Girl Does Almost Anything for $3

Chen Xiao, a girl in China - aged 26, decided to let internet surfers, otherwise known as netizens, control her life for $3 an hour. After a bad 2008 when her clothing shop went bankrupt, harsh blizzards, a devastating earthquake, and even friends divorcing, she decided that no matter what she did, bad things were bound to happen. So, that is why she is letting citizens of the internet decide things for her. Of course, not EVERYTHING. She says that she will not undertake a request that is illegal, immoral or violent (of course there will always be people there to do just that). So far she has taken care of some of these netizen's sick relatives, delivering pet food, taking care of stray cats, and even providing some of the homeless with a hot meal. So far the oddest assignment was attending the birth of a child. The father was a stranger who just wanted to someone to take some photos and since he heard about Chen Xiao, he decided, why not? Doing things for others, she says has made her her happier. She says that she does not know when she'll go back to her own life, except it is only when others stop needing her.

To the right is a picture of Chen Xiao in front of Tiananmen Square

China's Mandarin Oriental Hotel Goes Up in Flames

Last night, just as the Chinese Lunar New Year comes to a close, a small fire, within 13 minutes turned into an inferno and engulfed the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Luckily it wasn't opened yet and there were no people inside the building. Some people had thought that it was just a show since fireworks were still going on for the last day of the celebration. But it soon became apparent that it was not a show. As the new building of the hotel giant went up in flames, thousands of onlookers took out their cameras and cellphones to take pictures. Fred Rice, who is a British iReporter says about the fire, "We weren't sure if it was gas canisters or what. It was a spectacular sight for sure." Although seeing a huge building engulfed in flames really is an interesting scene, spectacular might not be the correct word to describe it. All jokes aside, there were no injuries reported even though there were people within 60 yards of the building before the firefighters arrived to block off the perimeter. The new CCTV building, a broadcasting station, as well as other buildings near the fire was untouched by the flames.

The picture to the right shows the burning tower, the CCTV tower, and some spectators.

The Kiss of Deaf?

Yesterday in Zhuhai city in Guangdong province, China, a woman in her 20's had a slightly too passionate kiss in which the super suctioned kiss "reduced the pressure in the mouth, pulled the eardrum out and caused the breakdown of the ear." Because of this, newslines dubbed it the "Kiss of Deaf." Though the woman completely lost her hearing in her left ear, she is expected to make a full recovery in a couple month's time.