Multi-tasking Footwear

Wish you had time to clean your floors but too lazy to pick up a mop?

Now a Shanghainese entrepreneur gives you no more excuses as you waddle around in your apartment.

The business section of China's only English-language newspaper has published a story about floor-cleaning slippers.

Li Mi, who thought of this idea, sells this domestic footwear at 5RMB a pair, which have soles made from the same material used for mops.

But don't think these slippers should only be used at home -- they're also being used in some Shanghai offices so that employees can keep the floor clean just by shuffling around.

And you thought you had enough stuff to do at work...

Chilling Tennis Action

Summer seems to have left abruptly, leaving many of us wondering what we did to offend her.

In the last week, the temperatures in Beijing have dropped so much, that I am already wearing sweaters and jeans.

Over a week ago there was a giant rainstorm that has pretty much plunged the capital into chilly autumn weather, if you're into that.

So I had to dress extra warmly for the Beijing Open that is on this week. Last night my colleague and I got tickets to the semi-finals.

We got the cheapie tickets at 200RMB ($29.21) each and at first thought the event would be held in the new tennis courts for the Beijing Olympics.

We were wrong when I looked more closely at the ticket and realized it was all the way in Fengtai, southwest of the city.

So we snuck out of work a bit earlier and took the subway Line 5 all the way down to the second last stop Yizhuang and got out of exit D.

Subway station staff told us to take that exit, go west and then turn left at the first set of lights.

The directions were clear enough and after about 10 minutes of walking, we saw the bright lights of the Beijing Tennis Center.

There were many scalpers outside asking if we wanted tickets, but organizers were still selling them at the door.

After our tickets were scanned, we went through a haphazard security check that was half-hearted. The woman only half wanded me.

As we had about an hour to go before the match started, we wandered around the grounds.

At the practice courts from a distance we could see Zheng Jie, China's last hope in the tournament, practicing with her husband. My colleague hoped we would see her in action. I took pictures in case we wouldn't.

Then we spotted KFC and grabbed a bite to eat.

The selection there was few and far between -- we got spicy chicken burgers and chicken wings -- but no fries available!

We quickly ate our dinner and wandered around a bit more. All the sponsors seemed to offer video games on tennis for people to try which was boring. But it was the only way people could win stuff.

Instead we opted to do a good deed and I bought two used tennis balls from the tournament at 10RMB each with the proceeds donated to a youth charity.

It was a good idea, and wondered if I could get the rest of the balls for my tennis group...

We weren't allowed into the stands until just after 7pm which was annoying, as we had to stand outside and wait.

Finally when we were allowed in, we were high up, but it was close enough to see the tennis stars in action.

First up -- Andy Roddick against German Bjorn Phau.

As crowds were still filing in when they started the match, Roddick shouted out many times at the stands for people to be quiet. There were many noisy people, mostly at the back, and didn't realize the game had already started.

Roddick easily won the first set 6-2 in less than 20 minutes. I thought the game would be over in an hour.

But Phau refused to be beaten that quickly, and came back in the second set, despite having more enforced errors. At one point they were going back and forth at deuce for about eight times. Phau finally won 7-6 (7-4) in a tie-break.

Losing that set made Roddick throw his racquet down -- the first of three times in the match. The second time he did it, the racquet bounced back up at him, which almost caught him off guard.

But he quickly channeled his frustration and won the third set 6-1, but not without a good fight from Phau.

At times we shouted, "C'mon Andy!" in English and "Andy, jia you!" in Chinese.

When he won just before 9pm he looked relieved and finally looked up at the appreciative crowd.

He also shot some autographed tennis balls into the audience too before he left.

After a short break, China's Zheng Jie was on the court with world no 4. Russian Svetlanda Kuznetsova warming up.

Zheng had beaten Ana Ivanovic to get here, and she had recently beaten the world No. 2 at Wimbledon.

Although smaller in size, Zheng makes it up by trying to keep her legs moving and tries to play different angles on the court.

And right from the beginning, Zheng began grunting, that was quickly followed by Kuznetsova.

Everytime Zheng won a point, the crowd cheered. And when they took breaks, the audience got into a chant, "Zheng Jie, jia you!" which we all enthusiastically joined in.

It looked like a pretty even match, with Zheng firing a few winners, and Kuznetsova having a few errors here and there.

The first set ended in a tie-breaker, with Zheng losing 7-6 (7-3), signalling she didn't want to be put down that easily.

There were times when Zheng broke Kuznetsova's serve and periodically (men) would shout "break her!" which got laughs from the crowd.

But in the second set Kuznetsova slowly wore Zheng down, placing the ball in open areas that she couldn't run to in time.

Zheng tried really hard to hang on, but in the end it wasn't enough, and lost the second set 7-5.

She got a big cheer from the crowd just before she left center court and she waved in appreciation.

I have to mention that throughout both matches, we were all freezing. And when the players took breaks, I got up and jumped around or jogged on the spot to keep my blood circulating, despite wearing several layers of clothes. Others who had been to the tournament earlier in the week were very smart and wore winter down jackets.

