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JANUARY 2022 01

Editor’s Note

JANUARY 2022

The Christmas decorations have been packed away for another year and, as we welcome in 2022, we are hoping that this year is the final one dominated by COVID-19. However, that may be a distant pipe dream, as the world is still working out how to deal with the omicron variant. In this issue, Alistair Baker-Brian outlines how China is tackling the new variant and what measures the country will take to return to ‘normal’.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we talk to pole dancing instructor Vicky Qiu about how the sport is taking off in China.

Michael Peppington is the envy of many expats in China right now as he provides That’s with an exclusive account of his

relatively hassle-free departure and return to China. Our cover story for this month gathers some of the best photos from six highly talented, Shanghai-based photographers.

On a final note, we say thanks to regular contributor Joshua Cawthorpe for stepping in as Acting Print Editor for the last

two months.

To all readers, contributors and collaborators, Happy New Year from everyone at That’s . Stay safe.

Best Regards, Lars Hamer Editor-in-Chief

02 |JANUARY 2022

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THE WRAP

Oleh Klymenko @ Ok_klymenko

6 THE NATION

12 ARTS & LIFE

9 OMICRON INVADES

13 STYLE RADAR

China’s Battle Against the COVID-19 Omicron Variant.

10 THE BUZZ

18 TRAVEL 19 MILE HIGH

Engineer Claims He’s Found Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.

20 TO THE UK AND BACK AGAIN Your Comprehensive Guide for Traveling Home and Back to China.

04 |JANUARY 2022

14 CHINA’S BURGEONING POLE DANCING SCENE

Can Pole Dancing Overcome Adversity and Cement Itself In Chinese Culture?

24 BUSINESS & TECH 26 CHINA HIGHLIGHTS 28 SIRI & ANN MYbarre Fitness Founders.

30 SHANGHAI SIX Six of Shanghai’s Best Amateur Photographers.

48 HOTEL NEWS 42 FAMILY 43 BRET ISIS Founder and President of Teaching Nomad.

46 ARE YOU FEELING SH*TTY?

Shanghai’s Free Mental Health Support Group.

50 SCHOOL NEWS JANUARY 2022 05

More Than Politics: Pursuing an International Relations Degree in China With climate change, financial crises, the pandemic and the world becoming increasingly complicated, perhaps a degree in International Relations can help us confront the complexities of the 21st century.

Two students enrolled in the MA International Relations program at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) say it has broadened their horizons and helped them understand globalization and all that comes with it.

The Best of Both Worlds Mika Peltonen, from Finland, has lived in China for more than 10 years. Peltonen has served in several managerial positions, including general manager.

Most notably, he has worked in the manufacturing industry and he cites these experiences as the inspiration behind his decision to return to life on campus.

“When implementing business strategies, managers need to consider global issues and the uncertainties they bring,” Peltonen says. “Without knowledge of international relations, it’s difficult to understand what is happening and to forecast what will happen in the future.”

Peltonen says he chose to study at XJTLU because it’s so unique. Founded by two parent institutions from different countries, the University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University, XJTLU combines the best of both worlds.

“The discipline of international relations evolved in Europe, and the University of Liverpool has a strong foundation in this field,” he says. “Now,

Tianhui Xie

06 |JANUARY 2022

different parts of the world are integrating, with China being one of the most important. There’s something we can all learn from the Chinese perspective.

“Studying at XJTLU, you have a great background from the University of Liverpool, and you have extra learning opportunities by choosing modules from the Department of China Studies. The opportunity to learn is so rich,” he adds.

A Broader Perspective Xie Tianhui, a first year student, also says that the MA International Relations has broadened her horizons. With its examination of the global relations between different countries, the program helps her better understand global challenges.

“I didn’t think much about climate change, security, refugees or global affairs before, but now I have a deeper understanding of world issues. It has inspired me to be active and work towards making a positive impact,” she says.

Xie says the program has also improved her critical thinking skills. “Before, I tended to see the world in black and white and through a national frame, but now I view things in a broader perspective. Every coin has two sides, especially when it comes to global issues.”

