OK, here's what we should adopt from China: Elevators. Seriously, elevators. Today I was riding in an elevator at my apartment building at the media village when a Chinese man stepped in and punched the second floor.

"Oh, what was I thinking,'' he said, or Chinese words to that affect.

He had hit the wrong floor. But what happened next was interesting. He punched the second floor button twice and the light went off. He then punched the third-floor button as he had intended.

Erasing lit buttons in elevators.

Why didn't we think of that?

Meanwhile, here's what they can use from us: Silverware. Hey, I get chopsticks. I can use them just fine, at least as long as the rice doesn't break off into little pieces and then you're left scraping around the bowl hoping to get a piece or two. But come on. Chopsticks are so 13th century. Don't tell me silverware isn't easier. And more versatile.

Why didn't they think of that?

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