Random thoughts at 5 am from a jet-lagged American

1) In totally unrelated news, today I opened my email to an article about this lovely gadget. I don't want to lock my cars doors and sperm count with the same device. Click here for the full story from Popular Science magazine. I can see it now, "Hey Jimmy, how come you were having so much trouble having a child?" "I was a parking valet for too many years."

2) We went to a Korean BBQ for dinner last night. Sad to report that dog meat was an option on the menu. Don't tell Eden, Joshua, Lauren, or Duke. Happy to report we didn't try it. The food that we cooked over the coals on the grill built on the middle of the table was excellent. One of the major perks of this restaurant: they provide paper napkins on the tables. This is the first restaurant in China that Rebecca or I have been to that provided napkins. Coincidentally, we bought napkins at the grocery store yesterday to start bringing with us to restaurants, but fortunately the Koreans also see them as a necessity. I'm a napkin kind-of person.

3) We live next to a really huge and fancy mall. It's much like the Short Hills Mall, Legacy Village, or Columbus Circle, but probably nicer than all of them. Inside, you wouldn't have any idea you're in China, at least what you probably imagine China to be. Coach, DKNY, Versace, Calvin Klein, Nike Golf, Clinique, Haggen Daz, Starbucks, another Starbucks, another Starbucks inside the Starbucks, Papa Johns, and 3-D movie theater. I'm very conflicted about its presence. Part of me is pleasantly reminded of Western comforts, while part of me is disappointed that parts of Shanghai have taken on an Anytown, USA (or Anytown, World) look to them. Although, the store called "Apple Shop" that sells clothing instead of slick computers is a quick reminder that we're in China. Here is a video I found of the mall, if you'd like to see how huge it is: Grand Gateway Mall Video


4) For a country that seems to spit in the face of anything environmentally friendly, they have a genius invention on the toilets in our apartment. There are two buttons used to flush - one big and one small, each corresponding to the size of the flush needed. If you don't quite follow, imagine that you had a button labeled #1 and another labeled #2 on a toilet and what you would use them for. As you may be able to tell from my post on the bathrooms in Tokyo, I think the war on toilet technology (I bet you didn't know there was a war on toilet technology!) is clearly being won by the Asians.