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The Legendary Avocado Lady 2011-12-26 12:06

Whenever you hear "The Avocado Lady" uttered by Western lips it is quickly followed by "legend". Western palates have been enlivened, some may even say saved by the diverse array of produce offered at her ever expanding shop. Much has been written about The Avocado Lady: her 19 hour days beginning at 4 am for over 20 years, her astonishingly low 7-11RMB avocados depending on size, her ability to get nearly any imported item requested by her clients, touched upon but never fully captured, her modesty, incredible work ethic and great love of her family.

In fact, when you do come across a Westerner who hasn't heard of The Avocado Lady, shock quickly gives way to excitement as you get ready to paint the picture of this Shanghai-life-changer. She goes by many names. Attach any of her hard-to-find products to Lady and you can rest assured she's been called it. Formally Jiang Qin, she hails from Nantong, a rural town north of Shanghai. Together with her husband, his partner and many food sources around the city, she fills the pantries of hungry foodies day in and day out.
SHEX Reviews: Fred Kan is Pho Real 2011-12-21 17:09

Fred Kan is the owner of two Pho Real locations, and one Be Real location in Shanghai. L.A. born, Fred grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With one new location already in the works and plans for two to four more next year, this Master Chef shows no signs of slowing. For the past ten years he's called Shanghai home and what a home it has been.

A Japanese restaurant and the management of two bars gave way to appearances on two ICS programs – Smart Cook and Independent Inspector. Fred also played the part of an Emperor in two National Geographic documentaries, ran an organic soup delivery business and a deli in Carrefour. Originally trained as an Italian Chef, he's lent those talents to Southeast Asian cuisine for the past two years in Pho Real and Be Real. Authentic Vietnamese, yes, but it's no surprise with all these influences this man is a fan of fusion.

Let's Eat Pho Real!

Under a ceiling of woven Vietnamese baskets surrounding lights, the smiling staff carry a feast. This meal could easily feed three or four people and would only cost the group about 300 RMB. The mingling aromas of seafood, lemongrass and stir fried vegetables create a monsoon in the mouth. Pull up a chair. Time to dig in:
Home 2011-12-14 17:14

Hundreds of people walk down this sidewalk every day on their way to a suburban Shanghai Metro station. But most people barely glance at what’s behind the cement wall alongside a path that was rebuilt after a storm destroyed the old one.

Tons of trash is spread out behind the wall, in a landscape that looks nothing like the neatly-kept grounds nearby -- an enormous apartment community built by China’s biggest real estate developer, the Spring Company. A “dream home” here costs at least 25,000 yuan per square meter. Many of the residents are expats.
Getting Under the Skin of Shanghai’s Cosmetic Surgery Scene 2011-11-29 13:47

More often than not, the loud music you’re hearing each evening on Shanghai’s streets comes form a hair salon. Beyond the music fashionable bouffant-ed staff, style, manicure and trim local and expatriate alike. Of course, this flurry of hair, shampoo, peroxide and moisturizer is not the only source of beautification. Expat magazines, subway car walls, ShanghaiExpat itself, are littered with advertisements for the latest non-surgical and surgical cosmetic surgeries offered by a variety of clinics and hospitals throughout the city. Despite personal judgments or opinions this is a very real way an increasing number of men and women seek to maintain or enhance their perceived beauty. So what does the world of cosmetic surgery in Shanghai look like?
USC in China: “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” 2011-11-15 15:47

Three-time Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist, Thomas L. Friedman, gave the keynote address at last month’s University of Southern California (USC) Global Conference in Hong Kong. The sobering message delivered, which is detailed in his new book, “That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented, and How We Come Back,” was that for all of the ingenuity of America in the 20th century, the 21st century is a new frontier that cannot be taken for granted by the world’s only superpower.
New Social Benefits Tax in China Targets Expats and Employers 2011-10-24 15:48

Taxation without representation? It just doesn’t seem right. Anyone receiving a paycheck in Shanghai knows how much tax is already coming out. No one is particularly happy about it. However, we get to live in a great city while making good money. So what if you’re paying the government 3 to 45 percent of your monthly salary depending on your income bracket? Them’s the breaks, as they say, and it looks like those breaks are going to keep coming.
Sourcing in China: Exporting the World’s Consumer Needs 2011-10-26 11:28

Over the past twenty-five years, China’s economy has developed rapidly to the point where China is now one of the world’s leading importers and exporters, with a year-on-year growth of 25.8% as the total calculation for import and exportation for 2011. The profit on exports alone was calculated to have grown by 27.6% in the first half of 2011 and despite recent slowdowns in exports and slowing GDP growth rates, both economic indicators remain the envy of the developed world and look set to continue strong growth in the coming years. In 2006, China export hub stated that China was ‘getting the opportunity for optimal usage of its resources and raw materials, which ensures it becoming one of the major markets in the global platform.’
What’s So Good About a Custom Shirt? 2011-10-07 17:36

This is an advertisement brought to you by Stel Lee Bespoke. We neither represent nor endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advertisement on our website, or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any of these advertisements.
Improving the Quality of Life is GCISD’s “Goal!!!!!” 2011-09-15 14:53

A 12 year-old girl stands on the driving range practice mat, swinging a golf club for the first time. On the mat next to her is an experienced, 15 year-old boy fine-tuning his swing plane. PGA Professional Jeff Ritter stands directly behind the small group of students, giving them professional advice on what to be thinking about before striking the ball. And a 27-hole golf course overlooking the China Sea awaits the group in case they need to get off the range and onto world-class fairways.
The Job Landscape for Expats 2011-09-23 11:36

Want to work in Shanghai? Many people from all over the world do. There are more people from other countries who want to come live and work in Shanghai than there are jobs with expat salaries. In the last few years, the job market has been flooded with educated and experienced overseas Chinese or overseas educated mainland Chinese being attracted to the same thing expats are attracted to: the lure of riding the booming economy. With issues of culture, language, disparity in pay scales, and suitable job availability, there is not always an easy solution to finding a comfortable niche. Many seek to move here without the benefit of company support and an expat package. One recruitment industry manager indicates an educated guess of less than 20% of the expats in China are here on an expat package. Given the range of talents and available positions, a job seeker might break down potential opportunities: