Bamboo...Bedding?

I've described the deep Chinese conviction that pain is healthy before, but here is some further evidence for you non-believers.



Shenzhen weather is unbearably hot and sticky for most of the year. My Chinese friends tell me that this bamboo bedding is cooler to sleep on.I plan to never confirm this statement. These look suspiciously like those wooden beaded chiropractic car seat covers that old hippies have in their VW buses to ease chronic back pain.



Can you imagine trying to sleep on this? It calls to mind the hair shirts and nail beds of 14th century monks. Buddhism doesn't allow for early Christianity's deep, mournful meditations on guilt and subsequent penances, but I've come to the conclusion that Chinese medicine fills the void quite handily. Apparently this belief in the power of suffering is international.



I was also struck by the sheer number of these things. They were planning to sell a lot of them. And it wasn't just for the bed surface. There were also pillowcase covers in case you aren't quite miserable enough. Go figure.