Dear Diary, I have to stop writing to you.

Of course every day has nice moments. They appear spontaneously, and so I will note them down or capture them in other ways as they come. But looking out of the window today, seeing another Kafkaesque scene of the city in constant smog, I decided not to keep a diary for the time being. Like that, the time in Beijing will blur into the grey shades that it was. There will be memories, letters, photos, sketches and other artifacts - but no continuos record. 

Morning view from the window. Sun is coming out decomposing the smog into photochemicals. It is 35.3 Celsius outside the window and an AQI of 235 ("very unhealthy").