Global village
Beijing
The $14 million hutong home
Expats hunting for property are still stunned by the record $14.3 million paid for a Beijing hutong home last month.
Local media have speculated that a Russian oil billionaire paid the record sum for a huge 3,028-square-meter, run down property on Houhai Lake. The price equates to more than 36,000 yuan ($4,688) per square meter, more than double the price previously fetched by any home in the neighborhood.
A high-profile expat neighbor is Rupert Murdoch, who reportedly bought a 30 million yuan ($3.9 million) courtyard home in Houhai Lake two years ago for his wife Wendy Deng.
Ningbo, Zhejiang
Rent an expat
A new online service, "Rent-A-Foreigner", aims to link expats in Ningbo with Chinese companies, schools and individuals to looking to "rent" their services for private events. Hired foreigners provide, "advice, consulting, mentoring, teaching, organizing, co-ordinating, participating, even baby-sitting" on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. Rent-A-Foreigner keeps a percentage. Phone: 13567883167
Chongqing
Join the club
With a population of more than 20 million people, it is easy for an expat to feel lonely in the booming city of Chongqing. The Expat Club website has been designed to make it easy for foreigners living in Chongqing to communicate with one another, to get involved in local communities, and to learn important information about Chongqing. Take a look at www.cqexpat.com.
Qingdao shandong
America's Cup first
An international effort will see the Chinese flag waved in this year's America's Cup for the first time in history next month. China Team was set up in March 2005 by Wang Chaoyang, president of China Equity Investment, and the French America's Cup team, Le Defi.
Based at the Qingdao International Yacht Club, the team draws from sailors from France, Poland and Italy.
The team of 50 - including 17 sailors on each of the boats - is gearing up for the 32nd America's Cup yacht race, to set sail in Spain in June.
Shenzhen, guangdong
Teacher with money to burn
Jeff Walsh, of Chicago, thought his Business English class in the city of Shenzhen would appreciate a lesson on the stock market. Instead he unwittingly discovered the traditional Chinese practice of burning paper money in honor of ancestors each year.
"I photocopied a section of the Hong Kong newspaper containing local Asian stock markets and purchased some phoney play money that students can utilize buying stocks," Walsh said. "When I handed out the money to the different teams, the students got out of their chairs like a poisonous snake was nearby, ready to strike," he told chinaexpat.com.
The students informed Walsh of the custom and said the paper notes were a symbol of bad luck.
And another thing...
Why am I here?
A good question to ask yourself today is: Why am I in China? It is easy to get lost in your work and lose sight of this fascinating culture so today visit a museum as part of International Museum Day. It won't cost you a kwai as many of the nation's museum are open for free. Go on, immerse yourself in this nation's rich history.
Knee how
Australian visitor Christine Dracon was visiting friends in Beijing and, like many newcomers, was completely baffled by the language. Christine came up with interesting way to remember to say hello in the local lingo. She would slap her knee then raise her hand - in the style of the American Indian greeting - and get it right every time.
"Knee how."
(China Daily 05/18/2007 page20)
