Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Missing manhole covers A man who sued the Beijing government because he had fallen into a open manhole in the city, was rewarded 30,000 RMB by the court. In Beijing as in many other Chinese cities, it is quite common to find uncovered manholes. Often this is because migrant laborers steal the covers and sell them on for about 30 RMB. According to official statistics each month about 2000 manhole covers are stolen in Beijing. 6:27:05 PM    comment []

Your call is very important to us... 9 out of 10 callers calling a suicide prevention hotline in Beijing get a busy tone, reports Reuters today. 6:21:38 PM    comment []

Massage? The China Daily had an interesting article about a new regulation for beauty salons in Guangzhou. I wonder who makes up these regulations, and especially who will enforce these rules: The administration of south China's Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, has issued a regulation forbidding the masseuse in beauty salons from massaging customers below the shoulder so as to curb possible prostitution. As the city's first service guidance on hair dressing, the regulations affect all masseuse in all beauty salons, except for cosmetic surgeons. It will be enforced beginning January 1 next year. The regulations have been put on trial in the Yuexiu district from Wednesday. Back massages in Thailand-style beauty salons will still be allowed, but consumers can lodge a complaint if they feel uneasy. Beauty salons are often noted as places of prostitution in China. (with thanks to Danwei) 4:56:23 PM    comment []