This is Bill Tsutsui with another Postcard from Asia from the Center for East Asian Studies.

Visitors to China experience culture shock when they see people hawkin’ and spittin’ everywhere from main streets to Buddhist temples. You see, spitting is considered good for the health. Well, it may be good for the health of the spitter but it certainly is not good for the health of the economy, especially now that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are within spittin’ distance, so to speak. And so, a citywide campaign known as the Green Woodpecker Project has sprung up. Volunteers stalk spitters with tissues and vidcams encouraging them to change their ways. Spitting action shots can be found on a website, presumably to gross people out enough to quit. Wait until youtube gets a hold of this…

With thanks to Randi Hacker for this text, from the Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Bill Tsutsui. Wish you were here.