The game ended at 11pm and we rushed out to snag a taxi, which we eventually did. It was tiring to stay warm, but the tennis was exciting.

Patriotism from Space

Yesterday morning us foreigners turned the TV onto CNN to watch the US presidential debates live at 9am Beijing time.

But in the afternoon the television was commandeered by our Chinese colleagues to CCTV watch the country's first-ever spacewalk at 4:30pm.

The control center explained the exercise would take 20 minutes... and it pretty much did.

After presenting endless shots of the control center with an army of men in baby blue lab coats sitting at their desks staring at computer monitors, there was finally a shot of the astronaut Zhai Zhigang in his $4.4 million Chinese-made spacesuit and ready to go out.

However, he seemed to have some difficulty unlocking the door and everyone gathered around the TV had anxious looks on their faces.

Would he be able to open the door? Would he let the entire nation of 1.3 billion Chinese down?

But then after a few minutes he was finally able to open the circular hatch and everyone cheered.

Phew!

The hole looked small for him and his suit to get out. Again we all waited with baited breath as he seemed to struggle to get out. Again shouts of encouragement from my colleagues, as if he could hear them.

And then he popped his head out, and then like a choreographed move, he turned to the camera positioned outside the Shenzhou VII spacecraft and waved.

"I am greeting the Chinese people and the people of the world," Zhai said in an echoed voice.

Everyone cheered and clapped.

His next step was to actually get out. But just as he was doing that, the feed cut into colour pixels and then immediately we were shown shots of the control center again.

We all groaned and wondered what was happening.

A few minutes later the feed cut back to Zhai already out and his colleague Liu Boming popping his head out.

Zhai held a Chinese flag and waved it to the 1.3 billion people watching below.

Not only had the Chinese waved the flag on summit of the world's highest peak, but also in space in one year. Both are pretty impressive feats.

He then handed the flag back to Liu and Zhai continued on, hooking and rehooking himself to various bars to move further out of the Shenzhou VII spacecraft.

When he floated past the camera, the feed was cut again, probably knocking something.

But soon after, the images showed him just outside the hatch. He retrieved some rectangular block and gave it to Liu... and then went back inside.

Later my coworker said while she was so excited about China's first spacewalk and was really nervous, she was disappointed Zhai didn't venture further outside the spacecraft or spend a longer time outside.

Nevertheless, it will be a moment implanted in her brain, and in the minds of millions of others who witnessed it for years to come.

Zhai has become a national hero and will be forever remembered in history and text books.

The making of an icon.

Change of Diet

At lunchtime I saw a new notice on the bulletin board near the canteen.

It listed the three dairy producers and every one of their milk products found contaminated with melamine.

They range from baby milk formula to liquid milk.

The buzz here is that Beijing dairy producer San Yuan is safe and its shares have shot through the roof after reports said no melamine was found in its milk. It's hard to say if absolutely no melamine was detected. Some think it's because San Yuan is a supplier to the central government so it ensures there are no contaminants in it.

Hard to say.

When I talked to a group of colleagues this afternoon about the milk scandal, most had stopped drinking milk altogether and changed to soy milk. One coworker even told me her mother sent her a soy making machine that churns the drink out in about 10 minutes. She tried to persuade me that it was easy to do and better to make it yourself.

Others are so used to drinking milk everyday, that all they can do is change brands. One is still drinking a brand that was found to have contaminated milk. She admits that maybe she's not scared enough to change her ways.

On the whole they are all upset about the milk food scandal. They are concerned about the babies and children who died and the ones that are sick with urinary tract infections because their parents wanted to give them the best nutrition.

They know the government should step up to the plate to revamp the entire dairy system, but stop short of actually criticizing it in front of me, perhaps not wanting to look unpatriotic in front of a foreigner.

I tried to ease the accusations by explaining Canada is still dealing with a listeriosis outbreak that has killed 18 people, and there are 48 confirmed cases. The situation is very similar in that there was a time delay in warning the public about the meat contaminated with the bacteria.

They were shocked when I told them Sanlu, the first dairy company responsible for the four deaths, is also the official drink for the astronauts.

They thought that maybe they couldn't drink the milk because it would give them gas. Or that liquid is difficult to drink in space.

But I said, since they're only in space for 68 hours, the chances of them drinking that much milk is pretty slim.

Even though there are no cases of adults diagnosed with kidney stones from drinking melamine-laced milk, one wonders how long it will take before a large crop of people are found to have kidney stones made from the chemical.

This issue isn't going away anytime soon.

Restoring National Pride

Just in time to distract people's attention from the devastating milk food scandal that is spreading almost around the world, China launched Shenzhou VII, a spacecraft carrying three astronauts into space tonight.

With so much media attention covering it, everyone tuned in to watch the historic event, broadcast live around the world.

Almost every detail (save for confidential information) was revealed, including that the three astronauts, called taikonauts in Chinese, were monitored carefully and staff weren't even allowed to shake their hands for fear of spreading germs to them.

In the last few days there were pictures showing control centre staff checking every piece of equipment that seemed to look on the antiquated side.

And there was lots of pride about the "indigenous" space suit, but really most of the research was helped out by the Russians.

