I always tell people California is the best place to live. The people, the vibe, the restaurants, the music… And compared to all the places I have been in the last four years, the weather in Oakland is pretty good.
But there are no seasons to speak of in the Yay. It rains, then it’s warm.
I have yet to see a house in Yunnan that has A/C. That means in summer, it is in the 90s, and in the winter, it gets to the low 40s. No problem right?
Well, when the houses are made out of cement with no insolation, that means that the inside temperatures are very close to the outside temperatures. Which means that you really feel the seasons, especially winter. (Waking up and being able to see your “breath fog” in the morning — while in bed — is quiet an experience.)
So now it’s March 11, and I am sitting on my third floor balcony, overlooking the tourists in this upperclass “Yizu” community of Yi Ren Gu Zhen in Chuxiong, Yunnan, China. There is a couple doing their pre-game marriage stroll with their entourage behing them, walking along the manufactured river that runs just behind our house. There are store owners washing vegetables for dinner, and an endless amount of locals who are here just to see what all the fuss is about.
It means that it’s 75° out, not a cloud in the sky, and it’s all good. Winter wasn’t long, but it felt long with all those cold nights, trying to record in the studio, with brittle fingers and a space heater churning away at 2000 watts.
Spring is here, and I am looking forward to this new year, and to finally going home soon. I haven’t seen Oakland, or the US, since 2004, and I’m ready to get back.