Foreigner： I love Beijing autumn girls to show their charm in boots and stockings.

　　　　China people have a very flexible scale for the change of seasons. Someone said, "Ah, the Mid-Autumn Festival has come, and autumn has begun." Others said, "Autumn really begins with the first rain after the Mid-Autumn Festival." Someone also told me: "When the wind from Siberia swept the streets and the fruits and leaves on the trees began to fall in the cold wind, autumn really came."

　　　　However, it is already October, and I have not paid special attention to these phenomena. Due to the lack of accurate explanation of meteorology, I have to try to define the beginning of autumn by myself. Since ancient times, it has been men’s instinct to explain seasonal changes through natural signals. The leaves changed color, the rice ripened, the birds began to change their hair and flew to a warm place for the winter. I am still sensitive to nature, and of course I can judge the change of seasons by some kind of signal given by nature.

　　　　Of all the signals I have observed, the most representative is women’s dress. That’s why I define autumn in Beijing as "when girls start to put on boots". It’s really too hot to wear boots in summer in Beijing. If women barely put it on, they can’t stand it for more than 10 minutes, and it not only makes people feel funny, but also makes the salt excreted by the body rise sharply.

　　　　I have been in Singapore for several years. In that country where I can always sweat profusely, even female parliamentarians and company bosses wear shorts, sleeveless T-shirts and breathable sandals to work. Therefore, boots always attract my attention.

　　　　Boots are always paired with stockings and plaid skirts. I often look at these different landscapes with ecstasy, so I am always laughed at by some kind people. One day, I walked out of Dawanglu subway station in Beijing, and it was about 10 minutes’ walk to my apartment. If there is a girl dressed as I just described and walks past me to take the subway, I will not hesitate to follow her. This may be why, sometimes when I get home, I will find my wife sitting gracefully on the bench in boots, stockings and tartan skirt. Perhaps this is why I always look forward to autumn in Beijing.

　　　　Unfortunately, autumn is not far away when it comes to winter. Winter will make people wrap themselves up like "Zongzi". In my opinion, a thick coat over the knee is one of Beijing women’s favorite clothes in winter. They make women’s curves suddenly disappear and make Beijing look like a city with countless huge, crooked and upright caterpillars. Autumn in Beijing is sweet because it is the last season for people to show their charm before the arrival of the four-month cold winter in Beijing.

Editor: Li Erqing