”
Attached to the end of the long slender leash was indeed a bird. A beautiful bird with black, blue and white patches down its body. The bird must be used to regular walks, as it just stood there unfazed. I shook my head in disbelief. I snapped some pictures and watched wide-eyed as the bird and owner headed home. One hopping, the other plodding patiently along.