Around Shanghai: Cheap DVDs, expensive studies and nasty weather

• Those of you who want to buy a cheap DVD of the Olympic opening ceremony had better hurry up as the Shanghai Culture Inspection Team is planning a crackdown on pirated versions of this show. No worries though, the official DVD of the ceremony will still be available RMB 55.
• Just as school is about to start Shanghai has been listed as the most expensive city for university and college students in mainland China. According to the China News Agency's, a university student in Shanghai needs to spend about RMB1000 on food and housing each month. In the cheapest city for students, Chongqing, just RMB500 would suffice each month!
• As anyone living here will have noticed, a storm with heavy thunder and rain — the worst in 100 years — hit Shanghai on Monday the 25th. No casualties have been reported, but over 60 of the city's streets were flooded.
• Lei Qingwen, a 22 year old from Anhui province has been sentenced to death for the murder of a 34 year old woman in Fengxian District earlier this year. Lei, who worked as an unlicensed taxi driver, was given a two year reprieve by Shanghai's No.1 Intermediate People's Court.
• Yingzhou Gudiao, a classical instrument descended from Chongming Island is now officially a part of Chinese National Intangible Cultural Heritage, together with another 510 new items. We hope this traditional pipa won't go the same way as China's river dolphins and southern tigers.

Photo of Fudan University byJames Chen