Rayna

Dear Smog,

It seems that no matter how many times I visit Beijing, you always catch me by surprise despite your perpetual presence in this city. I am always shocked by the sight of you, by how confidently you seem to flaunt your existence in a world that does not welcome you. Your grey, murky figure is a constant blanket hanging in the sky, obscuring its natural blue color so incessantly that I sometimes wonder if you have swallowed it whole.

You shroud even the majestic Great Wall, a world wonder that for years was rumored to be visible even from outer space. As I stood at the top of a set of uneven steps, panting from the climb and marveling at the view before me, my breath was, quite literally, taken away. I wish I could say it was just the wall but you were partially to blame.

Until next time,

Rayna