But the highlight will be the spacewalk on Saturday afternoon, called an "extra vehicular activity".

The astronaut will basically retrieve a piece of lubrication material on the outside of the spacecraft, only to prove the Chinese can do this, not because a procedure needs to be completed.

Nevertheless, the launch at 9:10pm has given the Chinese a brief but optimistic view of the country's advance into space.

So if they can send an astronaut on a spacewalk, making sure people can drink safe milk should be a piece of cake.

Back to Normal

Since Sunday the alternating odd/even license plate numbers ended, with cars driving on the previously forbidden Olympic lanes.

Yesterday morning I took the bus to work in the morning and overall traffic wasn't too bad, I thought. Perhaps I could continue taking the bus...

After work I went by subway to Chaoyangmen area and for the first time since the Olympics, I saw vendors on the streets, selling street food and baby booties.

Things are slowly getting back to pre-Olympic days.

I thought it would be more convenient for me to take the bus home than walk back to the subway station, go two stops and then get the bus home. Now I wonder if it was the right decision.

While I got on the 420 bus right away, it then began inching its way through the streets. One of the bus assistants made someone give up their seat because a middle-aged woman was car sick. She hung onto the bars next to her and rested her head on her arms.

Since this bus usually takes an hour to get home from Wangfujing, near Tiananmen Square, I thought it should only take me about half an hour or so.

In the end it took three times as long.

Luckily I had eaten half a peanut butter sandwich and a mini Snickers bar to keep my hunger at bay.

But after I ate it I read domestically-made chocolate bars could contain melamine, which has caused a huge scandal in the Chinese dairy industry.

Oh great.

Today I went to my colleague's desk and saw she had packets of Mengniu milk, one of the top brands also found to have used the deadly chemical.

"Are you drinking that?" I asked, pointing to the accused milk.

"Yes. I have to," she replied. "Everything we eat and drink in China has some chemicals in it anyway. We have no choice so we have to eat it. And if we get sick, we get sick. And then if it's time, we die."

It was such a matter-of-fact comment she delivered half sarcastically and half in jest.

People here have no recourse when it comes to expressing their anger and concerns about food quality, or anything worth complaining about.

If they get too fired up, they will be put down, either by bribes or by some kind of civil detention for no real legal reason.

It's just all interesting how this is all coming out after a pretty well-executed Olympics and Paralympics.

Things really are getting back to normal.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

For most of the Chinese, the Paralympics was an eye opener in terms of seeing the ability of athletes with disabilities to push themselves physically and mentally.

Seeing amputees, those with vision impairments, and those in wheelchairs swim, run, play basketball, rugby, and lift weights forced the public to see them in a new light.

But will this change in perception be a lasting legacy?

Li Jia thinks so.

In his late 40s, Li was diagnosed with polio when he was three months old and lost the use of his legs.

Speaking with very good English after 20 years of study, Li credits the love of his friends and family for helping him along every step of the way.

He recalls when he was young, his classmates would literally carry him on their backs so he would make it to school since at that time there were almost no accessible facilities.

And because of everyone pitching in, Li managed to graduate from high school but was practically barred from trying to get into university, as he says, "there was no chance for people with disabilities."

His father told Li he had two options: Either repair shoes on the street, or learn English.

Probably because he didn't want to lose face, Li chose the latter, saying for him it was the only option.

Today he works for a joint venture called Capital Club, reporting to a French boss who hires him to translate documents into Chinese and English. And because of the nature of his work, Li is able to work from home.

"Working at home is good for people with disabilities," he explains, dressed in a red and gold T-shirt and grey slacks. "It is inconvenient for people with disabilities to move around even with the help of a wheelchair and even with an accessible environment."

Li admits he hardly goes outside his home. "It takes a longer time to exercise more power to finish your trip even when you have a friendly environment," he says. "Moving a wheelchair isn't as easy as walking."

As a result, he depends a lot on his sister and friends to help him with shopping and getting things he needs. He tries to laugh at his being used to being dependent on others.

But then he pauses and puts his hand on his face, perhaps overwhelmed by the truth of his words.

"For almost 20 years I didn't take the bus..." he says.

Nevertheless, he thinks the Paralympics has significantly improved for people with disabilities in terms of acceptance and awareness.

"If people are aware of our difficulties and then try to help you, then that's OK," he says. "We're not as well developed as America or Europe in terms of accessible environments. But if you have the awareness of disabilities, you can offer to help us. Now that's big, big progress."

He says he's met other people with disabilities from other parts of the world. For example a woman from the UK tells him that she has a pension so she doesn't have to work.

"But here in China it's different. We have to work to support ourselves," he says. "China wants people to be more self-reliant, more self-esteem, more self-dignity."

Nevertheless, the father of an eight-year-old son says there is still a kind of unspoken discrimination.

"Twenty years ago, when people with disabilities walked down the street, some boys would run after you and call you bad names," Li recalls. "Now there's no discrimination like this... children are taught to treat people equally. But in their mind there is discrimination when people like me try to find jobs."

His optimism is mixed with reality, believing that while China has progressed greatly, there's still much farther to go.