Trending in BJ: Water Cube Turns to Ice Cube; Student Struggles
The fun, the strange, and the what-on-earth-is-this: a wrap-up of top stories in Beijing as told by the trending hashtags, local press, and the general power of the internet.
1) Water Cube to be Transformed Into Ice Cube
One of the key landmarks of Beijing's 2008 Olympics, the Water Cube, is set to undergo adjustments and become... an ice cube! In preparation for the Winter Olympic games in 2022, the Water Cube will be outfitted with four curling tracks.
I thought the water cube just froze.
The plan was revealed on Dec 26 and the renovation is expected to be completed by July 2020. "They should just call it H2O cube," noted one Weibo user. "I thought the water cube just froze," said the other one, most likely referring to the recent low temperatures in Beijing. The netizens are discussing the transformation under #水立方将变冰立方# (shuǐ lìfāng jiāng biàn bīng lìfāng, water cube transforms into ice cube).
2) Nervous Breakdown in Cosmetics Store
The holidays are not a peaceful and jolly time for all. In fact, one woman visiting a mall in Xidan district was so distraught recently that she began smashing the goods and smearing products on a table. When the employees tried to stop her, she escaped and proceeded to smash other displays until finally being pinned down by a security guard. She refused to talk even when the aforementioned employee asked her if something was wrong and encouraged her to speak out.
While the woman's face in the video is blurred, she appears to be crying. Netizens are untangling the reasons behind her puzzling behavior under #女子砸化妆品专柜被刑拘# (nǚzǐ zá huàzhuāngpǐn zhuānguì bèi xíngjū, woman smashed cosmetics and was detained).
3) Who Should be Paying Students' Expenses?
Netizens are debating who should be paying students' living expenses: parents or students? Some are convinced that after hitting 18, people are responsible for their own expenditures, while others claimed that financial help can guarantee better grades. "Parents are raising their children in cages and then hoping that at 18 they will suddenly fly," scoffed one user.
Seems that there are users here who claim to be earning both university and living fees by themselves.
Knowing that a fair share of university students in China have to also pay study fees, a netizen rhetorically wondered, "Seems that there are users here who claim to be earning both university and living fees by themselves – please speak out." Weibo is discussing the topic under #大学该不该要生活费# (dàxué gāi bùgāi yào shēnghuó fèi, should university students pay living expenses?).
Images: Weibo
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