Beyond Your Imagination

What does this advertisement mean?

With Huawei executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou being released on bail pending an extradition hearing next year, tensions between China and Canada are tense to say the least.

This was coupled with basically the kidnappings of two Canadians and a third one who will be retried for drug smuggling because the judge deemed his sentence of 15 years as too lenient.

Do these images entice you to go?

But no worries! We will let the rule of law take its course in China...

In the meantime, why don't you Canadians consider visiting China?

Yesterday's Vancouver Sun had two full page ads, the front cover saying: "Amazing China: Beyond Your Imagination". Then underneath, "Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Vancouver".

Turn the page over and there's another full page ad that repeats the same slogan, with the requisite images of pandas, Temple of Heaven, Shanghai, Tibet and a Peking Opera performer. It seems like a hastily arranged advertisement with lots of money thrown in.

There is no other message, or explanation of how China is "Beyond Your Imagination" except for the fact that its government's actions when it comes to rule of law really are beyond your imagination.

Would any Canadian want to go to China on their free will these days? 

Crackdown on Toilet Paper Hoarders

That's the only amount of toilet paper you're getting at the Temple of Heaven

On the way to work in the mornings, I usually hit the public washroom in a park nearby before getting on an over one-hour long bus ride to the office. The washroom stalls don't have toilet paper -- you have to get some from a giant roll by the entrance.

It is shocking how much toilet paper Hong Kong elderly women use! Do they really need to use over a metre's worth? What are they doing in there?

But it looks like they are not the only toilet paper hoarders.

The paper dispensing machine uses facial recognition

It's gotten so bad at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, that park officials have installed a toilet paper dispense where the user must stand in front of the wall-mounted machine with a high-definition camera.

The device's software remembers recent faces, and if the same person reappears within a certain period, it refuses to activate the automatic roller.

The current setting per person is 60cm of paper within nine minutes.

It's been a known fact that for years a lot of toilet paper has been nicked by mainland senior citizens, which has resulted in a considerable financial burden on public toilet management.

Sometimes a fresh roll of toilet paper can disappear in minutes, leaving other users paper-less.

An elderly man caught pilfering more than his share of paper

When people use the machine, they have to take off their hat and sunglasses, which prompted concerns about infringing privacy, and the facial recognition function, which is supposed to take three seconds can sometimes take more than a minute, which might be too late for some who are bursting for the loo.

The toilet paper dispensing machine has caused quite a stir on social media, where many agree the practice of pilfering toilet paper has to stop, but there's no point in being anal about it.

One user on WeChat may have spread a rumour when he or she said: "The cheap toilet paper in public toilets contains lots of toxic materials such as florescent agents. Excessive use will only damage their health."

Which is why it's always good practice to carry tissue paper whilst in China...