The Week May 21, 2010

Mobile Phone Madness

How much do you love your mobile phone? A Chinese student had to be rescued by firefighters this week after he got his arm stuck in a toilet trying to rescue his mobile phone. After dropping his phone in the toilet, he decided to wrap his arm in newspaper in the hopes of keeping somewhat clean. But the newspaper expanded in the water, and then even his roommates couldn't help him pull his arm out. So firefighters were called and spent an hour unsticking the stuck student. The student at Chongqing Technology and Business University, for obvious reasons, would not give reporters his name.

Crazy Pet Lovers

How much do you love your pets? Many people in China are famous for how much they love their pets. They dress them up in fashionable clothing in winter, and buy them fancy treats in summer. But would they spend 68,000 yuan on a wedding for their pets? According to the UK's Sky News, that's how much 7,000 English pounds translates to. And that's what a couple in Brazil spent on a fancy wedding for their pet Yorkshire terriers. Let's join the wedding. But let's skip those doggie desserts at the wedding reception.

Oh, rats!

When something goes wrong, you can often hear Westerners proclaim, Oh, rats! But when it comes to Southern China, Oh, rats! can mean it's what you want for dinner. According to a report in China Daily, some restaurants in Guangzhou, which used to be known as Canton, serve rat meat. Roasted, braised in soy sauce, stewed or cooked in soup. But, actually, most of those rats are field mice. What would Mickey Mouse say? The Week investigates …

Liar, liar

Here's some news that most women already know. Men tell more lies than women. The London Daily Mail cites a new study that says men tell about three lies a day, while women tell only two lies a day. Men are also less likely to feel guilty about lying, according to this week's survey of 3,000 people by a research organization called OnePoll. According to the poll, lying to our mothers is very popular. But then, so is lying at work. And both men and women will lie when it comes to how much they've had to drink. So how easy is it to tell when someone is lying? The Week investigates …

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About the broadcaster:

Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant. She came to China from the United States.