Having graduated from a state university in Beijing, Xie says pursuing a masters degree at XJTLU is quite different from her previous learning experience. “I have to do a lot of reading and research, both before and after the class, so that I can discuss and debate

Mika Peltonen (right) with his family

with my classmates. It forces me to step out of my comfort zone,” she says.

Above all, Xie says, the best things about XJTLU are the opportunities and resources. “As a Sino-foreign cooperative university, XJTLU provides students with opportunities both in China and from overseas,” she says. “The University is located in Suzhou Industrial Park, where there are many high-tech companies.

Students have more access to networking, internships and full-time jobs.”

Before enrolling at XJTLU, Xie turned down offers from four UK universities because of the pandemic. “I don’t regret my choice because both the program and the academic atmosphere at XJTLU are exactly what I wanted.”

Apply Now for 2022 Scholarships Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou is an international joint-venture university that teaches in English and has scholarships available for students of all levels. Apply now.

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students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are based on academic merit.

Discount: Up to 50%

Masters Masters Entry Scholarship Partial entry scholarship of 30 or 50% of the total program tuition fee for all full-time masters programs, based on academic merit.

Discount: 30-50% Masters of Research Scholarship Full scholarship considered for a few applicants with outstanding academic merit who apply for: • MRes Advanced Chemical Sciences • MRes Computer Science • MRes Low Carbon Electrical Power and Energy Technology • MRes Molecular Bioscience • MRes Pattern Recognition and Intelligent Systems • MRes Medicinal Chemistry Discount: 100% Masters ‘Friendship’ Scholarship Offered to students from Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Ghana.

Discount: 30% Government Talent Selection Program for Msc Sustainable Construction A government scholarship that will waive the full tuition fee and provide a basic living allowance. Only available to non-Chinese nationals who are under 30 at the start of the program (September

2022). Applicants must either be living outside of China at the time of application, or be enrolled as an international student at a university in Jiangsu province.

Discount: 100% plus basic living allowance and free Chinese lessons

PhD Successful applicants may receive a full (100%) tuition fee scholarship for up to three years plus a monthly stipend.

There are two channels for receiving a scholarship for pursuing research leading to a PhD degree.

Apply for an Existing PhD Project (see website for more information).

There is no specific application deadline for each project, which will be open until the position is filled. PhD programs normally start on the first day of March, June, September, or December.

Discount: 100% plus monthly stipend Postgraduate Research Scholarship With Your Own Project The next round of applications are due by 5pm on April 15; successful recipients announced in June.

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> Scan the QR code to explore the full range of XJTLU’s scholarships and discounts.

JANUARY 2022 | 07

THE NATION Quote of the Month

Their fights and great stories can’t be forgotten p10

The Buzz P10

08 |JANUARY 2022

Chinese Corner P11

CHINA CURRENTS

Omicron Invades

China’s Battle Against the COVID-19 Omicron Variant Alistair Baker-Brian

B

attling against new variants of any virus is commonplace, take the flu for example. The battle becomes more difficult, however, when dealing with a new virus. The SARSCoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19, is still somewhat new, having been first identified in Wuhan two years ago.

In November, scientists in South Africa identified the latest strain known as the ‘omicron variant’. The World Health Organization (WHO) later classed it as a “variant of concern.”

Doctors, scientists, policy-makers and others are still learning about the omicron strain. A WHO technical briefing which was updated on December 10 suggested that omicron was spreading faster than the delta variant in places where community transmission was present, as reported by CNN. Dr. Roo Changizi, Chair of Family Medicine Department at Beijing United Family Hospital, told That’s that booster jabs are key for protection.

“As we wait to see which direction this virus takes us, the response to omicron may include both accelerating the rollout of booster doses of vaccines and developing new formulations better targeted to this variant. Pharmaceutical companies have indicated that modified or new vaccines could be available in a few months, although the scale and availability are unclear.”

The first two cases of omicron were reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in November. The Chinese mainland has also reported imported cases of the omicron variant; the first arrived in Tianjin on December 9.

