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The Final Stretch of an Emotional Tour: "Can I Have Some Mohanik?!?" 2012-01-18 11:49

Last Sunday night, 150 rock fans shook off their umbrellas and entered the smoky, dark and cavernous Yuyintang with a look of anticipation in their eyes. Purple and red lighting exposed the porthole windows and the splattered paint along the walls. Framed black and white photographs of musicians and two large colorful paintings resembling a god chicken adorned the venue. The dungy, hip atmosphere of Yuyintang gives one the impression of a basement meets submarine, serving as the perfect setting for the final show in the "Can I have Some Mohanik" 2012 tour.

Shanghai's legendary DJ B.O. arranged the Trash A-Go-Go tour that began on January 12th and that spanned four cities in China. Three acts from Shanghai, 'The Horde', 'The Moon Tyrant' and 'Banana Monkey' opened the stage for Mohanik, a garage rock band hailing from Ulaanbataar, Mongolia. The three opening bands greatly differed in sound and style, creating a diverse, euphonically pleasing show. The beat-folk duo, The Horde consisted of a mandolin and guitar player who serenaded the audience with soothing, whimsical sounds. Moon Tyrant took the stage with a shirtless singer and barefoot bassist. Each of their songs varied in style, ranging from screamo to eerie vocals, consistent in its command over the audience.
Review: ShanghaiExpat 11th Anniversary Party 2011-12-05 16:44

This past Friday, ShanghaiExpat rolled out the red carpet to celebrate its eleventh year. And what a birthday celebration it was.

Fashion and glamour filled Kathleen’s 5 restaurant as expats and Chinese alike gathered to celebrate this landmark occasion, Hollywood style. As guests entered this trendy hotspot they were greeted by beautiful young ladies, whisked down the red carpet, and photographed as they struck a pose. But this was just the beginning.
SHEX Reviews: The Enchanted Circus of Grimm 2011-12-14 14:53

Fairytales have long been used to sooth children as they fall fast asleep in their mother’s arms. The happy endings and pleasantries in these stories are a perfect way to end a long, hard day in the real world. Escape for a moment, as it happens, into a fantasy land that always ends with the phrase, “Happily Ever After.” The story of Little Red Riding Hood, for example, ends when the young, innocent girl defeats the evil Big Bad Wolf. Good triumphing over Evil – a classic ending for fairytales, and it certainly is comforting while in the safe arms of your mother…

But what happens after “Happily Ever After?” What happens to Little Red Riding Hood after she defeats the Big Bad Wolf? What happens to Gretel (of the famous duo, Hansel and Gretel) after she and her brother outsmart a witch that was about to eat them?

Well, apparently they followed several of their fictitious friends and joined The Enchanted Circus of Grimm, story about the collection of once-magical Grimm characters, banded together under the Big Top and all dealing with life after “Happily Ever After.”
Hard Work and a Bowl of Rice 2011-12-12 15:31

A bespectacled 17 year-old hunched over a textbook, thick rimmed steel glasses, dim light on a cramped desk, crunched ball of used tissue on the desk, so focused and with seemingly no time to blow the nose properly, nor throw the used tissue in the wastepaper basket.
Lasse Gebbers Take: “Art Tour on the Bund – The Directors Cut” 2011-12-08 16:10

I woke up this Saturday morning by the sound of my alarm. Since it was ShanghaiExpat’s 11th Anniversary Party the night before, I didn’t feel all to well and slowly crawled out of bed into my freezing cold room, not the best way to start a Saturday. After a warm shower and a good breakfast things looked better and I felt ready for the day. The reason for this unusual habit of waking up early on a Saturday was an invitation I got for the Art Tour on the Bund – The Directors Cut which is part of the “Art on the Bund” program. Coming from a family of artists, I was very interested to see what Shanghai’s art world has to offer.
China’s Sexual Revolution 2011-12-07 13:59

China is the subject of much controversy and intrigue, receiving coverage in every part of the western media on an almost daily basis. Misunderstandings of Chinese politics and culture serve to sharpen judgements and further the east/west divide. Ironically, never before have the two opposing sides of the globe been more heavily interlinked or had a more profound effect on each other’s social identity.
Punchline Comedy Hits the Mark in Shanghai 2011-11-22 18:20

Last Friday and Saturday night the Punchline Comedy Club was back in Shanghai doing what they do best: making people laugh. Taking place in front of a packed crowd at The Hacienda, Zapata’s brand new upstairs restaurant, it’s fair to say that the show was a hilarious success. Punchline founder John Moorhead was on hand to make sure everyone was welcomed before handing the microphone off to the show’s moderator Tim Clark.
Choosing an International School for Your Child in Shanghai 2011-10-19 10:24

The latest apple computers, beautiful grassy sports fields, well qualified foreign teaching staff and a pathway to the best universities in the world. These are some of the things that parents have come to expect from the International schools. Therefore, the new parent has a quite a difficult job choosing among these schools, as they all offer so much and promise even more.
Colin Cayer's Take: Kung Fu Komedy 2011-10-27 14:14

Ah, another smoky bar on the Bund. This time it’s Brix Shanghai Pub. They’ve got a drink special. For 100RMB you can have and share (if you’re into that) four beers chilling in a bucket of icy goodness. On stage, the lighting guy plays with the pink and blue and green. A man, the drummer of the act to follow, with a very rock-n-roll haircut sits at the drum kit in a red t-shirt. Another man this one with an Australian accent tests the mic. A few people in the front appear to have heard a joke of some kind, but they haven’t quite gotten the sound right for those lurking at the back and main bar. Get the beer special. A delicious and certainly genuine draft of Guinness will set you back upwards of 50RMB. It’s worth every upward penny.

“Alright everybody. Welcome to Brix and a big thanks for letting Kung Fu Komedy take over the stage. What a beautiful venue! We’ll be getting started in about ten minutes so enjoy the drink special and we’ll get going shortly,” the Australian fellow informs.
Dreaming of Nature with Wang Yung 2011-11-04 15:22

Wang Yung’s ‘Whimsical Dreamscape’ was a one off art exhibition held last night at O’ gallery, a compact yet charming space with a small courtyard, significantly hidden in the back lanes of Hengshan Lu. Although small, the gallery held a surprising amount of people, carefully manouvering themselves-glass of red wine cupped precariously in hand-around each other and several large 60,000RMB oil paintings. The relaxed atmosphere inside the gallery created an enjoyable viewing experience and did an effective job of portraying the character of the artist.