Qixi festival

Comment on "Elderly couples hold group wedding ceremony" (China Daily, August 22)

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the "Qixi", according to Chinese tradition. This festival is not well known among foreigners, and not even very popular among the Chinese people.

Three or four years ago, the Chinese media started to publicise the Qixi by calling it "Chinese Valentine's Day". This is a big mistake in my eyes. Instead of promoting Chinese culture, the "Chinese Lovers' Day" becomes a mere copy of one more Western festival.

Let's call a cat a cat!

Lisa Carducci, Beijing

Via e-mail

Safety for miners

Comment on "Hope fades for trapped miners in Xintai" (China Daily, August 22)

As an old coal-mining employee, I have been absolutely shocked by this disaster! It is impossible to anticipate acts of nature (flooding, earthquakes, etc), but when safety warnings are issued and ignored, that is gross incompetence. My heartfelt sympathy is extended to all the people affected by this needless waste!

Kenneth Clarke

Via e-mail

Umbrella manners

Comment on Li Xing's "Umbrella test no pointer to thoughtfulness" (China Daily, August 23)

The writer made some good points. I had a few more observations about the umbrella business. I find that girls are especially bad with umbrellas. Many times they use the umbrella to hide their faces and just look down at the ground while walking. Then they have the nerve to get upset when someone runs into them!

Also, I have noticed people in cities don't consider other people's personal space. People will just toss and fling their umbrellas around in the air or over their shoulders without looking. It's a wonder more people haven't lost an eye because of this.

I also noticed that people will get on the bus or subway and shake the water off their umbrellas or lay them on the seat next to them so the next person can't sit down.

This excuse about "China's too big, too busy, too many people, can't do anything about it" is simply ridiculous. It is apparently the reason for everything so it's become okay just to let things go.

Manners start at home and home only has anywhere from four to eight people, not 1.3 billion, as I remember. I guess it's true what they say - China has the hardware, but not the software.

Jon Fields

Via e-mail

Climate agenda

Comment on "Merkel has climate change on agenda" (China Daily, August 27)

Global warming is not only caused by the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. It is also caused by the earth's magnetic poles becoming weaker. As they become weaker, more of the sun's radiation is let in. Once they switch, another ice age will start because the earth's magnetic poles will become strong. That is, if the magnetic records found in clay and lava rocks is correct.

So once the magnetic fields finish switching, we will all freeze to death. So let the cycles happen, even though they are irregular, unlike the sun's magnetic switches, which happen every 14 years.

Lloyd

On China Daily website

Aid to Darfur

Comment on "China continues humanitarian aid to Darfur" (China Daily website, August 24)

China has been an advocate of the principles of humanitarianism, and at the same time she has done what she said she would do. No country stands on earth alone. It is hard to avoid difficulty: To offer a helping hand when another country is in trouble is a just action.

Cindy

On China Daily website

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(China Daily 08/28/2007 page11)