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Exercise Machine or Kinky Device? 2010-08-27 16:39

You've seen them in the public parks and apartment complex courtyards. Those vivid, blinding apparatuses made of cheap aluminum, polystyrene and whatever plastic was available at the time of construction. Brightly colored and looking somewhere between a Playskool ™ Swingset and some kind of kink machinery you'd find advertised in the back pages of Men's Health, they have proven beneficial to the health of many local Chinese. And after reading this article, maybe you (YES, you!) can also take advantage of the free, easy use of those wacky Chinese exercise machines! Cue the ROCKY IV montage music......now!
Chinese Bed vs. Western Bed: Is one better than the other? 2010-09-01 14:30

My bed is like an onion: there are layers of blanketing ranging from thin sheets to thicker winter quilts, ransacked from every available cupboard on the evening I moved into my apartment. These are in place to cushion the blow of a mattress that would make a more fitting kitchen bench. This plank - it does not deserve the name mattress - was not placed on my bed by a particularly cruel landlord but is an inevitable part of living in China. The Chinese love a good, hard mattress. In Chinese thought, sleeping on a firm mattress is good for one’s health. Certainly, it’s not only a matter of cultural difference. According to some Western doctors too, if a person is experiencing lower back pain, he should sleep on a firmer mattress. Still, so great is the divide between Chinese and Western mattress preferences that when you stay in a hotel in China, there’s often a choice between the two kinds.
It's Mooncake Time Again 2010-09-01 13:14

It's a delicious and eclectic snack for a variety of taste buds. Mid-autumn festival is a two weeks away, so its time you learn to love the mooncake.

Mooncakes (月饼, yue bing) are typically associated with the mid-Autumn festival (this year, September 22-24) and were an integral part of the sacrifice the emperor was required to make to the Moon God during that time. Legend also has it that the treats were used to help the Han people overthrow Mongol rule. The revolutionaries distributed secret messages through the moon cakes and directed people to revolt in unison on a designated day. Thus, moon cakes became an even more deeply embedded tradition within Chinese culture.
5 Rules for Healthy Eating 2010-09-01 15:13

Every day we are bombarded with headlines like "Ten Worst Foods in the Cupboard," or "Seven Foods that will Save our Lives." Surely there are more than ten foods we should avoid for good health and clearly there are many more than seven foods that can keep us alive. Metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are teeming with both healthy and not-so-healthy food choices. Fortunately, there are a few basic rules for healthy eating that you can apply anywhere in the world to make sure you eat delicious and healthy foods.
Cutting back on Starbucks…and making your bank manager happy. 2010-08-27 15:13

So many Starbucks, so little time: it’s easy to fall into the trap – especially if you’re an exhausted teacher - of constant visits to the purveyors of that wonderful, jitter-inducing nectar of the gods but is it so good for your bank balance?
Can you go Organic in Shanghai? 2010-08-25 10:42

There are now a range of companies offering fresh and healthy organic food.
My Dreamy Days in Yunnan 2010-08-24 17:01

Last night, as the thief was breaking into my apartment stealing my laptop, I was busy dreaming of my old days in Yunnan. Back then, I was still a girl just finishing college, wandering on a pebbled street on some corner in Lijiang ancient town with no idea what to do with my life....
Summer Getaway from Shanghai 2010-06-12 14:08

Take a deep breath of the lovely spring breeze blowing from the Huangpu River, it might be your last chance this year. Prepare yourself for a long, rainy, hot summer watching millions of people pouring into the city for the Expo.

Don’t freak out. Instead, dream about your summer vacation! If you have enough money and time, it won’t be a problem to just indulge yourself all over the world, but not everyone’s wallet is that fat, right? So here are some fabulous summer getaway ideas, all costing you 4 days or less, within a budget of RMB3500.
The Cuisine Festival 2010 2010-08-04 15:12

During three days from September 17th to 19th 2010, the most acclaimed restaurants from Shanghai, chefs and famous brands gather in a stunning venue around the Jing An Shanghai Exhibition Center to present their signature dishes to thousands of ‘foodie’ visitors. It is the Cuisine Festival!
The Broke Diner: 30 RMB for 48 Hours 2010-07-26 11:52

So I’m back in Shanghai and just spent the last few days desperately searching for a new abode. The good news is that I found one. The bad news is that I’m now paying out the nose for a tiny (if almost overwhelmingly cute in my opinion) apartment and that the 1-month deposit + 3-month rent + agent fee policy left me rather broke. After exhausting my Chinese account on rent, my American bank’s policy not to allow more than $500 in ATM withdrawals in a 24-hour period meant I had no cash on hand. I had to borrow 300 RMB from Nell to finish paying the agent fee, then had 30 RMB left for….the next 24 hours.