Results tagged “newzealand”

U.S. President Obama has nominated the first openly gay person to become an ambassador and - would you look at that? - he's based in Shanghai! Shanghai Pride, for real. David Huebner heads the China Practice and International Disputes Practice of Los Angeles law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton from its Shanghai office. While his position still needs to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he's been nominated to be ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. Source: Bloomberg

It's the last full week of August, the rains have subsided and things are finally settling down in the city. Maybe that's why this week is looking a bit empty, as everyone detoxes unwinds from a crazy summer.

Daily allowance on long-haul flights: NZ$55 (RMB310)

Note: we couldn't find a way to embed the video, so click on the image to check out the site. Also, for some reason the piece on Hamilton House is at the beginning and very end of a separate and longer business report, so don't recoil when the image moves from young attractive diners to an older male business reporter.

"China's giant centre Yao Ming will undergo surgery Monday to fix a stress fracture in his left foot, the Houston Rockets announced on Saturday."

The last time an anchor from our favourite TV channel made it to the news, he created such a brouhaha that culminated in the eviction of one coffee company from the Forbidden City. In the news this time is New Zealand-born anchor Edwin Maher who for many years before arriving in China was a weatherman with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The Los Angeles Times published a profile of Maher that started it all off. It...

This week's Shanghai pub news HAMILTON HOUSE: Hamilton House Restaurant and Bar (137 Fuzhou Road 福州路137号) opened last week and is located at the corner of Fuzhou and Jiangxi Roads, opposite the Metropole Hotel and a couple of blocks back from the Bund. Hamilton House is a 1930s art deco building with nice high ceilings and reminds me of many bars in Melbourne. On the ground floor (i.e. first floor for you North American readers)...

Who is Yacht ?

China will offer religious services for foreigners arriving for the 2008 Olympic Games, an official in charge of religious affairs said.

Calling all Shanghai entrepreneurs! Come meet new faces and get to know other like-minded individuals at this week's NextStep event which features Tony Mustafa of Essential Finance. All are welcome, no membership required, and no cover charge.

Our Shanghai champions that went to the finals of the Cocktail World Cup held in Queenstown, New Zealand, have come back and done us proud! Unshaken by an itinerary that included some really extreme cocktail shaking via bungy-jumping, on top of a mountain and on a jet boat, Cross from Vault and Alex from Volar (together with Johnsen from Aria in Beijing) emerged fourth after Teams Vegas, New Zealand and England. Okay, so they weren't tops but it appears they did manage to wow some of the biggest mixologists around like New York cocktail king Dale DeGroff.

A New Zealand-born contestant of the first series of Big Brother Australia, Gordon Sloan, has died in Beijing on a suspected heroin overdose.

In other Shanghaiist news, our favourite media blog Danwei has offered your correspondent a very special Toilet Bowl Award as part of their recent Model Worker's Awards for "posting regularly about news that no one else is finding, and translating some of the more interesting stuff on the Chinese Internet". We have also been singled out for our "excellent contribution to the toilet sector, for the posts Shanghai artist's Nike poo, and especially for the video displayed at this page: New bidet that doubles as enema and colon cleanser." We wish we could take all the credit for it but the first story came in as a tip while the second one was a quite a boo-boo on our part. We've actually since unpublished the post (but somehow it still appears), reason being, one of our colleagues already wrote about it earlier this year. Anyhow, we shall graciously accept our toilet bowl and promise to polish it religiously.

As Malaysia celebrates its 50th birthday, the unity of the nation has shown cracks along racial and religious divides. Meanwhile, former premier Mahathir Mohammed is recovering after heart surgery

Tuesday saw a new champion being crowned at the Shanghai Regional Finals of the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup at Bar Rouge. Although we were expecting to see a lot more fancy shmancy juggling and tossing, there was a wide variation in the style of cocktails, and plenty of showy tricks -- liquid nitrogen, torches, fancy garnishes and what have you. Cross from Vault Bar & Lounge, who used to be a chef, showed how the kitchen and the bar are coming much closer together, by completely reinventing the '90s nightmare with his 42 Rosemary Chocolate Martini which was topped with a Sichuan pepper foam. Alex of Volar, the second runner up will join Cross and Johnson Ren from Aria at the China World Hotel (the winner from the Beijing leg) in representing Team China in Queenstown, New Zealand for the grand final shakeoff. We didn't get to sample any of the winning creations (nobody knows we're a cocktail connoisseur), but before Cross heads down under, we might make our way to Vault and get him to make us his rosemary choctini (mmmm... death by chocolate). Once again, we hate to come across as taking yet another tired jibe at Bar Rouge, but service kinda left a lot to be desired (and we know we aren't the only ones complaining) on an otherwise splendid evening in a fabulous location. [Photos by Don Yap]

