Christmas is just around the corner! For all of you who couldn't make it home for the holidays, as always Shanghai will keep you swimming in sumptuous Christmas meals. Below we've selected a few options that caught our eye, from the non-traditional to the best bang for your buck. Make sure you call for reservations, as many places tend to fill up. Take a look, and take your pick! more ›

If you're trying to impress friends with a fine appreciation for alcohol (and let's be honest, wine tasting and even whiskey tasting is a tad bourgeousie now) Haiku ifc is offering round three of their interesting Sake Sensei 101 dinners on Monday, March 21 at 7pm. For 300RMB, you'll be introduced to 4 different sakes --the brewing process, what junmai and ginjo mean, the proper temperature it should be served at and so on. The esoteric spirit will be paired with a 7-course dinner of dishes not found on their regular menu and keep in mind there is limited seating, so your RSVP is required. For that, please contact Sarah Mayra 13122278752 or email haiku.pr@gmail.com. For more cool events, take a look at our calendar. If you have an event you'd like to submit, please send us an email at calendar@shanghaiist.com. more ›

• Facebook blunder betrays NZ millionaires [ABC] "Interpol is still trying to find a couple of cashed-up Kiwis, believed to be living it up in Asia, after they were mistakenly given $8 million ($NZ10 million) by Westpac. Rotorua service station owners Leo Gao and his girlfriend Cara Young fled New Zealand with about $NZ3 million after they discovered the money in their bank account. But their chances of being caught have increased after they were joined overseas by Ms Young's sister, Aroha Hurring, who posted details about their location on her Facebook page. Police believe the trio are in China after Ms Hurring foolishly updated her status to say she was drinking the local Asian beer and enjoying the heat."
• Taiwan Firm to Offer Google Phone in China [WSJ] "HTC Corp. plans next month to start selling in China a smart phone based on Google Inc.'s Android operating system, the first Google-based phone in the world's biggest wireless market, HTC Chief Executive Peter Chou said in an interview. The new HTC phone is a version of the company's Magic model, unveiled in February, that has been customized to incorporate software from China Mobile Ltd. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile operator, with nearly 500 million accounts."
• In Chinese city, WWII enemies are now partners [LA Times] "Looking back, Japanese businessman Tomatsu Ito says, he might as well have moved to Mars rather than a few hours' flight away to China... Often desperate, he would phone JianHua Yang, his second in charge at the branch office of an Osaka, Japan-based software company. Yang is a Dalian native who, like many here, speaks Japanese. Their budding bicultural friendship symbolizes a trend here: Ito is among thousands of Japanese flocking to this bustling port on China's eastern seaboard. Resentment still runs deep in China over Japan's 40 years of often brutal colonial rule in this region in the early 1900s, but Dalian has become a singularly welcoming oasis."

We folks in Pudong are very excited about the long-overdue Japanese supermarket that recently opened in the basement of Yaohan, or more widely known as Babaiban (八佰伴). more ›

ChinaSmack translates a post found on Tianya (now deleted) on a violent fight between Japanese and Chinese students at the Shanghai International Studies University that's said to have taken place on Monday:

At present, the police, including the special police present, have already dispatched 10 police vehicles to maintain order, and the gathered crowd has just dispersed. more ›

Shoka Reduxa: Back when little Shoka opened up as part of the Loft 98 trifecta early this year, most saw the restaurant as an attempt to move in on Haiku's turf. Specifically, upscale and modern sushi wrapped up in a trendy dining experience that attracts tons of business. Months later, with too many conspicuously empty tables, Shoka started offering an all-you-can-eat-and-drink special on certain days of the week to jump start business. Now, we've discovered, the special is an option on any day of the week. more ›

Well, if you don't have time to watch all of the Olympic games, here's the ultra-short mime version, performed on Japanese television. We especially like the swimming. more ›

“You’d think Mister Tsuri would’ve tasted the food before he opened his stadium,” slurred a jovial member of our dinner party, as we spilled sake down our throats in a red-shag-carpeted cube. more ›

We got a last minute heads up on a electronica duo playing at Mao tonight that should get early evening blog readers off the computers and into the club. Hailing from Japan, and named Miami, they are bringing an interesting 8-bit electro/violin mix to Shanghai. Tickets are 50rmb and include a free drink....doors at 9pm. Mao - 46 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu, 岳阳路46号，近东平路 Abe Deyo is Shanghaiist's Music Editor. Email tips, recommendations, news and... more ›