The second case was reported in Guangzhou on December 13. The individual arrived in Shanghai from abroad and began his two week quarantine on

November 27. During this time all of his nucleic acid tests were negative. The man, aged 67, traveled in a closed-loop environment to Guangzhou for home quarantine. It was during home quarantine that he tested positive.

What’s perhaps most worrying about the latter case is that a close contact was later identified in Henan province. Beijing Daily reports that the close contact was on the same flight to Shanghai as the case identified in Guangzhou. The close contact traveled to Weihui city, Henan province after having left centralized quarantine in Shanghai.

How will China deal with the omicron variant?

The answer is pretty clear.

China will continue to apply the ‘zero-COVID’ approach. That means that for the time being, international travel will remain off-limits for most, and strict COVID-19 prevention measures will be enforced domestically as and when necessary.

However, it’s not all bad news.

According to findings by the National Health Commission published on December 12, China has administered around 2.6 billion vaccine doses. At a press conference, the National Health Commission claimed that this amounted to 1.16 billion fully vaccinated people, as reported by Xinhua.

In addition, early data suggests that a third dose, or booster jab, of SINOVAC CoronaVac vaccine can increase levels of serum antibodies against the omicron

variant, as reported by Guangming Daily . The data has not yet been published in any peer-reviewed study.

Amidst all the uncertainty caused by the latest omicron variant, one thing is for sure; ‘zero-COVID-19’ will continue to underpin China’s pandemic prevention strategy. Therefore, ‘normal’ will not be returning anytime soon.

JANUARY 2022 | 09

RANDOM NUMBER

DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

14…

Elliot Van Cayzeale

That’s how many years Sun Zhuo was separated from his parents. Sun was abducted in Shenzhen in October 2007 aged just four years old. His abductor lured him away with snacks and toys.

Sun was later found to be in east China’s Shandong province. Thanks to DNA testing, he was reunited with his biological parents on December 6 in Shenzhen. His parents broke down in tears and hugged their son upon seeing him for the first time in over 14 years.

In 2014, the story was adapted into a movie called Dearest by Hong Kong director Peter Chan.

The case reignited a national debate around child abduction.

Child abductions are an ongoing problem in China.There are a number of government and social media campaigns for reuniting stolen children with their parents, as well as tracking down the parents of children suspected of being abducted. An emergency alert system called Tuanyuan (Reunion) was launched by the Ministry of Public Safety in 2016 and has since helped locate more than 4,385 missing children.

The Belgium magician has been in China for five years and is taking the country by storm with his mind-blowing magic tricks.

The multilingual talent speaks eight languages including Mandarin. If required, he can even perform shows entirely in Chinese. Elliot specializes in corporate events for luxury and fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Frank Muller, Hermès and Bulgari. VIPs, world-famous celebrities and even politicians across the world have all experienced his magic skills.

In November 2021, That’s experienced Elliot’s tricks first-hand when he performed at the National Hospitality Awards in Shanghai.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“Their fights and great stories can’t be forgotten,”

…said television director Yang Wenjun.

Yang recently directed a TV series called Ebola Fighters . The series tells the story of Chinese medical workers who traveled to West Africa to fight against the Ebola virus.

The virus was first detected in 1976 in the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus reemerged and caused serious outbreaks in many West African countries from 2014 until 2016. It was during this recent outbreak that Chinese medical workers were on the frontline battling against the virus in countries like Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Yang told Global Times the cast members hoped viewers would be reminded of the Chinese medical teams’ service and devotion. The series is available to stream on various streaming platforms across China.

10 |JANUARY 2022

CHINESE CORNER

Coffee Culture in China

A decade ago, it wasn’t easy to find a good cup of coffee in China. Coffee, or 咖啡 (kāfēi) in Chinese, was seen as a luxury, foreign drink. Even though Starbucks opened its first coffeeshop in Beijing in 1999, the coffee business was slow going until the 2010s.

Today, China has embraced a full-scale coffee craze. In major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, you will see coffee shops on every corner competing with each other by offering different beans, roasting and brewing techniques and modern flavors.

A report published by Yicai in Spring 2021 found that Shanghai has more coffee shops than any other city in the world.

