Bingo! Local bar hits the spot
IF you like a challenge, but nothing too strenuous, the Toud Original Toy Bar on Xianxia Road could be just the place for you and your friends.
Hard Rock Cafe too expensive, but fun
"I LIKE rock and roll so I come to Hard Rock Cafe," said Huang Yanhong who works for Microsoft, China.
Oasis: alive despite pop media disdain
LONDON - Oasis, hailed as the new Beatles but then reviled as Neanderthals re-inventing the same old wheel, are alive and well and wowing them in Japan.
Israel's 'singing Cinderella' dies
JERUSALEM - Singing star Ofra Haza, who died in hospital last Wednesday, was known as Israel's Cinderella after emerging from humble roots to win international acclaim for her haunting voice and exotic blend of Middle Eastern and Western styles.
Hangzhou now has five-star Radisson
SHANGHAI people who would like to take themselves off for a weekend in the nearby city of Hangzhou, in East China's Zhejiang Province, now have one more choice for their two-day stay.
Food, wine that's a California blend
THE California Restaurant on the lobby level of Regal International East Asia Hotel has a rich Californian flavour these days featuring Stonehedge Wines from the Napa Valley and guest chef Kelley Novak from the US state.
Thai food festival unveiled at Orient Express Restaurant
BEAUTIFUL scenery and friendly people aside, visitors to Thailand are usually sold on its food.
A lesson in manners
By Joshua Shi
THE table is set with a pristine, clean white cloth, on which stand different bottles of wine, cups and knives and forks. At the head of the table sits Grace Teng, the picture of grace and good manners. This is no high-class restaurant or elaborate function, however. This is a seminar at the Shanghai American Club for local Chinese people on understanding and practising good Western table manners. Shanghai's new class of upwardly mobile young people are keen to be able to present themselves professionally across the cultural divide. Grace Teng is able to provide them with the information they need. She offers practical lessons on Western etiquette and illustrates her talks with slide shows. "Despite the fact that China has long been known as the ‘land of ceremony and propriety,' many people in my generation lack good manners," says Zhang Yanwei, a regular guest at the etiquette seminars. She is a tall, fashionable woman in her mid 20's who works as a secretary to the president of the board of a foreign company. "I come because I want to learn how to ‘save face' in formal situations with both foreigners and my fellow Chinese. I have learnt a lot from Grace Teng," she said. Grace Teng has lived in many countries. At the moment she divides her time between Hong Kong and Shanghai; each month she spends one week in Shanghai and the remaining three in the SAR. "As Shanghai becomes more and more international, there is an increasing demand among people here to learn more about Western culture, etiquette and manners," she said. Grace identifies herself as a Hong Kong born Shanghainese. "Good, elegant manners can win you good friends and enliven and enrich your life," she said. Another guest Zhu Jun, a woman in her mid 20's who works as an assistant to the general manager of a large foreign company, was one of the very first to sign up for Teng's etiquette seminars. "I often attend dinner parties with my American boss and sometimes I really do not know how to behave properly without losing face," said Zhu. "That's why I'm here." Grace Teng holds regular seminars on Western etiquette for local Chinese and seminars on Chinese culture for expatriates at the Shanghai American Club. Grace Teng is the major lecturer but she also invites artists and experts to lecture at her seminars. Place: Shanghai American Club, 29F, Shanghai Bund International Tower, 99 Huangpu Road Contact Maxine or Margaret Tel: 6393-2880 ext 3227
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