Where grass is greener

Located in eastern Xinyuan county in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Nalati grassland is not on most tourists' itineraries - for now, that is.

Travel tips

Location: Nalati grassland, a national scenic area, sits in the hinterland of Tianshan Mountain on the east end of Yili Valley. Its average altitude is about 1,800 m.

Noodle capital of the world

I was born in Taiyuan, capital city of Shanxi province. It has a 2,500-year history and used to be called "the city of dragons".

Life Health

Where did your mojo go?

HAMBURG: When women reach menopause, their hormones hit the brakes hard. Hormonal changes in middle-aged men are less drastic. Their bodies' production of testosterone, the main male sex hormone, declines gradually.

Fred isn't the only partner for ginger

My first encounter with a finger of ginger (jiang) was around 10 years ago at university when my Pakistani housemate was whipping up a curry. At that time it was a distinctly alien ingredient, and I was baffled that this knobbly brown lump could be in any way related to the powdered stuff that gives ginger nuts and gingerbread men (reportedly "invented" by Queen Elizabeth I) their kick.

Allergies are not to be sneezed at

WIESBADEN, Germany: Hay fever sufferers are getting hit even earlier. In Germany, pollen was already in the air in January, and February was worse.

IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Life Style

Clothes speak volumes

HAMBURG: "Clothes maketh the man" - goes the old adage, and it's still valid the world over. Many people believe clothing choices will say much about character as well as social ties.

Runway rags reveal a battle of the sexes

PARIS: Jean-Paul Gaultier fits like a glove at the luxury-led house of Hermes, as he demonstrated yet again with his impeccable collection for next autumn-winter on Saturday in Paris.

Crochet converts show a knack for knitting

HAMBURG: Some knitters spend time searching the Internet for lost edge stitches while others seek instructions for unique creations such as an elephant sweater that has arms that look like the trunk of an elephant. Others watch a DVD to learn how to knit a sock.