TABOO TO SIT ON WRITING

What you see above is a bench designed by Charles Kaisin.  He did it by recyling a pile of old newspapers in a durable bench.  What he did was to glue, layer and compress newspapers to create a material that has the strength of wood.  So if you can't affor to buy yourself a new bench, try making it from old newspapers.

Anyway, I think that many Chinese would not be too keen to possess such a bench as it is taboo to sit on writing.  We were taught from young to respect written materials that gives us knowledge and the act of sitting on books or printed materials would be a sign of disrespect.

I have also been told by some of my Malay friends and visitors that they too have such a belief.

Sources:
http://www.charleskaisin.com/flash.htm
http://oddee.com/item_97147.aspx