Compare Shanghai’s more than 7,000 coffee shops to London’s 3,233 and New York’s 1,591 – then you can see that coffee culture in China is here to stay. In 2021 Statista reported that China consumed over 180 million kilograms of coffee in one year.

1. Classic Drinks

Lets look at some popular coffees:

美式

Americano

měishì

(lit. “American-style”)

卡普奇诺

cappuccino

拿铁

latte

kǎbùqínuò

nátiě

美式 (měishì), or americano, literally translates to “American-style”. 卡布奇诺 (kǎbùqínuò), or cappuccino, is a loanword - a Chinese word that sounds like the English pronunciation. It’s often shortened to 卡布 (kǎbù). 拿铁 (nátiě), or latte, is a loanword, too.

2. New Drinks Coffee shops like to invent their own signature or seasonal drinks, which can become household names in their own right.

小白 / 澳白

flat white

摩卡

mocha

科尔塔多

cortado

xiǎobái / àobái

mókǎ

kē’ěrtǎduō

Many coffeeshops have their menus written in both English and Chinese, so you can learn new words by visiting your local coffeeshop.

JANUARY 2022 | 11

ARTS & LIFE

China’s Burgeoning Pole Dancing Scene p14

Overheard P13

12 |JANUARY 2022

Under the Lens P13

OVERHEARD

“As an employee of Starbucks, I want to say that Starbucks really attaches great importance to food safety. Every partner will drink their own coffee and drinks at work...” “...I was shocked by this because most partners are serious in implementing food safety standards. I hope the infringing stores can make good rectifications and insist on doing the right thing,” wrote Xiao Wukai on Weibo. The post was made in response to Starbucks’ official apology on the microblogging site after closing two stores for using expired ingredients. Xiao’s comment has received several thousand likes as of press time.

COVET

Carnet by Michelle Ong

Carnet was formed in 1998 by Hong Kong jeweler Michelle Ong and her business partner Avi Nagar. Their pieces are unique with strong natural elements that capture universal Chinese characteristics loved by those inside and outside of the culture. Though many jewelers and designers have a clear timestamp attached to their design that fade in and out of fashion with each passing generation, Carnet’s pieces are cherished and resold between USD10,000 to 250,000. The necklaces and chokers are described as making women feel as though they’re dripping in diamonds and gems. The pieces pictured would be a lovely way to commemorate time spent in China. > View pieces at carnetjewellery.com

UNDER THE LENS

Korean and Indian Films Come Back to China’s Box Offices This season is full of surprises in the world’s largest box office market as China approves the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) films after a sixyear hiatus and Indian films after a two-year stall. India’s 2019 film Chhichhore is set to take the screen on January 7, 2022, following a film freeze that began after the 2020 border dispute. Oh! My Gran was the first ROK film to be released for six years last month on December 3, 2021. Movies from the nearby northeastern neighbor have not hit theaters in China since 2015. The 2016 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile crisis led to many Chinese citizens boycotting ROK companies and products, and films are an easy target. Producers of popular US movies are also holding their breath to see if China’s film authorities will leave their movies out in the cold.

JANUARY 2022 | 13

ARTS & LIFE | F E AT URE

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China’s Burgeoning Pole Dancing Scene 14 |JANUARY 2022

F E AT URE | ARTS & LIFE

Can Pole Dancing Overcome Adversity and Cement Itself In Chinese Culture?

By Lars James Hamer

A

s I hung upside down, all I could feel was blood rushing towards my head and I couldn’t see anything except the studio lights shining above me.

With my right knee hooked tightly against the pole for grip, my instructor Vicky Qiu urged me to stop gripping the pole with my hands.

When I eventually mustered the courage to let go, my legs gave up and I slid down the pole, hitting my head on the hard floor below.

It wasn’t only my head that took a beating that day.

The next day, the muscles in my abdomen and arms were sore and it hurt to move. My body was telling me that pole dancing is more intense than I had imagined.

I never expected I would take a pole dancing class.

