Brrrrrrrrrr

Ooooops

Sorry to those of you who follow our exploits -- we've not blogged for over a month.

In our defence, we've been a tad busy ... not only with Xmas but also travelling .... I've been to 7 or so different countries in 3 weeks (round the world in 6 days in fact), and Joss is currently in the UK.

Last week I was freezing my cheeks off (the only bits uncovered in the 10 min walk to the office from my hotel - more on the hotel when I have time).... in Beijing ... minus 17 degrees celcius it was last Thursday. Woooooah .... I've not been that cold in years.

And it's blooming freezing back here in HK too ... a miserly 10 degrees today (coldest I've experienced HK so far) ... I don't really feel the cold and even I had x3 layers on. The natives, naturally, are taking the opportunity to dress as if they were about to traverse the North Pole! And the poor Filipino helpers are really getting the worst of it. Sofia, our helper for example, looks like the Michelin man she's wearing so many clothes -- had to go out to buy her a fan heater the other day (this was after explaining how a hot water bottle worked -- don't think she'd ever seen one before ... honestly).

The HK Govt have announced a cold weather warning -- telling people to stay indoors unless necessary! (Yes, 10 degrees I said).

But this is nothing on what's happening in mainland China.

Driving sleet, freezing temperatures and a blanket of snow across southern China have paralysed trains and aircraft, stranding tens of millions of people trying to get home for the biggest holiday in the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year sees the biggest human migration on earth, with an estimated 2.47 billion journeys over the holiday season this year — almost double the entire population of 1.3 billion.

The worst weather in 50 years has just pummelled swaths of central, southern and eastern China as migrant workers and students, business travellers and officials assigned to provincial postings battled for tickets to join their families for the lunar new year holiday.

The China Meteorological Administration issued a red alert warning of more snowstorms and blizzards in central and eastern China, particularly around Shanghai.

Officials struggled to control an estimated 200,000 (soon to swell to 600,000) travellers at Guangzhou railway station after snowstorms snapped power lines to passenger trains from neighbouring Hunan province. Temporary shelter was being arranged for the stranded and soldiers were deployed to stand guard around the station and police barked orders through bullhorns to try to maintain order.

In a sign of official anxiety that the travel chaos could trigger social unrest, Premier Wen Jiabao ordered local officials to mobilise all possible resource to ensure people get home. He said: “More heavy snow is expected. All government departments must prepare for this increasingly grim situation and urgently take action.”

Hmmm think I'll stay home for a while.

M