Hot Pot Column

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Brooke Ruscuklic

Feeling the pulse of Shanghai to yi-er, yi-er

Moral support and encouragement comes in all forms. In early September, it was the Chinese traffic warden who watched me cross the road, calling out "yi (one) - er (two) - yi - er" in time with my running steps, mimicking me jogging on the spot.
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Usha Sankar

Feeling down as 'all prices are going up'

There's a simple reason for the general upward trend of prices in Beijing and, surprisingly, it has nothing to do with all that economic jargon floating around about productivity gains, wage costs and so on.
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Stuart Beaton

No low-fat products a big issue

Where has the low-fat milk gone? The brand I usually buy has disappeared from the supermarket shelves, which is not good news for my diet.
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Stuart Beaton

I'm an Aussie so why celebrate Thanksgiving?

"So, what will you do for Thanksgiving?", asked one of my students. My mind whirred, as I tried to come up with an answer to something I've never even thought about.
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Lisa Carducci (

A bus guide to a happy life in the Middle Kingdom

One of my three secrets for Living Happily in China (my newly published book) is to take the public bus. It's incredible what I've learned by using public transportation in 20 years.
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Brooke Ruscuklic

Shanghai adventure a dry run for Berlin marathon

My legs are amazing. They may not be much to look at - far too short, rather muscular and prone to a most undesirable smattering of cellulite. But they are obedient. When I decided to take on the challenge of running the 2010 Berlin Marathon in September, my legs were on board with equal enthusiasm and they diligently supported me through the endless hours of pounding the pavement, rain hail or shine, through the steaming summer of Shanghai.
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Debbie Mason

All wound up over a strong gust of wind

Recently in Beijing it's been quite windy, feeling more like spring in some ways.
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Chitralekha Basu

Transported back in time by the Wall at Badaling

Do you like crowds? Do you dig the feel of getting pasted against cold metal in the Beijing subway in rush-hour traffic?
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Stuart Beaton

Young graduates look to surgery for better jobs

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduate, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
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Liu Jun

Nothing like a stroll through a morning market

Whenever I feel blue, I have found the best cure is to take a stroll in my neighborhood market.
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