Yet, in major cities across China, ‘pole’ is becoming an increasingly popular pastime for both locals and expats.

Qiu began her pole dancing journey almost by accident, but since then her passion for the sport has grown day by day. After our class, Qiu and I discussed her pole dancing career, touched upon the stigma that surrounds the sport and how

pole can empower.

“My friend started teaching pole in 2017 when we were both in Sydney and she asked me if I wanted to join, but I didn’t go because the studio was too far away for me.” Qiu, who was born in Guangzhou, but lived in Australia for a decade from the age of 15.

“My friend loved pole so much that she actually put a pole in her room.” Even after a day teaching and spinning, Qiu’s passion for the sport resonates as she explains how her journey began. “One day I went over to her house and she started teaching me some stuff. I thought it was fun and, to be honest, I felt like I was pretty good at it.”

After a couple of practice sessions in her friend’s home, Qiu was hooked.

Although she moved back to Guangzhou only a couple of months later, Qiu was determined that she would continue her pole dancing journey in her hometown.

“I graduated with a degree in economics from Macquarie University.

When I first came back to Guangzhou, I wanted to get a job in a bank or something like that. I tried office jobs,

Anton @expatphoto

but it’s just not for me. All I could think about was pole and learning new tricks.”

We’ve all thought about quitting our job and throwing the rest of our life at a favorite hobby, but hardly any of us actually do it. But Qiu did and, when she returned to Guangzhou, she found several studios where she could pursue that dream.

After months of practice Qiu quickly became more than proficient in the basics and needed a challenge.

Twenty-four years old at the time, she found a school on Guangzhou’s Beijing Road that offered courses to become a qualified pole dancing instructor. Undeterred by its grueling six-days-a-week intensive schedule, after

four months of hard training she became a qualified pole dancing teacher.

“I was there every day, and in terms of flexibility and strength they push you really hard. We would just sit in a split for a couple of minutes and hold it, it’s really painful!

You have to do that every day. There’s a whole hour of flexibility, and then an hour of strength training before you can even start with tricks.”

Qiu’s classes and her pole dancing style are heavily influenced by what she learnt on Beijing Road. She mainly focuses on aerial moves that require core strength and flexibility. Although good core strength and flexibility are vital for pole dancing, Qiu is quick to warn that you don’t JANUARY 2022 | 15

ARTS & LIFE | F E AT URE

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need to have these skills before you start.

“A lot of people think they’re not strong or flexible enough. At the beginning no one is, but they will get stronger and more flexible during the training.

Anyone can do it but if you don’t start, you will never be strong and flexible.”

When I asked Qiu what she would say to those who aren’t sure about whether or not they should try pole dancing, she came back with a line to match her Nike leggings, “just do it. For me I feel like it has given me a lot of confidence.”

Despite becoming a qualified pole dancing instructor in 2017, it wasn’t until 2021 that Qiu began managing her own pole dancing studio, Fit Well Pilates Studio in Guangzhou’s Tianhe District. Never one to be tied down to one place, in 2018 Qiu was off on her travels again. “I decided to do a masters degree in Business Administration at Bangkok University.”

As Qiu recounts the 18 months she spent studying in Thailand, she lets out

LyisoStudio_Rex.T

16 |JANUARY 2022

a nervous laugh and her Aussie-tinged English is revealed. “It wasn’t very useful. It was kind of just an excuse for me to go somewhere.” That said, it would be hard to argue that she didn’t learn some skills in Bangkok that enabled her to successfully run a pole dancing studio in Guangzhou; the most important pole dancing skills are learnt in the studio.

“I found a pole dancing studio in Bangkok and I was going there twice a week.

The classes in Thailand were better for me at the time. Each instructor has their own style, and something they’re good at.

Obviously, if you go into a school, they will train you much harder. But an instructor will focus on more specific areas and styles. In Bangkok I was able to focus more on the aerial style.”

Qiu kept moving after she graduated, this time to Europe where she was coached by Austria’s 2017 Miss Pole Dance champion, Mina Siehs. “I was living in Innsbruck, Austria, and dancing in a studio called Poledance Playground. I loved Mina because of her variety of styles.”

