Getting involved to help each other out

After becoming a mother, I discovered a whole other side to the Shanghai party scene. The Shanghai mother community is a subculture that is so much more than just a group of moms having lunch. Many mothers are active in a wide variety ... Read more »

Morning Shanghai. It's my debut as your daily headlines blogger for City Weekend. I'll be translating and putting into perspective Shanghai's daily headlines from the biggest newspaper, Shanghai Morning Post or Xīnwén Chénbào. Let me know what you think. Hope to hear back from you.

Front page ... Read more »

Granted, it's a pretty harsh word to use, but 'prejudiced' doesn't warrant 7, count them, 7 cabs pulling up next to us last night, taking a look at 3 white guys, and then driving a few meters down the road to pick up locals.

This went on for ... Read more »

So on top of everything else happening this week (see Your Next Seven Days ), also check out V Bar's soft opening at Pier One.

This multi-part complex by Suzhou Creek will be home to an Italian restaurant on the first floor (requisite DJ spinning dinner-time tunes: check), a boutique ... Read more »

Fourth of July festivities abound this week(end) as blue passport holders come out to party. Enjoy more traditional celebrations with AmCham, Blues Room, Bubba's (a barbecue and golf tournament), Otto, Bulldog Shanghai and Malone's, or take it to the next level with a more raucous time by ... Read more »

The nine dates in Shanghai that you never thought of, but wish you had

We all know how tough it is to plan that perfect date. Dinner, a movie and coffee afterwards is fine if you want a ho-hum evening that's been done before. While we suggest you avoid ... Read more »

Small Talk With... A Film DirectorShanghai's usually about the big screen, but Eric Ransdell and FLY Films look to the small (cab) screens in mid July to make their mark on Shanghai and the future film industry.

Tell us about your upcoming film. It's called Shanghai 2088 ... Read more »

Moments Lost in Obscurity

Presented in a darkened room, the mood of this group exhibition featuring new media by Chinese artists is somewhat dispiriting. In Jin Jiangbo's Commemoration Series-Cloud of Angels, stuffed birds hang in the semi-gloom like extras in a Hitchcock film, making the viewer feel an uneasiness ... Read more »

Shanghai’s F&B venues take on the art scene

You may have noticed that things are starting to look a little different in your favorite eateries. Many of Shanghai's restaurants and bars are giving their walls a makeover, displaying the works of local artists. Indicative of this phenomenon ... Read more »

07 / 08 Soundbites captures a year of live music

There's some old adage about appreciating what you have while it's around because eventually it will leave you. Things can only be so good for so long.

After a recent prolific run of live music, Shanghai's alternative-music culture ... Read more »

New House, Old Song

The House of Blues & Jazz's move to the Bund was as much of a venue upgrade as it was a relocation, but the new venue maintains an Old Shanghai vibe, just with a major facelift. The dim lighting, wood paneling and comfortable furniture creates a ... Read more »

A Favorite Gets a Face-Lift

For all the Bund party goers looking for a new hot spot to dance away the summer nights, you'll feel right at home at Mundo Latino's reincarnation, Bar Hulu. The black-and-white mirror laden interior boasts a sleek contemporary design. Candles abound throughout the ... Read more »

Why girls totally act gay in pictures

Yesterday while I was Face-book-stalking my ex-girlfriend's newest pictures, making sure that I was sleeping with more people than she was, I ended up having a bonus educational experience as well upon discovering a new phenomenon: females that temporarily trade their sexual ... Read more »

Are Shanghai expats homophobic?

I recently read on Fridae.com that Hong Kong actor Leung Yu Chung said that if he was approached by a flirtatious gay man, he would respond with violence. Then another blog entry closer to home caught my attention, but this time it was from an ... Read more »

Anja Ersson - Fun-loving mom

Ready for take-off! Shanghai, here I come. Having a husband who flies in and out of Shanghai on a regular basis, we tend to split the time between cities. I accompany him as often as possible to spend as much time as I can in this ... Read more »

Whilst it's no Karate Ghostbusters, I still had a blast watching Kung-Fu Panda at the cinema recently.

Blessed as we are with 5RMB DVDs on every street corner, it's easy to forget how much cooler movies look on the big screen, and that goes double for the richly ... Read more »

Calligraphy Master & Teacher

Painting is passionate and goes very well with good music, even better with a good drink. When not in my studio teaching, I love mingling and meeting people from all over the world. One of my longtime favorite places is LOgO because of its great live music ... Read more »

Panda PoShining on Shanghai

Last year the Shanghai International Film Festival invited loose-lipped Sharon Stone as special guest. To avoid the same mistake, this year the festival brought over only one Hollywood star: the two-meter tall Panda Po of the animated film, Kung Fu Panda. The film's Shanghai ... Read more »

Downward Roll

Strolling through the leafy lanes of the former French Concession, a new neighborhood shop on Changle Lu and Wulumuqi Lu caught our eye. The om-inspiring name and beach décor add a playful touch to this California-style sushi stop. While there are a few seats available for eating in ... Read more »

Point Your Way to Dinner

Navigate your way through the Shanghai Stadium grounds to this restaurant. The first floor offers a selection of dishes including noodles and dim sum in a cantine-style setting at reasonable prices, while the second and third floors provide a full menu displaying a breadth of ... Read more »

Hidden Thai Treasure

Since Thai House has now opened a second location, we thought we'd revisit the original to see if it's maintained its reputation for tasty authentic Thai food at reasonable prices. Tucked away down an alleyway on the second floor of an apartment complex, we found ... Read more »

Authenticity in Flavor

With its dimly lit modern ambiance, Bam-Bou is perfect for a private tete-a-tete or a group dinner seated leisurely in one of the cushioned booths. Refined Vietnamese cuisine adapted to the high-end Western palate dominates a menu that includes Laos and Cambodian dishes as well. To forget ... Read more »

Say Uncle

As the city's first (and only) Caribbean eatery, our expectations for Uncle Mike's were high. Everything seems right on the surface: the chairs are green, alternating Bob Marley and Jamaican tourism posters line the walls, and smooth reggae rhythms play in the background. It wouldn't ... Read more »