News update

I'm glad I'm not there... Problem is, this type of thing (toxic dump polluting a river that's the main water supply for the city) - or the equivalent - could happen so easily near Beijing too...yikes. This article talks about Beijing's water coming from reservoirs outside the city, which may be replenished by rain (even artificially created rain!) or groundwater. Groundwater could easily be polluted, no?

In other news, two deaths are now reported as having been caused by bird flu, yet when you think about it, there are more than a billion people living in this country. What's two deaths, really?

There's also an article on the sexual liberation of China - a whopping 36% of 391 young Nanjingers think it's OK to have premarital sex. Woo-hoo!

"Instead of considering premarital sex immoral, as society has considered conventionally, youngsters are now pursuing personal enjoyment," said Li during a recent lecture in Guangzhou.

Thumbs up to personal enjoyment. :-) However it's kind of sad if you get your sex-ed mainly from pornography...

However, it looks like there are still restrictions in some places - at least on campus itself. It's true that a few of my students seem to be living with their partners.

The last line in this article shocked me - there's a 50% divorce rate in Beijing??? I heard it from my students but I didn't believe it...

OK, enough news. It's time to go to bed. Tomorrow I get to sleep in!

The swimming pool was brilliant. Loved it.