Consumer Paradise

Simply New

From the people who brought you Simply Thai and Simply Life comes a new "Sim- ply" concept, "The Village." Set to open in August, this shopping center on Dongping Lu incorporates the aspects of a relax- ing afternoon experience, all under one roof. Grab a French pastry from PAUL and peruse through a variety of stores featuring various items from décor and homewares to gifts and ladies' couture. Philosophers of human nature can observe the shopping milieu with a quiet cup of cofee or glass of wine. Those with sore feet or a love of pampering can spoil themselves may indulge with a trip to the in-village spa and beauty center. With all the bases covered, "The Village" shows you how to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

From Italy with Love

Panini River-Crossing

Pudong's coveted Italian-style sandwich deli, Il Panino, finally moves west across the Huangpu, setting up shop behind Jing'an Temple at 1690 Beijing Xi Lu. Delicious paninis, light salads and tasty desserts are just a few of the highlights at this spot; a vortex for those looking for an excuse to take a long lunch break. And if you can't escape the office, call up Sherpa's for delivery.

From the Other Side

Hello, Landmark

Pudong is set to show Puxi that it has no monopoly on historic land- marks. An 80-year-old home on Zhangyang Lu near the Yangjing River is about to receive a facelift and be turned into a residents' ac- tivity center–the irst such facility in Shanghai. The area around the house will be turned into a public plaza and will include tea houses, basketball courts, exhibition areas, gardens and sites for community- based workshops, while the house itself will play host to regular local performances. Pudong plans to restore 53 other homes as scenic landmarks in time for the World Expo in 2010.

China's Amazon.com

Online English Bookstore

Bertelsmann DG China, Shanghai Xinhua Media and Chaterhouse Booktrader launch BooksDirect. com.cn, the first online English bookstore in China. Offering a range of titles from classics to bestsellers, children's books to academia and business literature, and now CDs and DVDs as well. In cooperation with Warner Bros., the service ofers the lowest pric- ing and fastest release of legiti- mate DVDs in an efort to combat high levels of piracy. The site pro- vides cash-on-delivery services to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing.