Guess what? We're "hipper than Hong Kong and more alluring than Beijing," according to the Associated Press. The words appeared in an AP article on Shanghai pursuing luxury travelers in a strong effort to restore a "reputation for opulence and elegance that once made it the Paris of the Orient." Funnily enough, the article seemed to insinuate that this is something new for our city - a transformation we're rushing to finish in time for the Expo rather than, say, something we've been striving for since the late 1990s. Before this metamorphosing push, we were a "gritty industrial hub of crammed tenements." Huh. We guess the Jinmao and Xintiandi and all the Bund buildings that aren't the Peace Hotel can be considered really, really ahead of their time then?



But apparently not as "diverse" or able to organize wine fundraisers like Beijing - http://bit.ly/3oh6oF
Shanghai is a lot of things both good and bad, but "hip" is hardly one of them.
Actually, the AP article quotes Concierge.com as declaring Shanghai "Hipper than Hong Kong and more alluring than Beijing." Of course, Concierge offers absolutely no editorial to support this claim. What's more, when something is declared as being "hip," it typically ceases to be as such.
Good thing being "hip" has nothing to do with rule-of-law, freedom of information and transparency. Some minor details that a supposed "financial hub" would consider highly important.
Just ask "Stern" Hu.
Ok, now back to the fawning over some dufus in from Scandanavia that hangs iPods from his penis while mixing techno-trance-African log beating in front of all the head swaying white boys in Cotton's.
You went to that show? I thought his use of Sub-Saharan log beating as opposed to the more barrier breaking West African log beating underscored his non-hipness.
On the contrary! That is, in fact, direct evidence of his oozing hipness! The Nigerian log is soaked in freshly pumped petroleum which is the hip nod to how non black he truly is.
Two things:
This post needs a direct link to the authors facebook profile photo-
http://www.facebook.com/people/Elaine-Kurtenbach/1264546076
Secondly it should be re-titled
"The Associated Press just paid for your second grade teacher to visit Shanghai"
/fixed