Chunky Air Delays Flight

After an hour of flying through a "white-out" of smog I arrived in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province. There's so much smog and dirt in the air in East China that one can barely see the ground from several thousand feet. There's no way the pilots could see an approaching mountain or aircraft unless they are using instruments. The plane was three hours late taking off because of inclement weather over Anhui. I think they just meant that the air was especially chunky today.

My gracious hosts provided a four-hour-long dinner upon arrival and treated me to innumerable bottoms-up toasts of wine, beer and baijiu jet fuel. By the fourth hour half the 20-odd guests were slumped in overstuffed chairs in a corner and the other half were still at the table trying desperately to make profound statements while smoking "Long Life" cigarettes like chimneys. And I was the only person at the table that was not a doctor or health official. Back at the hotel I'm breathing through a wet cloth to clear out my lungs.