Chance things plant seeds to stir the imagination

One thing that's sure to catch the eye of Westerners who are new to China is the tone of notices in public parks warning people not to walk on the grass. There's a photo circulating online of one such sign at the Olympic Park in Beijing: "Tender fragrant grass," it reads. "How hardhearted to trample them."

For a Westerner, these notices stand out for what many would consider misplaced sentimentality. After all, we're talking about grass, not puppies or kittens.

But though their tone might at first strike us as odd, their colorful expression adds a dab of charm to everyday reality.