Spring has come and gone in a blink of an eye and summer has arrived with temperatures soaring into the low 30s (Celcius obviously, not Farenheit).

Air-conditioning isn't a dire necessity just yet - open windows keep the apartment sufficiently cool. But as much as I love the summer breeze wafting through my room, this being Beijing, the breeze also carries in huge amounts of dust. Every surface, tables, floors, stacks of books, is coated with a barely visible layer of fine fine sand.

Even my touchpad and keyboard feel gritty under my fingers.