Are you hoping to come visit Shanghai for the Expo 2010 but are not sure whether you could afford the exorbitant hotel prices here? Check out Tourboarding.com, a new website that connects you with Chinese people that are willing to host you for free -- all you'll have to do is to speak in English with your hosts for a minimum of two hours everyday! Apparently, 5,000 eager Chinese families have already signed up in the last 30 days for this unique language-exchange-meets-Couchsurfing service -- we're only surprised that interest has not been stronger. Upon arrival at your host family, if you feel like you're living with a freak of a family or in a shithole, you can terminate the relationship at any time and ask Tourboarding for a new match. Doesn't sound like a bad deal at all -- if you can navigate through the Chinglish website to start with. more ›

News flash: there are only 10 days left in 2009! Time to drop the workload and spend some quality time with the friends and fam. If you need food and/or copious amounts of alcohol to help you get through it, we point you to Smart Shanghai for an extensive list of Christmas dinners. For other holiday happenings this week, like maybe a Christmas Market, or a production of the Nutcracker, keep reading: more ›

Shanghai's calendar is looking quite eclectic this week, with musical offerings from jazz to house to reggae. But when you're not lounging on the Bund or jammin' at Shelter, you could also check out a CouchSurfers meeting, an American Apparel fashion show, or a talk on China's growing desertification problem. more ›

Shanghaiist recently caught up with Philippe Tzou, the Shanghai Couch Surfing volunteer. Couch Surfing is a great non-profit organization that helps people travel around the world staying in the homes of like minded people and sharing their knowledge and experiences. Shanghai has developed a unique CS community. As Shanghai-resident Philippe Tzou’s current guest Sascha Wenzlick put it: In Germany loads of people have CS accounts so you don’t get requests to surf so often. But in Shanghai you get weekly requests and CSers even confer to share the guests around. more ›