From just 300,000 in 1978, the number of foreign visitors to China reached 22 million in 2006, excluding arrivals from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Never unhappy to hear about new pizza joints opening in the city, Shanghaiist is excited to find out that one of the most controversial pizza chains in the world might be coming to China; Hell Pizza. We say might because Shanghaiist isn’t sure at this point and we are waiting for official word from the franchise, but we did stumble upon this site, which may or may not be associated with the official Hell Pizza chain (same logo though). Also of note, this site mentions that Hell Pizza is interested in the China market:

Shanghaiist needs a massage. On Saturday we took part in the 2007 Great Wall Marathon, a race of 42.195km (26 miles), including two stretches of about 9km each on the Great Wall itself. The rest in the countryside. About 1,300 runners — a lot of Americans, some South Africans, Australians, Mexicans, Dutch, Danish, British, a few French ... and even four goats and an Olympic female mountain biker from New Zealand — took part in the marathon. We all started at 7.30 am ... and seven hours later, Shanghaiist completed the race, with sore legs and sunburned shoulder. But how proud we were!

During the golden week, Shanghaiist published the rumor that world class diva Christina Aguilera (the artist formally known as X-tina) would be coming to Shanghai to belt out some of her latest hits. At the time of the announcement, Ms. Aguilera was awaiting approval from the Shanghai government censors, something Jay-Z is very familiar with. At the time, Shanghaiist was "praying on every dumpling" that the censors would approve the concert because we are big...

Thanks to a tip from vadaga, Shanghaiist learned that now you only have one option to login to your existing MySpace 麦斯贝 account page in mainland China - use of an anonymising proxy.

Image of Yang Huiyan, now China's richest person, from China Daily.

The cheat is on - a look at adultery around the world

"Urban parts of China show about 18.3 per cent of the married men cheating."

Zhou claims first for China, Lel wins again

"Zhou came to London to gain experience in an event she only began training for in 2002 and promptly gave warning to her better-known rivals that she would be one to watch at the world championships in August and next year's Beijing Olympics."

What Should a Chinese Car Look Like?

From the Shanghai Auto Show. "What is missing? Almost anything that could indicate the emergence of a distinctly Chinese school of automotive design."

Thousands of China's dams are 'time bombs' waiting to burst

"On Thursday, 1,700 people had to be evacuated from four villages after a dam in northwest China's Gansu province was breached, causing water to flood the surrounding area and destroying a highway bridge."

China confirms terrorist camps in Pak

"In a major blow to Pakistan's counter-terrorism credentials, China has for the first time publicly acknowledged the existence of terrorist camps within the territory of its 'all-weather' ally."

China Has Tough Draw in Women's World Cup

"China are set to face off against Denmark, New Zealand and Brazil in the group stage of the women's World Cup after the draw was made public on Sunday in Wuhan, the largest city of central China."

Cosmetics Banned from Exaggeration, Medical Claims

"Chinese cosmetic producers are to be banned from exaggerating the effects of their products, with wording like '100 percent effective' or 'removes freckles instantly'."

China tries to replenish Yangtze's fish

"Chinese officials have release 400,000 rare fish into the Yangtze River as part of an effort to save the river's fish stocks."

China's 'Sun King' Hails Clean-Energy

"Today, he has traded his research smock for blue business suits, a CEO's 63rd-floor corner office and a role advising the Chinese government on renewable energy policy."

Gates Says Microsoft Will Open More Campuses in China

"Microsoft is stepping up research operations in a market where about 80 percent of business software is pirated, and more than 90 percent of 1.3 billion people don't own computers. Earlier this week, Gates, announced a $3 software package for students."

I am officially, The Blogger

"That's right, I'm now a semi-quasi-paid blogger, but IMHO the biggest plus is the knowledge that you have your own cartoon headshot."

