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.
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.
A lesson in manners
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.
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.
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. Pop critics have slammed them as derivative but the rock anthem kings raced to the top of the British singles charts and sold 100,000 copies of their new album the day it hit the shops on Tuesday. And sell-out, screaming crowds greeted them in Tokyo this week at the start of their first world tour in two years. The warring Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel, the driving force behind the Britpop juggernaut from Manchester, have mellowed somewhat into adoring young fathers. Gone are the days of sex, drugs and alcohol. Now rock'n'roll rules - and that suits the brothers fine. Noel, who once launched Oasis on a bitter head-to-head with Blur to see who could top the charts, is much more phlegmatic nowadays. "What matters is that we're happy with the songs and they get through to people," he said after the release of "Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants" to mixed reviews. The Independent said the album was "coming soon to a secondhand shop near you." The BBC called it "as predictable as rain in Manchester." But The Washington Post was kinder, hailing "a sound as lush and warm as a jungle." Liam, whose son Lennon was born five months ago, has even written a track devoted to his stepson - actress Patsy Kensit's other son, by Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr. Noel's wife Meg Mathews gave birth to daughter Anais on January 27 - and the proud young parents already had a major health scare when the baby's cot death was narrowly averted. The brothers have split with their old record label and signed on guitarist Gem Archer and bass player Andy Bell for their new line-up. Profile writers are amazed by the new Oasis. "No cocaine. No hyped headlines, no press wars and no punch-ups," the Independent said. "A nice big house in the country. Married life. Babies." (Agencies via Xinhua)
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