The first of every year is often marked by fresh resolutions, but last week China's government workers experienced an especially bracing change. Instead of the traditional two-hour lunch break, which usually allowed time for a nap, they were permitted only an hour off. Though the cutback had been announced in advance, it still proved a rude jolt. Workers who were accustomed to cycling home for lunch found themselves forced to eat near their jobs; since few offices have canteens, employees jammed into crowded restaurants cursed with slow service. Schoolteachers in Canton even asked their supervisors for a < return to the...
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