Beijing rush hour in the snow

Writing this in the back of a Beijing taxi trying to get to the office. Is taking ages.

There are a few inches of snow on the ground which is slowing everything up of course. And it's minus 7 or 8 celcius (not including wind chill).

Usually a City in the snow pretty-fies it. This is not the case with Beijing however. I think it makes it appear even more industrial and bleak. We have just driven past a manufacturing estate - sky full of pipes and wires and chimmneys and smoke and sparkes and factory roofs. Waves of workers wrapped in several grey layers of clothes against the cold are shuffling through the slush to get to work. Very Orwellian.

M