Poor planning or population control?

I'm sitting on my back porch right now. It's forty-five degrees and raining outside, but this is the most content I've been in a long time. There are several reasons for this contented state. First, it's Thursday, and Thursday is our guys night. My two best friends here are married, so they don't have the freedom to just come over whenever they want. Thursday is our time to play ping pong (I bought a table for my apartment), listen to music, and just talk. It's always good to be around these guys. Second, I'm sitting by a "campfire." This is one of the biggest things I've missed since I came to China. I've been lamenting the lack of a campfire for a long time. So, the other night I decided to remedy the situation. I bought a cheap little grill that only stands a foot off the ground, and right now I'm using it as a fire pit. I'm sure security here in the living quarters wouldn't like it very much if they knew I was having a campfire on my back porch, but I don't really care at this point. It feels really good to just sit and relax.
Like I said, it's raining out, and that brings me to the title of this post. For some reason, where ever you go in the grand country of theirs, the city planners have chosen to place under the feet of its billion pedestrians the absolute slickest surfaces known to man. A few months ago I was coming out of a crowded restaurant and slipped on the front step. I fell on my tail bone, my leg hit an incredibly noisy piece of sheet metal, and the entire population of patrons turned and looked in my direction. That's just one of many instances. This is one of the little things that makes a relaxing evening by a tiny contraband fire essential. I have been discussing this with some friends, and we believe that this might be a new approach population control. The "one-child" policy is not a popular one here in China, and this could be a subtle, yet effective, alternative. At any rate, it's one of the most annoying things I've encountered here. Our school hallways are floored with slick tile, which the janitor women insist on mopping at odd hours of the day. The subway stations and public buildings are paved with polished marble or granite tiles which become like an ice-skating rink with the even the slightest bit of moisture. Anyway, I'm done complaining. I just thought I would warn you that if you come to China, make sure you bring some good shoes. Otherwise you may go home with a cracked skull.