Another big event, another strange mascot to delight the children and adults (and by delight I mean confuse and terrify). Meet Jing Jing, the mascot of the 2011 World Aquatics Competiton that's taking place in Shanghai from July 16-31. He's a pair of swimming goggles with a mouth and no body - his limbs come off of his eyes (there are drawings of him for every event at the championship if you're curious). more ›

• No worries about getting the runs while exploring the World Expo - Shanghai has been making extensive efforts to ensure that we are never far from a toilet. The city has installed toilets about every 200 meters for the estimated 400,000 daily visitors expected each day. In addition, sophisticated rubbish collection systems will help us to forget we're in a Chinese city. [Shanghai Daily]
• Looking for something culturally stimulating this week? The Tony award winning Soul of Shaolin tells the story of Hui Guang, a son and his mother. The show is a stunning display of Wushu Kung Fu that is sure to astound you. The performance starts this Thursday at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. [Smart Shanghai]
• China is planning on forming an organization of top universities called the C9 and Shanghai's very own Fudan University and Shanghai JiaoTong University will join with other prestigious schools across the nation in a Chinese "Ivy League". We wonder if they're copying this tradition for better education opportunities for their students or to increase elitism? [People's Daily]