Bamboo Houses Stand Up To Earthquakes:" It is called the 'poor people's timber' and even in China it is not accepted as a modern building material. But bamboo, like lumber, makes a light, flexible house that is much better than 'modern' materials at surviving earthquakes. Now International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) is actively promoting it as a ... read more
<a href="http://www.china-crossroads.com/index.php/2008/04/09/how-cool-is-this-a-boat-made-from-disposable-chopsticks/" A Boat Made From Disposable Chopsticks Friend Rich Brubaker from China Crossroads spotted this news flash awhile back. A Boat Made From Disposable Chopsticks. According to the source website (Asahi Shimbun), Shuhei Ogawara, a retired city hall employee in the Fukushima Prefecture, spent three months gluing 7382 used chopsticks into a 66 pound, 13′-4″ canoe, and coated it with ... read more
middle of the day on our street in Shanghai...about halfway between office and home. Not what people typically think of when they think of Shanghai. A nice start to the week.