China Scene: South

Zoo staff await birth of baby elephant

Haikou Zoo in the Hainan provincial capital is seeking senior animal doctors and zoologists nationwide to help uncover the reason why a female elephant has not given birth, after the expected date of delivery passed three days.

Many staff from the zoo are worried about Man Ling, a 21-year-old pregnant Asian elephant, which was imported from Myanmar in 1998. The elephant, which is worth more than 1 million yuan ($129,000), is 2.3 m high and weighs 3 tons. The average life span of an elephant is up to 70 years old. The gestation period of an elephant is between 20 to 22 months.

(Haikou Evening News)

Sex show, a first for Shenzhen

More than 1,000 sex products will be on display during a sex cultural exhibition later this month in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the first time for the city.

Special lectures and seminars will also be held during the week-long event to promote sexual knowledge and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and sexual transmitted diseases (STDs). Other highlights include a special underwear show, human body painting and photography contests.

(Southern Metropolitan News)

Model migrant worker pockets honor

Zeng Feiyan, a hotel attendant, has become an attraction at a hotel in Huizhou of Guangdong Province for refusing to pocket the money and other products she picked up while cleaning hotel rooms over the last six years.

Zeng, 27, is known by many of the hotel's clients. In addition to cash, Zeng has recovered digital cameras, cell phones, watches and other expensive products.

Every time, Zeng refuses to accept any tips from guests. Because of Zeng's good service and selfless spirits, many clients have chosen to stay in Zeng's hotel again. Zeng comes from Jiaoling, a rural county in eastern part of Guangdong, and was chosen as one of the 10 best migrant workers of Huizhou last year.

(Southern Metropolitan News)

Dispute in bank turns physical

Two Hong Kong women were arrested for a fight over stock monitors at a bank.

The incident took place last Tuesday afternoon in a bank in Kwan Tong, Hong Kong, which have seven stock monitors for customers to use free of charge. The two women, 51-year-old Cheung and 58-year-old Mak, were using two separate monitors but Cheung, finding her monitor too slow, started to use Mak's. Mak retaliated by pushing buttons on Cheung's monitor. The quarrel developed into hair pulling and biting.

Visitors to the bank made no efforts to break them up, saying the two women are bossy and often hog stock monitors in the bank.

(Ming Pao)

Dirty messages from 'company insider'

Seven hostesses of Cable TV Hong Kong have gone to police for receiving harassing messages and calls.

An executive of i-CABLE Communications Ltd said the harassment started two years ago, when the victims received emails, sexual in nature. Then they received similar messages on their cellphones, even calls.

The seven hostesses believe the culprit is one person and an insider of the company, since he seemed to know their whereabouts.

(Wen Wei Po)

(China Daily 09/11/2007 page6)