Yellow Dust

One of the not-so-awesome things about living in South Korea is a phenomenon called "Yellow Dust". Here is a brief synopsis of what it is according to Wikipedia:

Asian Dust (also yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind, or China dust storms) is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia sporadically during the springtime months. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia and northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East. Sometimes, the airborne particulates are carried much further, in significant concentrations which affect air quality as far east as the United States.

In the last decade or so, it has become a serious problem due to the increase of industrial pollutants contained in the dust and intensified desertification in China causing longer and more frequent occurrences.

Some of the pollutants in the Yellow dust include heavy metals, carcinogens, viruses, bacteria, fungi, asbestos, herbicides, and a very long list of other things.

Sounds great for the health, huh? I don't think Taiwan really had it, but it was still very polluted there. I experienced it for the first time yesterday and today. I have been sick already, so I don't know if I have really been affected, but my cough seems to worsen ever so slightly when I go outside. It doesn't really look yellow though, more like Los Angeles on a really smoggy day. Its nice to know that I'm breathing in Carcinogens from China though. Fun.