It was in Mina’s Poledance Playground that Qiu was inspired to return to her hometown to start her own pole dancing studio. She strives for her pole dancing studio to be one where both men and women from all ages, backgrounds and professions can come together and share a common interest.

F E AT URE | ARTS & LIFE

Having obtained pole dancing skills from all over the world, and being fluent in English, Chinese and Cantonese, Qiu’s pole dancing classes cater to both Chinese nationals and foreigners of varying abilities. Despite studios trying to promote the benefits, there is still a stigma attached to the sport by those who don’t fully understand it.

“When I tell some guys I’m a pole dancer, they say, ‘Oh, you’re a stripper?’ I don’t get offended, they just don’t understand that pole dancing doesn’t have to be linked to stripping. I think a lot of people still don’t understand pole dancing and it’s still very niche. But if you look at Shanghai, it’s more international than Guangzhou and there are a lot of good studios there.”

“In more traditional Chinese cities, there is still a reluctance from people to try something like pole dancing.

Perhaps because of misconceived negative connotations or they are scared of what others will think of them.”

It’s from here that the biggest business challenge for Qiu arises: finding people who have a similar mindset.

Those who want to challenge themselves, be inspired and aren’t afraid of going against cultural norms. However, no matter what others think, the benefits of pole will always outweigh the negatives.

“It’s a full body exercise, it will help you improve your posture and you’ll get really – like really – toned. After I started pole dancing I noticed my shoulders were opening

“I don’t get offended, they just don’t understand that pole dancing doesn’t have to be linked to stripping.” up as I walked and I was getting stronger and stronger.”

Classes at Fit Well Pilates pole dancing studio start with a quick warm up, followed by flexibility and strength training before moving on to pole work. Qiu’s classes are different from other studios’ in Guangzhou because even her group classes are tailored to the individual.

“I don’t push my students too hard. For example, flexibility is really hard and you can’t just do the splits after one day. It’s just not possible. If I see some students are at quite a high level, I’ll teach them some more difficult tricks, while beginners can focus on the basics. Ultimately, I just want them to come here, have fun and relieve stress after work.”

All of the courses at Fit Well come with three onehour practice classes, where students can use the studio for free to practice.

“When I started in Bangkok, I wanted to practice all the time but I could only rent the whole studio and it was crazy expensive. I want my students to be able to

practice on their time.”

In 2022, Qiu will enter Airstar, a national pole dancing competition in Chengdu.

The winner will go on to compete at an international level competition.

Pole dancing has often been stained with misconceptions, but we should look at the benefits it brings like improved confidence, strength and flexibility. “Remember, it’s never too late to start. If I could go back four years, I would go to my friends studio in Sydney every day. The only regret I have is not starting sooner. I hope more people can embrace pole dancing the way it embraced me.”

JANUARY 2022 | 17

TRAVEL To the UK and Back Again p20

Mile High P19 18 |JANUARY 2022

Roller Coaster P20

ROLLER COASTER The CEO of Ctrip, China’s leading travel agency, has predicted that China will resume international travel within around half a year.

Speaking at a forum on Thursday, December 9, Liang Jianzhang added that some other Asian countries would likely do the same within three months, as reported by Global Times .

Due to COVID-19, China’s borders have remained closed to most foreign nationals since March 2020. Those who enter the country from abroad must undergo centralized quarantine of up to 21 days, as well as a series of nucleic acid tests. For now, China has made clear that it will continue its ‘zero-COVID’ strategy.

Whether or not this happens within the next half a year as the Ctrip CEO has predicted remains to be seen.

MILE HIGH

Engineer Claims He’s Found Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 British aeronautical engineer Richard Godfrey told the BBC that he may have found the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The flight, which was carrying 239 passengers and crew, is one of the world’s biggest aviation mysteries after it disappeared from radar signals during a flight in March 2014. The tragedy was of high interest in China as 122 Chinese nationals were on board.

