Life Pulse

Gimme shelter

Karen Liu sometimes feels as if she were back in her college dorm. Today, she lives in a tiny, single room walled off from the kitchen and living room by a wraparound curtain. From the other side of the drape, she can usually hear the sounds of people brushing their teeth, whispering and busily walking around the room.

Allured by flamenco and two rich ladies

If I had known it, I would have sellotaped my mouth, so that my har-de-har wouldn't scare our kitten; I would have sat on another chair, so that my computer chair wouldn't turn upside down as I burst out in laughter.

Reviews

Art

Life Pulse

Less talking, more drinking and more Shirley Bassey

Although alcohol is one of the universal social lubricants of dining culture around the world, I've found that how it is used in China is very different to how it is used in my Australian homeland. In China, high and fast consumption leads to evenings that have a lot of team building, a lot of toasts, and a lot of fun. On the other hand, in Australia the choice of alcohol, and the customs associated with it, often leads to evenings that are not as much fun, but perhaps more intellectual.

Reviews

Movie

All the right moves

It is 7 pm on a mid-week evening and 33-year-old Richard Newton, a UK native and long-time Guangzhou resident, begins his evening by running and stretching before starting the first of a series of 50 repetitions of sit-ups. Over the next two hours, he'll practice close-range punching and kicking alone then work with a practice partner. Next is self-defense tactics before free sparring. He wears safety pads to protect his body from potentially painful blows by fellow Wing Chun students.

Life Pulse

Tapestry of rare talent loom large

Expensive fashion garments can be afforded by only a handful of today's extremely rich. In ancient China, top quality haute couture items were made especially for the feudal emperors.

Prestige pitch is a little rich

If you've got it, flaunt it. In China, "it" more often than not refers to wealth. Take a look at the giant outdoor billboards, and you'd be forgiven to believe that China is populated by 1.3 billion Bill Gates or mini-Gates.

Reviews

DVD