HP laptops leave bad taste in the mouth
2010-03-30 08:13:14
Hewlett Packard has been in the news recently after problems with its graphics card caused laptop screens to die for many frustrated users. These things happen from time to time and the standard practice is a complete recall of affected products. However, in this case, HP has refused to recall the malfunctioning laptops or even accept blame.
Adventures with my beard
2010-03-30 08:13:14
My father's Italian ancestry has blessed and cursed me with a thick, coarse, dark beard; the kind of beard that requires constant shaving, snipping and plucking to keep me from becoming something akin to "an American werewolf in China". However, without my properly named Mr Scruffy I am convinced my life would be much duller than it is.
Drought in the southwest a timely warning
2010-03-29 07:56:40
With southwest China hit by a drought, there have been renewed public appeals for water conservation in Beijing.
My favorite Beijing streets
2010-03-29 07:56:40
While great cities are often defined by their buildings and landmarks, streets play an equal, if not more important, role in the identity of a metropolise.
Old-fashioned weddings waste time and money
2010-03-26 08:02:43
When my boyfriend, now husband and I started talking about getting married, we had dozens of pictures in mind of how we would celebrate the big day, including bungee jumping, sky diving or planting trees, etc. Having a wedding banquet was never one of them.
Cyber space lacks morality
2010-03-26 08:02:43
In his book East Look West See, the author Zhai Hua - no relation to me - voices the problem with our surname:
Some hutong not worth it
2010-03-25 08:09:21
I think a lot of foreigners misunderstand the place hutong have in the hearts of most Chinese.
Piano, piano, stressed Beijingers
2010-03-24 08:05:27
I was not surprised when I heard that an Italian caretaker switched off the lights at Rome's historic Pantheon one Sunday to force the Bach Consort Group to leave the stage.
It's a wild, wild life for expats
2010-03-24 08:05:27
It's a disorder that's been spreading through the expat population for years, undetected, untreatable. It starts as soon as you step off the plane and doesn't stop until you leave. It infects family, destroys morals and defiles sense of duty.
On the stump for woodlands
2010-03-23 08:08:53
Which would you rather have in your neighborhood - a grove of large trees, or a busy street lined with dozens of bars?
Investment bank tabloid
2010-03-22 08:09:27
When I worked at an investment bank the first thing my boss taught me was the importance of discretion.
A deeply-seated local habit
2010-03-19 08:12:31
If every culture has its distinctive cuisine and customs can every culture also lay claim to a unique physical posture?