News You Might Have Missed: Sexy Man, Jailed Policewoman and Winning Names
China thinks Kim Jong-un is sexy, in case you haven't heard. When will they stop falling for fake-news articles from The Onion? (Not anytime soon, we hope.) Other recent eye-catching reports include a fake policewoman, maternity-retail-tourism, beating the license plate lottery and hopping a fast train to the south of China.
China and North Korea's love affair continues. The People's Daily endorsed The Onion's pick of Kim Jong-un as the world's sexiest man, and then removed the article after its satirical nature was pointed out. Perhaps they wanted a way to repay the hermit nation for naming China the happiest country (and the US, the least happy).
They're certainly not alone in being done in by fake news – in April, several US news outlets fell for a Chinese spoof about the perils of 3-D – but Chinese news organizations have been burned by the Onion previously.
A female police officer has been sentenced to nine months in jail for not actually being an officer. In July, a model posted several photos of herself in a police uniform, claiming that her job consisted only of eating and meeting with her superiors. Her true identity was discovered, and she's become the first person jailed for spreading lies on Weibo. In her defense, she said she only wanted more followers and more fame, so ... we suppose that congratulations are in order.
Is the traditional practice of yuezi (in which new mothers seclude themselves for a month) getting replaced with shopping? A woman who traveled to California to give birth spent her postpartum month not sequestered in her room but out on the town, credit card in hand. Among her purchases were baby supplies for the next five years – she arranged for them to be sent back to China in a shipping container. She said it was almost like "taking L.A. home."
Want a car in Beijing? Then maybe it’s time to change your name. For seven months in a row, the name "Liu Xuemei" has been selected in the lottery, meaning that he or she is beating the odds (1 in 67) in a big way. If the idea of changing your name, getting new documentation and re-registering for the lottery just tires you out, you could always track down an existing Liu Xuemei and strike up a conversation. A red envelope works wonders in these situations.
December looks to be a big month for new transport options. Not only is Beijing getting four more subway lines, but the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed rail is also expected to open, cutting the travel time from 22 to eight hours. With Hong Kong now a (relatively) short train ride away, will this become a real alternative to flying down for visa runs?
