I was talking to a buddy of mine today and he mentioned that he was having
his kitched floors redone with bamboo. For a long time I was incredulous,
cause I always thought bamboo was this nice round segmented bush/tree that
was rife with problems - it was small and round, it was relatively soft, it
harbored bacteria, and it was hollow.

He mentioned something about how it was processed into a composite material
that was harder than oak and very long lasting. What gives, when did bamboo
become a flooring material of choice?