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Frozen Water Watch


by Trey Keymoor

With Christmas well and truly upon us once again, outside temperatures plummeting like a drunk on a late-night crane climbing dare, and with the air colder than snow and hail combined, it seemed high time for gou-rou.com's Frozen Water Watch to get under way once more. As in previous years, the gou-rou.com squad will bring you all the vital updates and news about frozen water, helping you, the reader, to prepare for all likelihoods, however unlikely they may seem. This month, science man Trey Keymoor reports.


With the arrival of freezing weather just weeks ago, Beijing residents, shopkeepers and restaurateurs have already started the age old custom of pouring water on the pavements outside their doors and windows in order to create ice. "You see," says Chen Junguo, pointing excitedly at the pavement, "I poured some water out here last night from a mug, and now it has become hard and slippery, whilst simultaneously expanding in volume and becoming slightly tinged with whitish streaks!" Frozen water like this can be especially dangerous to foreigners, who are unused to the slippery conditions underfoot, and are much more likely to fall over than Chinese people (Chinese people have a much better sense of balance due to their use of chopsticks, according to new scientific studies published on the China Daily's website).

Frozen water hotspots as of 6am on Monday: Residents in these areas have been especially keen on watering the pavement:

North Chaoyang district
Dongcheng district
Xicheng district
Eastern Haidian

So that is it for another month, but remember readers, not all frozen water is bad. As part of gou-rou.com's ongoing commitment to fairness, equality and presenting both sides of the story, below are listed some of frozen water's positive uses:

As ice to cool drinks
To preserve tissue to be used in transplants
Floating platforms to help polar bears across cold water
Skiing