Shortly after I wrote this post on Saturday, complaining about the crackdown on bars in the city in the run-up to the Olympics (rooftop patios have now been outlawed, apparently on the basis that the authorities are afraid that people may throw bottles on to tourists in the streets below), I encountered yet another example of this unfathomable control-freakery.
I was delivering a promotional presentation for an educational publisher in one of the big downtown bookstores. I've done a few similar events with them in the past, and we've usually ended the event by raffling off some textbooks and dictionaries. That was on the agenda again on Saturday afternoon, but.....
I was told at the last minute by the anxious organiser that we wouldn't be giving away any textbooks after all. I thought the bookstore might have vetoed it, as being detrimental to its business; but no, the organiser told me: "It's the government. Because of the Olympics. We can't give away books again until October."
Erm, presumably because any slight excitement might lead to an anti-government riot??
We also had some rather nice leather-bound notebooks, which I usually give away during the mini-English-lesson part of the presentation to encourage audience participation, reward correct answers. I made the mistake of querying this: "Is this OK then? I can't see there's a lot of difference between giving away books as a 'prize' for answering a question, and giving them away randomly in a lottery."
The anxious young woman frowned even more anxiously and disappeared to consult with someone. When she returned, she removed the notebooks. Yes, giving away books of any kind, in any manner, would be dangerously stimulating, apparently.
Instead, we gave away fans. Not very exciting at all. No threat to the stability of society.
Honestly, this place just keeps getting crazier and crazier and crazier.....
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