How A Letter From China Decrying Slave Labor Ended Up In Portland, Oregon [UPDATE]

Letter on toilet seat
The Oregonian has this tale of a letter from China -- written in English -- folded into eighths and planted inside the box of a Kmart "graveyard kit." This "message in a bottle" traveled more than 5,000 miles to the home of Julie Keith in Portland, who purchased the Halloween kit but left it unopened for a year. When she finally opened the contents, she found this chilling letter:

Guinness Names 115-Year-Old Japanese Man World’s Oldest Person, Ignoring China’s 127-Year-Old Woman

Old people
Dina Manfredini of Iowa died on Monday at 115, passing on the mantle of "world's oldest person" to Jiroemon Kimura of Tokyo, who was born on April 19, 1897 -- 15 days after Manfredini -- the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed yesterday. But not so fast, says Xinhua. In a story published two hours ago, it reports that the world's real oldest person is actually Chinese, and apparently 127 years old:

Chinese State TV Airs Tibetan Self-Immolation “Documentary” [UPDATE: You Can Watch It Here]

CCTV on Tibetan self-immolations
State media is reporting that state media aired a documentary on Tibetan self-immolations on Sunday. Here are the opening paragraphs of Xinhua’s story about China Central Television: National broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has released a documentary on self-immolation in the country’s Tibetan-inhabited areas.

The Gift (An Expat Christmas No. 5)

BJC’s “An Expat Christmas” series continues, as Jocelyn Eikenburg shares her experience of gift-giving — and receiving — from one Christmas in Shanghai. By Jocelyn Eikenburg When you spend Christmas in China as an expat, it’s easy to feel a little forgotten by the holiday season.

Christmas In Changsha (An Expat Christmas No. 4)

BJC’s “An Expat Christmas” series continues, in which foreigners in China write about the holiday experience from their respective cities. If you’re in Changsha, look up our next contributor, who’s been finding Christmas cheer — and creating some of her own. By Amanda Roberts