'Brother Sharp' had private life exposed online
2010-03-19 08:12:31
We have all seen the power of the "cyber manhunt", and how dramatically people's lives can be changed when they are caught in the media spotlight.
Sky-high housing prices out of reach
2010-03-19 08:12:31
I settled down in Beijing last year, in a tiny flat I call "home." I rent it. It's pretty comfortable, and I have even managed to take up a new hobby - reading about the housing market.
Confession of a linguistic spy
2010-03-18 07:55:40
Yes, I am guilty. Put me up against a wall and hang a wooden board around my neck. Let all around know of my crime of linguistic imperialism.
Close encounters of the weird kind can be unsettling
2010-03-18 07:55:40
In the summer of 2008 I enrolled in a German language class in Berlin. The school was a 40-minute ride by tram from where I lived. To save on travel expenses and to get some exercise, I bought a used bicycle at a flea market.
Tips for finding a stress-free 'shelter'
2010-03-18 07:55:40
Psychologist Abraham Maslow in his seminal psychological paper A Theory of Human Motivation introduced the hierarchy of needs, which ranked human necessities in a pyramid with the physical fundamentals of food, clothing and shelter on the bottom. Why? Because without them getting to those other tasks, such as feelings of belonging and self-actualization, would be impossible to meet.
Intercultural relationships here to stay
2010-03-17 07:56:56
Six years ago when I was in college, I showed my American teacher around the campus and my friend asked me: "Why were you walking around
Local hospitals healthier than in LA
2010-03-17 07:56:56
Just in case some of you foreigners (Americans) don't have universal healthcare coverage, and sweat when you contemplate paying for sudden illnesses, I feel duty-bound as a fellow human being to share the good news.
No tears for cheated cheaters
2010-03-17 07:56:56
My patience wore as thin as Donald Trump's comb-over after I read recently about people who ran to the authorities in search of justice after their own attempts to beat the system left them out-of-pocket.
TV trekkers offer lessons for lifestyle
2010-03-16 10:49:27
Television programs in China are often hopelessly boring. Some of my friends install illegal antennas to receive international television channels such as HBO or CNN. I play DVDs or video games on television.
Vanishing bookstores speak volumes
2010-03-16 10:42:36
I am not a bookworm, but I like going to bookstores more than anywhere else.
Fight against mums, officials
2010-03-02 13:38:33
There was an interesting story last week about a woman, asking to be known as Vivian, who advertised online for a man to pretend to be her boyfriend while her mother visited her.
Why it's difficult to battle Web smut
2010-03-15 11:50:52
How has China's latest drive against Web porn fared several months after it was launched?