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Nothing sacred
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
71 days ago
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Nothing sacred
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Lacking a high-profile art scene like Beijing or Shanghai,
Shenzhen is not a city where one gets to see celebrated
artists everyday. Therefore, it was quite remarkable to see the
headliners of the Chinese contemporary art world – along with
a number of noted international curators – gather in the city
for the opening ceremony of the OCT Art & Design Gallery in
Nanshan District.
That "China's first design-themed gallery" opened in
Shenzhen reflected the city's leading position in the Chinese
design industry. Its establishment also completed the "art triangle"
of the OCT Group, the Shenzhen-based real estate
behemoth and enthusiastic art promoter. The triangle's other
two points are the He Xiangning Art Museum, which has
developed into a national-standard museum, and the OCT
Contemporary Art Terminal, which features cutting-edge modern
art.
The OCT Art & Design Gallery, focusing on avant garde
design ideas, i ... ... |
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Battle in Seattle
Art+Culture / Cinema
Written by : Han Ming Jie
71 days ago
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Battle in Seattle
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This directorial debut from Irish actor Stuart
Townsend sets out to recap the gritty, jittery events
of North America's first WTO conference in 1999,
when outbreaks of violence drew global attention to a
subject matter which now (in the shadow of 9/11) has
all but vanished under the radar: anti-globalization.
Battle in Seattle is a fictionalized docu-drama of
those fractious few days when First World trade, Third
World debt and swelling public activism crashed headlong
into the headlines, leaving bystanders pummeled
and perplexed. However, despite the film's obvious sincerity
and passionate ambition, you can't help feeling
here that somebody has sent a boy to do a man's job.
Given the convoluted subject matter, the film's storyline
is easy to follow. Jay (Martin Henderson) and Lou
(Michelle Rodriguez) meet behind the barricades of
the WTO sessions prior to the turmoil. He's your typical
environmental activist; she's the rebel daughter of
lab-mo ... ... |
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On Safari in the Masai Mara
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Christopher Lay
114 days ago
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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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My grandfather was born in Xiamen
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Jean Wong
114 days ago
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As a first generation Canadian immigrant from
the massive pre-1997 Hong Kong exodus, neither
myself nor my parents ever envisioned me returning
to China. Yet I have always felt an irresistible
draw to my homeland. Having led a rather nomadic or as
some have called it, "cosmopolitan" lifestyle, I still continue
to struggle with the question of home and identity.
Rewind a few months and you will find me at a crossroads
in my life, not knowing where to go next or what to do. So I
packed up as much as I could carry and got on a plane to
China. I decided to visit Fujian province, where my grandfather
was born- my heung ha. It seemed like a good place to
start my journey of self-discovery.
As soon as I landed in Xiamen, it felt much easier to
breathe. I had left behind the humid and polluted air of
Guangzhou and exchanged it for a crisp and slightly salty
breeze. Palm trees lined every avenue. I was almost convinced
I had ... ... |
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24 hours in...Singapore
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Christine Laskowski
114 days ago
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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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Bad Language
Feature / Features
Written by : Zoe Pan
114 days ago
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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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Getting married? Say cheese!
Feature / Features
Written by : Lena Gidwani
114 days ago
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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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Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Art+Culture / Cinema
Written by : Han Ming Jie
114 days ago
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It's tough being Woody Allen. Imagine
yourself as one the world's greatest
living directors, famed for your cutting witticisms
and intellectual clout, a heavyweight
of cinema who can secure any Hollywood
star you desire for the price of a processed
hotdog. Now imagine being equally vilified
as boring, outdated, creepy, terminally
clunky, and then having your last film, the
monumentally awful Cassandra's Dream
(2007) labeled as "the worst film in the history
of the motion picture. Ever." Like we
said, it's tough being Woody.
Most directors would pack up and head
for the gin, but what does Allen do? He
heads for Spain and makes the best romantic
comedy of the year, and maybe his best
film in 15 years. Gorgeous, sexy, wistfully
light yet always engaging, Vicky Cristina
Barcelona is a return to form with bells and
whistles on top. A trio of beautiful actors,
plus a sweet little script, swooning locations
and a sati ... ... |
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Time for a rethink
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
115 days ago
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elieve it or not, the Guangzhoubased
Guangdong Museum of
Art (GDMoA) is now the biggest
collector of contemporary art in China
(despite the fact that many people still
consider Guangzhou a "cultural desert")
due to the PRD's liberal atmosphere and
open-mindness. And it is the enormous
success of the grand-scale Guangzhou
Triennial that must be thanked for taking
the GDMoA to the top of the Chinese art
scene.
In 2002, the First Guangzhou Triennial
was held by the GDMoA as China's
second greatest contemporary art exhibition
after the Shanghai Biennale.
With little official participation, the
independently financed Guangzhou
Triennial was allowed to be quite a bit
edgier than its Shanghai counterpart.
Entitled "Reinterpretation: A Decade of
Experimental Chinese Art," it made a
striking debut by giving a systematic introduction
to the most significant contemporary
Chinese works created between
... ... |
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Sexiest Suits
Lifestyle / PRD Fashion
Written by : by Sammi Zhou, photos by Tim & Woody
175 days ago
Tags :
Sexiest Suits
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| A sexy must-have swimming suit makes for a perfect summer!
Supermodels you may not be, but with the right suit on, you're sure to turn a few heads. Here are some tips to help bring out the best in you...
A-Cup Ladies
For those worried about the lack of assets in particular areas, fear not! Choose bra tops with paddings, some crumpled design or bold colors
and patterns.
Baggy Hips
Straight pants and mini-skirts will give you a slimmer look.
Wear lighter colors to visually lighten the weight of your lower
body.
Short Legs
Avoid straight pants in heavy color tones, which will only make your legs look shorter and fatter. Replacing it is the high-leg design.
Short Legs
Avoid straight pants in heavy color tones, which will ... ... |
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