"Would you like a fork topping to go with your chopsticks?" asked the Swiss waiter.

Leave it to the Swiss to think of inventive alternatives to standard cutlery sets. Jacob and I ate with another friend at the Swiss House last week, one of the few Olympic houses open to the public. On the table when we sat down were fork heads and chopsticks to attach them to.

Nevermind that none of the food on the menu, including fois gras terrine, charcuterie, and spätzle, is typically eaten with chopsticks. They seem to be out simply as chinoiserie, a tiny homage to the host country, perhaps. (Like the orange rice paddy hats some Dutch fans are wearing at their Holland House, except less likely to be misconstrued.) But the novelty kept us amused and snapping photos for the first part of the evening.

As of June 1, China banned grocery stores from giving out free plastic bags to customers, joining Sweden, Ireland, and a few other places in raising awareness of how wasteful plastic bags are. (I never saw the necessity, in China as well as New York, for stores give you a bag just for Coke or to double-bag a carton of milk.) Now reusable grocery bags are being worn everywhere and sold in every other clothing shop. I found this one with Mao the Smoking Bicyclist at Grifted on Nanluoguxiang, Beijing's unofficial hipster hutong. (They also have a line of Socialist dolls.)

In other fun news, Serious Eats found Absinthe gummy bears in New York. And Syria currently has the world's largest restaurant, seating at max. of 6,014 people, with separate theme sections for Chinese and Indian food.