Using different data sets, Godfrey calculated that the Boeing 777 crashed into the Indian Ocean 2,000 km west of Perth, Australia. Thanks to Godfrey’s research, a proposal for a new search within a 40 nautical miles radius has been submitted. This search is far smaller than any previous attempt to find the aircraft, which was supposed to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Some experts claim that debris from the flight could be as far as 4,000 meters under water.

JANUARY 2022 | 19

TR AVEL | F E AT U R E

To the UK and Back Again

Your Comprehensive Guide for Traveling Home and Back to China.

By Michael Peppington

C

hristmas and New Year’s Eve have passed and the desire to see our loved ones is probably stronger than ever. In November 2021, Michael Peppington did what precious few of us have done since COVID-19: go home and then return to China. It was a lengthy and costly process and Peppington has exclusively shared his comprehensive guide for travel out of and back into China with That’s .

It’s important to note that Peppington is fully vaccinated with China’s Sinopharm vaccine and holds both a work visa and residence permit. These two key criteria enabled him to “easily” return to China. Please note that if you are vaccinated with a non-Chinese vaccine and or do not have a work visa or residence permit, these processes and procedures would not apply.

20 |JANUARY 2022

F E AT U R E | TR AVEL

Planning and Booking the Trip Before you do anything, your work visa and residence permit should have a few months remaining, you may need to extend your trip due to unforeseen circumstances (testing positive for COVID-19, for example).

As soon as I was fully vaccinated with Sinopharm in April 2021, I started to look at flights. There are plenty of options for flying from China to the UK. By contrast, there are not so many options for a return flight. Be careful when booking your return flight, some airports cannot accommodate the COVID-19 testing requirements needed for passengers flying to China, more on that later.

When it comes to buying your ticket, my advice would be to book a return flight (China-UK-China) with the same airline. One-way flight tickets start from more than RMB25,000. Make sure to book your return flight to China as one ticket. I

booked with Scandinavian Airlines to London Heathrow via Copenhagen, and returned from Manchester via Copenhagen. My flight was RMB18,000 and I booked it around two months in advance.

Note that airlines will occasionally have their flights suspended for a period of a few weeks if there are too many positive COVID-19 cases found when testing after arrival in China.

Before Leaving China If you are vaccinated with a Chine se vaccine from the Chinese mainland, you are considered non-vaccinated by the UK government and therefore need a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test 48 hours before your flight.

I did my PCR test at Jiahui Hospital, Shanghai for RMB220. There are cheaper options available, but you need to make sure that they can issue a bi-lingual report.

All those considered non-vaccinated are required

to book a PCR test on day two and day eight after arriving in the UK. When you purchase these tests, you will be given a unique code which is needed for the passenger locator form (PLF). I printed the completed PLF and my negative PCR test report and showed it at the checkin desk when leaving China.

This was the only time either document was checked.

When arriving in the UK you are required to self-isolate for 10 days and enter the address on the PLF. I landed in London and was planning to isolate at my mother’s house in Yorkshire. I decided to stay at my brother’s house near London for the first night and travel the next day, which was within the rules.

During your ten days in isolation, you need to do a test on day two and day eight. It’s possible to shorten the self-isolation period to five days by doing a testto-release test on day five.

However, you still need to do the day eight test.

My advice is to use a less expensive home testing service for the day two and day eight tests. If you want to do a day five test-to-release test, pay more for an in person or in clinic test with same-day or next-morning results. There is no point in doing the testto-release if you have to wait several days for the results.

If you shop around, the total cost for the three tests would be around GBP170, or GBP70 if you don’t opt for test-to-release.

It’s also worth noting that, before departing China, you must complete the Customs Pocket Declaration form which on WeChat.

JANUARY 2022 | 21

TR AVEL | F E AT U R E

These are all the documents I printed before departing China: • Vaccination certificate • Negative COVID-19 test within two days prior to flight • PLF (includes details of day-2 and day-8 tests) Arriving In the UK After landing at London Heathrow, it was business as usual. No one checked my PLF. I was out of the airport in around 20 minutes. I could have gone straight to the pub (I didn’t).

When it comes to self-isolating, I have heard stories of people getting an in-person visit to ensure you’re following the rules.

