seneca (expat in China)

When I first came to China, spitting was done on a national scale. Nearly everyone spat in front of them on public ways. I remember walking down the corridor of a Golmud hotel, seeing red spittoons in front of every guestroom.

That was then; today I am heartened to say you don't see it any more. I don't think Chinese spit in public more often than Westerners do - so much for progress. Hats off!

Ditto for smoking: In my memories of train and bus travel, cigarette smoke was the biggest spoiler of my enjoyment. You couldn't hope to inhale smoke-free air in a sleeper car anywhere in China. See how things have changed since the end of the 1990s: smoking is banned on trains and buses (it is rarely done).

The photo shows a colored x-ray of a frog amongst water lilies. Photograph by Arie Van't Riet [Photo/CFP]

Is traditional Chinese medicine effective?	Is 'helicopter' parenting good for children?

The original piece:http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1006258