China, for being renowned as experts in science, you are remarkably obtuse to it.

Don't even get me started on traditional Chinese medicine. Aside from some herbal remedies any that modern medicine could do better on, it's bullshit beyond the placebo effect. But then you have these crazy ass ideas like "warm water can't contain any pathogens".

The hell it can't!

I'm getting really tired of warm water being served at restaurants. It's my understanding that it comes from that back in the day, the Chinese purified their drinking water by boiling it to make it into tea, so they prefer hot. In fact, they believe cold drinks are not good for digestion. I think my body doesn't care one way or the other as long as it's clean. If you're really going for healthiest possible, it'd be best to boil, then to nearly freeze. I know my tongue would prefer some ice.

Also it's impossible to get any decent windows, much less insulation. It's more of a problem now than it will be in a month, but the Chinese do not insulate their windows or homes. In fact, they prefer them a touch drafty. Another BS belief of how non-moving air breeds disease. Thanks for ignoring germ theory and the last 130 years of science, China. Now, can you get some decent doors and windows? It has to be costing your country millions of dollars in lost energy. And cab drivers, roll up your window for fraks sake. If you have to pick between "non-moving air" and "freezing my ass off" as to the thing more likely to get you sick, I'd choose the latter.


Today is the last day of Spring Festival, which starts on Chinese New Year and ends on the Lantern Festival. I'd never heard of the Lantern Festival, but it's pretty cool. You tie wishes to these lanterns, light a fire, and they go off to who knows where hot air balloon style. Although really when you boil down to it it's kind of an excuse to mass litter red paper things across the country.

One thing I can say about it though is that it's awfully pretty. These are just two of the several lantern displays that are around the city. Unfortunately because it was raining last night, no such festivities took place, or at least I didn't see any. Paper and fire usually don't mix with that sort of thing.

And of course because it's China, there are tons of fireworks constantly going off. And because it's China, some poor SOB has to clean it up.

Sorry about that.