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First impressions from our man in America: cars are everywhere

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-11-17

AFTER settling down in Arlington, Virginia, we decided to explore our environment a little on foot. The weather here was much warmer than we expected (that was before Hurricane Ida), though the fallen leaves -...

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Choosing simple digs over mansion and leisure

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-11-5

AN illustrious, world-famous scientist lived in a simple apartment of less than 100 square meters for almost half a century, turning down offers to move him to a splendid residence - befitting his fame. Few Chinese...

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The death of literary journals that transform into trash to survive

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-10-28

THIS weekend on the metro, amid crowds of young and elderly people fresh from Happy Valley, I saw a young man holding a copy of the magazine Shiyue, or October. Twenty years ago, this literary magazine, together...

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Only 'dumbest' reporters actually write stories, 'smart' ones make money

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-10-21

JOURNALISM is only as good as journalists. The detention this month of a famous former TV anchorman on possible charges of commercial fraud points up the glaring lack of professional ethics in many a Chinese journalist...

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Wanderlust stems from our desire to escape our messy lives

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-10-15

THE first day back to his kindergarten, my son's class were asked where they had been during the eight-day holiday. Many gave destinations at a fair distance from their homes. But during the holiday my son...

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Nantong rises as logistics hub in development of Yangtze River Delta

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-9-30

NANTONG vows to sharpen its edge as a logistical hub in the Yangtze River Delta, capitalizing on its strategically positioned river and sea ports, and its access to Shanghai as transport improves. These aspirations...

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How playing the guqin evokes ancient culture, the simple life and nature

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-9-22

IT'S rare for urbanites walled in concrete forests to hear the sound of flowing water - that burbling or splashing sound from the heart of nature. But my wife and I heard it on Saturday night, not real water falling...

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Tagore was booed for hailing Oriental culture as China eyed West

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-9-16

RECENTLY I read a little bit about Rabindranath Tagore, thanks to a documentary video made by my Indian colleague Bivash Mukherjee at his own cost. Focused on the poet's China contacts in the 1920s, the documentary...

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On Teacher's Day, and how education is driven by the market

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-9-9

TEACHER'S Day, which falls tomorrow, is creating a headache for some parents. They don't know how to adequately express their appreciation for the teachers of their children. Giving cash-stuffed envelopes...

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Hoover Institution archives yield fresh insights into modern Chinese history

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-9-2

THE financial crisis has had considerable impact on the Hoover Institution's finances, yet it remains committed to its traditional strength and a new focus on east Asia, according to Richard Sousa. Sousa is senior...

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Why criticism is now a problem for teachers

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-8-26

THE Ministry of Education is creating a lot of attention, and confusion, these days. On August 12, the ministry made known its intention to slightly modify 44 commonly used Chinese characters. Not surprisingly,...

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Nanjing Rd shop assistants need to learn about service

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-8-20

SHANGHAI is facing a double whammy: a shrinking land reserve versus a ballooning population. Xinhua news agency reported yesterday that the number of Shanghai's residents (excluding a transient population) had...

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Stiff jail term for polluting boss is the right decision

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-8-20

MY hat's off to the judges of Yancheng City who have sentenced the boss of a chemical factory to 11 years in prison on charges of knowingly poisoning local drinking waters. On August 14, a local court in Yancheng,...

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Villages sidelined in vision of good life

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-8-19

THE persistent racket conspired by bulldozers, cranes and drills suggests how careful we are about the first impressions we intend to make on visitors to the Expo next year. If only we have been equally careful...

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Net friends silent over fate of a hungry, homeless cat

Opinion | Shanghai Daily columnists
2009-8-18

A little stray cat caught my eye last Thursday on my way to work. It was trembling from hunger and cold. I stopped and stooped to "talk" to it in the shabby - filthy indeed - lane in which I found it. It opened...