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Getting married? Say cheese!
Feature / Features
Written by : Lena Gidwani
Sep 1, 2008
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Love may not cost a thing, but a wedding sure does. Just
ask one of the many couples here in China who have recently
tied the knot. After lifetimes of scrimping and saving,
they've decided that the joy of making money lies
in well, spending it. There doesn't seem to be a lack of companies
offering wedding services either. With everyone craving a piece
of the highly profitable wedding cake, shops are offering everything
from flowers and tiered cakes, to catering and honeymoon
travel. But above all, flashy photographs remain the mainstay of
the business and a must for the marriage-minded of China's nouveau
generation. The logic of course, is that while the wedding
only lasts a day, the pictures last a lifetime. And like countless
other couples in China, they aren't content to merely capture the
magic moments of matrimony spontaneously on film; they plan to
choreograph each and every one. In fact, most studios can accommodate
just ab ... ... |
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Bad Language
Feature / Features
Written by : Zoe Pan
Sep 1, 2008
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Iam a stupid, lazy foreigner. If I'm not, then I certainly feel
like one on a fairly regular basis. After five years in China,
my Mandarin still merits nothing more than the faintest of
faint praise: it's not bad. Maybe I'm doing OK considering
I've only ever had a handful of proper lessons, but after half a
decade here, I feel I should be nattering away with ease. Instead,
my vocabulary contains more holes than Beijing's artfully-perforated
Birds' Nest, I respond to questions so slowly that I may as
well be listening via satellite link-up from a different continent,
and the only time I really feel on top of a conversation is when
I'm talking to someone who is a third of my height and still has
their butt cheeks poking out the back of their romper suit.
But at least I'm not alone. A survey published by the
Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences last month revealed
that while Guangdong's capital is now home to expats from 153
different counties, m ... ... |
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24 hours in...Singapore
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Christine Laskowski
Sep 1, 2008
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8:30am: The Singapore Zoo. Get an
early start, as the animals do. See the
white tigers, kangaroos, pygymy hippos
and Abyssinian baboons. From 9- 10 am
daily, the Singapore Zoo features its Jungle
Breakfast with Wildlife where you can eat
your croissants and fresh fruit with the
world's largest number of orangutans in
captivity.
11:30am: Mandai Orchid Garden. Located
within the Singapore Botanic Gardens and
home to over 200 varieties of orchids, some
of which are available for purchase, as well
as for tasting. Yes, if you want to sample
some on a plate, have lunch at Vanilla
Pod Restaurant and Bar and sample these
beautiful orchids in a range of gourmet
dishes, from crab salads to mango crème
brulee.
12:30pm: Arab District. Check out the
Sultan Mosque and roam around its pastelcolored
stucco streets, lined with palm trees.
Reminds you of a bazaar, in that superclean,
somnolent ... ... |
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On Safari in the Masai Mara
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Christopher Lay
Sep 1, 2008
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As we dropped below the clouds, the plains of the
Masai Mara National Game Reserve sprang into
view. At first glance, the fields and hills appeared
barren and I wondered if the pilot had taken a
wrong turn. However, as the plane descended, visitors began
excitedly pointing out animals on the ground. As our Air
Kenya flight came to a stop, it was clear from the giraffe near
the runway that we were no longer in bustling Nairobi.
Although there are a host of hotels, resorts and camps to
choose from when visiting the Masai Mara, we stayed at the
Governors' Camp, located within the Reserve along a calm
stretch of the Mara River. Not only did this cut down driving
times to view the spectacular scenery, but the animals also
came into the camp. Each night, we were serenaded by the
snorts and hoots of the Mara River hippos as they sang to
one another. We witnessed hippos, giraffes, elephants, bush
babies, warthogs, bats and a guidebook's ... ... |
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Who's up for some wet and wild?
Feature / Features
Written by : Lena Gidwani
Jul 13, 2008
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wild
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While most people don't associate water sports with Guangdong, there are a surprising number of places up north that provide decent aquatic thrills and chills.
A mere 90-minute drive north of Guangzhou (about 70kms) will bring you to the scenic town of Qingyuan, strategically positioned on the Beijiang River at the North tip of the PRD. A very popular tourist area (and commonly referred to as the "green backyard" of the province), Qingyuan boasts a breathtaking combination of mountains and water, reminiscent of the scenery in Guilin. Trek further north towards the clear rivers nestled among the lush peaks and you'll find an action-packed whitewater rafting escapade. Coool.