: Shanghai in the Movies

"This movie turned out to be a classic. I'll wait a while and re-watch it later, but right now I have to say this is both one of the best Chinese movies ever made, and also one of the best movies from the 30s worldwide."

Fishing for Lunch In an Urban Haven Out of Old China

"But at least for a while on this early morning, the small lake in one corner of the park, surrounded by a tumble of boulders and the tall willows, was a place to step back in time." Ritan Park in Beijing.

Postcard: Wolong

"Wu Gong is not the only one rejecting China's panda breeding program, in which scientists have deployed everything from panda porn (films of the animals mating) to Viagra (the drug didn't work) ..."

China Vs. Earth, The Nation: The World's Leading Polluter Has Plenty Of Room To Improve

"The message is clear: Shanghai under water, Tibetan glaciers disappearing, crop yields in precipitous decline, epidemics flaring. "

New Luxury Boutique Hotel to Open in Shanghai in 2008

"The Place Hotel & Spa ... will be an exciting new addition to the city’s luxury boutique hotel scene when it opens early next year. The hotel will be ... part of the Park Place development which is set to be a new business landmark on Nanjing Lu West."

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Photo by 2 dogs found via the Shanghaiist Contribute page.

Critics have ladled some lavish praise upon the 23-year-old pianist, who began tickling the ivories — “really playing!” Ottignon insists — at the age of one, when most of us were still trying to wrap our heads around the concept of left-foot-right-foot-left-foot-right-foot. At age 11, he picked up what was to be his first of many jazzman accolades — New Zealand’s 'most outstanding jazz musician under 25' honours. “My grandmothers on both sides were pianists,” he explains. “It came very naturally at a young age.” And it seems that music courses through the veins of the entire Ottignon clan — Aron has shared the stage with both brother Matt (saxophone, and occasionally flute and clarinet) and sister Holly (vocals) in various projects.

According to the Shanghai Youth Daily (via CRI), 10 women have been scammed selected to make a trip out to Silicon Valley to meet the potential loves of their lives.

That's what some people are saying. According to China Radio International, the Shanghai Morning Post reported earlier this week that Spider-Man 3, expected to be one of the summer's biggest blockbuster movies, got the seal of approval from China's censors and will "open in theaters on the Chinese mainland on May 1, even though it won't be released in the United States until May 4." Pacific Epoch also reports this, citing the Legal Evening News as its source. They say the movie will appear "in theaters in Beijing on May 1." If true, moviegoers in China will be the first in the world (aside from those at the Tokyo world premiere on April 16) to witness "a strange black entity from another world bond with Peter Parker and cause inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge."

The Private Property Party

"China Digital Times has noted a Wall Street Journal article that reports on heightened sensitivities around the subject - sensitivities that may have resulted in the current issue of the business magazine Caijing being pulled and revised."

China lawmaker wants Forbidden City free of Starbucks

"A member of China's parliament has demanded the immediate closure of a Starbucks coffee shop set up inside Beijing's Forbidden City, the Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday."

Ads for fashion and soda pop pollute campuses

"Ads for soft drinks and fashion magazines have crept onto Chinese campuses - not only spoiling the ambiance but undermining the very essence of education in the arts and sciences."

Hotels told to stock Bibles for Olympic visitors

"The majority of the foreign visitors expected during the 2008 Games have religious beliefs, and we should cater to their needs," said Liu Bainian, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Who Painted the Mountain Green?

"What is the truth about the 'green paint on the mountain in Fumin county, Yunnan' incident that shook up the nation? Does the local government bear any responsibility? Was this the act of an individual businessman?"

China says it will try to execute fewer prisoners

"In a joint statement released late Sunday, the Supreme People's Court, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Justice and the country's top prosecutor also said condemned prisoners should not be paraded through the streets and suspects should not be tortured."

Chinese pursue virtual sanity in online gambling

"The government took its assault on the internet gaming world a step further this week with an announcement that it perceives the explosion in virtual currencies used in a variety of online gaming forums – everything from Second Life to World of Warfare to virtual poker rooms – as a serious threat to its national security."

Western China to have 37 new airports between 2006-10

"The overall airport reconstruction project in the western China region will cost 52 billion yuan (6.5 billion US dollars), including an input of 9.6 billion yuan (1.2 billion dollars) and the sum is higher than the input for the same use in east China, according to media reports from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC)."

