Local officials play make-and-break game

It is a little inconvenient walking to work these days. The pavement along the street to my office has been cordoned off with cones as workers dig out the concrete bricks to replace them with new ones. Pedestrians have to vie for walking space on the street alongside the bicycles, scooters and cars that whizz past. The feeling is awful.

To be frank, I cannot see much difference between the old and new bricks, except that the new ones are lighter in color. But so what? They won't make the walk smoother or more pleasant. Actually I like the old ones better as they give me a sense of age and mellowness, which in a way reflects Beijing's quintessential spirit.

The only reason I can think of for changing the bricks is GDP.