Ok, so The Colorado River it ain't, and the true adventurer at heart might be a tad disappointed at the 'trickling' speed of the rapids, but it's certainly an activity to get your hear-rate pumping. Expect never-ending torrents of swirling downstream eddies towards ... ... |
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Paradise on the Beach
Feature / Cover Story
Written by :
Jun 5, 2008
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beach
holiday
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| Macau
by Jia Wei Tan
Best beach for black sand
Hác-Sá Beach
Just beyond Cheoc Van Beach is Hác-Sá Beach, where your eyes will be deceived by a long curving stretch of unique black-tinged sand. Hác-Sá means 'black sand', and it is indeed an intriguing colour of deep silvery grey. Longer than Cheoc Van, this beach is also Macau's most popular beach with swimmers and sunbathers.
Not only is Hác-Sá pretty long (around 1,300m), it also boasts some incredibly smooth sand, which has been well known as one of the "Eight Scenes in Macau". It's also the perfect place for stargazing at night, by the way...
Hác-Sá used to be the best natural beach in Macau, yet it has been beaten by erosion somewhat over the years. However, due to the lovely texture of the sand, you'll feel comfortable sunbathing (warning: the color of the sand means it gets extremely hot during these long hot summer day ... ... |
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It's a brave old/new world?
Food+Drink (Guangzhou) / Wine Culture
Written by : Elliot Brenchley
May 12, 2008
Tags :
red wine
old world
new world
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We all know that "old world" wines, meaning those produced by Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Greece, have ruled the world for at least three millennia, yet these have been challenged over the past 50 years by increasingly delicious offerings from the Americas, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. So much so that "new world" and "old world" varieties now seem to be operating on a level playing field. But what do we mean by old and new world? And what myths and misconceptions do they present? And more bluntly, which is the best? Let's find out from our five wine tasters…
The Old World Order
Old world winemakers are very "hands-off" when it comes to producing a wine. The French use the word "terrior" to explain a method of winemaking followed throughout Europe (but not in the new world). Terrior is basically the essence of dirt, rain, bar ... ... |
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Climb every mountain...
Lifestyle / Local Customs
Written by : Lena Gidwani
May 9, 2008
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| Those who aspire to ascend the 29,028-foot peak of Qomolangma (Mt Everest) this month will have to scupper their plans - at least till 10 May. Its temporary "closure" (for obvious reasons) means that adventurers will have to set their sights on something a little less, um, steep, yet closer to home.
For some two thousand years, the grassy peaks of Guangdong have always inspired scholars, scribes, poets and painters. Yet for the rest of us, who want to see havens of beauty undisturbed by pollution and noise, these glorious natural wonders are only a short drive away. Guangzhou leans against the Jiulian Mountains in the north, Luofu Mountain in the west, Qingyun Mountain in the east, and the Jiulian-Nankun Mountain range in the middle, giving the city extraordinary aesthetic mountainous features. Here's our guide to a walk on the high side…
Lotus Mountain
Escape the daily grind with a visit to Lotus Mountain (Lianhua S ... ... |
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Feel the difference in Dalian
Travel / Regional Travel
Written by : Christian Edwards
May 9, 2008
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Dalian
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| So then, find yourself on the appropriately named First Japanese Street and you'll quickly realize there is no city in China quite like Dalian.
Not far from these leafy sidewalks, and behind Victory Bridge, the newly glitzified Russia Street, complete with hawkers touting mini-Stalin dolls, Stalin lighters and Stalin night lamps recall a time when French-influenced Soviet architects were busy trying to help redecorate Russia's new toehold in Asia. It's a sight to behold.
Yet for such a young and buoyant city that so clearly delights in its internationalism, Dalian also hides a painful past that is difficult to reconcile. Gleaming streets and fantastic bars full of giggling Korean students, hard-drinking Japanese salarymen and Russian working girls are testimony to one of China's greatest metropolitan success stories. Dalian has indeed come along way from the brutality of the last century; a century where foreign ambitions and ranging ... ... |
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Spring revival
Art+Culture / Art Focus in Guangzhou
Written by : Sammi Zhou
May 7, 2008
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| S pring is not for studying, says a famous Chinese proverb. That's right, especially in sticky, humid Guangzhou. Take a look around: flowers are blooming and birds are singing, yet we all seem in slow motion, tired and a little overworked. See whether the following events can revive your spirit…
Love is the ageless topic for us humans. The Sapphire Arts Space will present "Puppetry: YuYu MiMi" telling of a love story from May 1 to 3, while the Modern Dance Company will also produce a dance called "And I love You So" displaying different faces of love on May 9. Moreover, from May 16-18, the Asphodèles Theater Company will offer a bilingual comedy (Chinese/French), "Arlequin Explores China", in Nan Fang Theatre, featuring a love story filled with vengeance, passion and jealousy.
In the Xinghai Concert Hall, Fu Cong, the son of China's maestro trans ... ... |
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