Apple Promises To Improve iPod After-Sales Service In China

"Apple has sent a letter to Shanghai Municipal Consumer Interest Protection Commission and said that it will make improvements on its after-sales service, which has seen many complaints from Chinese users."

Boutique Hotels in Shanghai

"Until now, one kind of establishment has eluded the city: the boutique hotel. But a new wave of these hotels are opening this year, providing yet another lure to entice the young international travelers who are already flocking to this city, whose transformation is occurring at breathtaking speed."

EBay's China efforts suffer another setback

"Yet nearly three months later, the deal's appeal among consumers and financial community is waning after an initial burst of interest, according to Tom Group Inc., one of Tom Online's largest shareholders."

China to develop large commercial aircraft by 2020

"China expects to start making large commercial aircraft developed domestically by 2020, an aviation industry official said Monday, raising the possibility of competition for Boeing and Airbus in the country's booming market for new planes."

Shanghai to host X Games Asia 2007

"More than 200 top athletes of extreme sports from America, Brazil, Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries and regions will compete for over US$100,000 on X Games Asia 2007 this May in Shanghai." America? Brazil?

Shanghai residents protest extension of maglev train

"Thousands of residents in the districts of Xuhui, Minhang and Pudong have already been told that move they must. Many feel taken by surprise. Expressions of opposition have proliferated on the internet."

Snap-happy Shanghai students skimp on book costs

"Bookshop owners in Shanghai are snapping at an influx of camera-wielding pirates taking photos of pages to avoid paying for pricey books, local media reported on Monday."

Shanghai players cash in after beating champions Shandong

"A fierce strike from midfielder Yu Tao seven minutes into the second half, however, gave Shenhua victory over Shandong on Sunday and earned the team a share of a two million yuan ($258,300) bonus from multimillionaire owner Zhu Jun."

Safe strolling from Richmond Park to Shanghai

"Silvercross, the iconic British pram company that supplied generations of Windsor babies, has struck a deal to sell its products in China, becoming the latest UK company to cash in on the booming Chinese middle class desire for heritage brands." Pram?

Bike lanes to be linked around Shanghai

"Traffic authorities in Shanghai will link cycling lanes around the city this year to create a network of lanes with no obstructions, as one of several measures to improve conditions for drivers and cyclists in the city."

Shanghai Hotline

"The Shanghai Call Centre, which was launched almost a year ago, provides both English and Chinese information about tourist destinations, culture, sports, trade, medical care and other issues concerning daily life in Shanghai."

Grocery Cost in Shanghai, 2007

"Please note: supermarket is fine tuned for convinience, not neccessary for price, or quality. If you want more fresh vegetables, and fruits, many some local market is better, such as the Beicai Market nearby."

China looks to rein in bloggers

"China will intensify controls of the growing numbers of bloggers using the Internet to lay bare their thoughts, politics and even bodies, the country's chief censor has announced."

Starbucks Coffee Break March 15th

"All company-operated and licensed Starbucks stores in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Greater China will be giving away free Tall (12-ounce) cups of coffee to anyone who drops by."

Chinese Movie Database Blog

"I want to use the blog to not only discuss the development of Chinese Movie Database, but also the movie news that interests me, and my experiences of movie going, and perhaps other things."

China lawmaker proposes dog tax

"A Chinese lawmaker has proposed a tax on urban dog-owners to curb growing numbers of the animals and to fight rabies, state media has reported."

Property rights in China: China's next revolution

"A new property law is a breakthrough, even though it raises hopes that one-party rule may dash"

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Photo by Mike Chen found via the Shanghaiist Contribute page.

The match signifies the dawn of a new era in Asian football, as the A-League side enter the Asian fray for the first time since Australia quit the Oceania confederation a year ago to join the Asian one.

There's a few things in this life that start with the letter M that Shanghaiist doesn't like. Malingerers, marmite, and men with no moustache but full beards (OK, the last one is a bit of a stretch M-wise). Some would say that these are irrational and ill-conceived categorisations, but there is another one on the list that isn't — and that is mosquitoes. And it looks like Shanghaiist isn't going to enjoy our coming summer evenings.

Shanghaiist has learnt that if you synchronize the seminal Pink Floyd record The Dark Side of the Moon with the evening footage displayed on the Aurora building in Lujiazui, certain previously hidden messages are unearthed.