No one visited me. I had calls on day one and day two which I missed. I had a call on day three which I answered. I received two text messages reminding me to self-isolate and to get tested on day two and day eight.

Your Time in the UK My biggest concern during my time in the UK was catching COVID-19. So long as you don’t catch COVID-19, there is a clear, tried and tested route to go back to the UK and return to China. If you catch COVID-19, that means additional testing requirements and an extended stay in the UK because you need 90 days of negative tests before you can get approval to fly to China. Be sure to keep up to date with extended testing requirements prior to returning to China.

I remained cautious during my time in the UK by staying away from crowded places and avoiding public transport where possible.

Before Leaving the UK This is where things get interesting.

22 |JANUARY 2022

Your return to China needs approval by the Chinese Embassy in the country from which you are flying. You can do this by applying for a Health Declaration Code (HDC).

All necessary documents can be uploaded online.

Once everything has been reviewed and approved, you will get a green code.

You need to show this green code (plus hard copies of all the necessary documents) to the flight check-in desk when departing the UK.

The Chinese Embassy in the UK requires anyone planning to fly to China to get tested seven days and two days before your flight.

You are required to do your seven-day-prior test in a different facility from where you do the two-day-prior test. In addition to the usual PCR test (nose and throat swabs), the two-day-prior test also includes a blood test to check for antibodies.

Seven days prior to your

flight you need to complete a Personal Health Monitoring Form and take your temperature every day.

This is a complete list of all the documents I uploaded when applying for the Health Declaration Code: • Passport • Residence permit and visa • Flight itinerary • Vaccination commitment letter • Sinopharm/Sinovac vaccination certificate • Travel history declara-

tion form • Seven-day-prior-to-flight negative COVID-19 test • Two-day-prior-to-flight negative COVID-19 antibody test • Two-day-prior-to-flight negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test • Personal health monitoring form You can submit everything using your phone or your laptop. Once you have uploaded and submit-

ted everything, you will get an orange code. Within a few hours, assuming everything is in order, you will get a green code.

If there are any problems with your documents, you will get a red code.

Usually, there will be a brief explanation as to why you have the red code. In most instances it’s a missed document, so once you have figured out what was missed, you can re-submit.

If you have been waiting for your green code for a long time or can’t figure out why your code is red, there is a phone number you can call.

This process is stressful and getting the green code is a massive relief. Once you have the green code (issued from the Chinese Embassy or consulate in the UK), you can check-in as normal and fly to the transit country (in my case Denmark).

Testing in Transit Annoyingly, you are required to get tested again in transit and submit all documents, plus the negative test report from the transit airport to the same website and get a new green code from the transit country.

This is why it’s critical that you transit via a country that has the testing facilities in the airport to meet the requirements for flying to China. You also need to check with the airline that the transit time is enough to allow for testing and for the results to come back.

I arrived in Copenhagen at 12.45pm and straight away headed to the testing area. I didn’t need to book my test ahead of time. However, some transit airports do require pre-booking. There were only a few people in the queue and the whole process took around 30 minutes, but

F E AT U R E | TR AVEL

if there are more people, it can take longer.

The cost of testing at Copenhagen airport is GBP440. I joked with the staff that they are printing money and they said, “We don’t need to print money, we have you.”

My flight to Shanghai was at 6.50pm and the results were handed out by the gate at around 5pm. Once you have the negative test result, you need to take a picture of that document, and upload it to the same website for applying for the green code in the UK. I re-submitted all the documents that I had submitted the day before in the UK, plus: • UK boarding pass • UK green code • Transit airport negative COVID-19 test Fortunately, the website saves all your information, so you just need to upload the images. It was a much shorter wait for the green code in transit – about 30 minutes.

Everything is well coordinated between the airline and the testing company. The airline will help if you are having problems with the green code. Similarly, as in the UK, if you have been waiting for your green code for a long time or can’t figure out why your code is red, there is a number for the local Embassy you can call.

Once you have the green code, you should complete the Customs Pocket Declaration (the same one you completed when leaving China) and then show the two QR codes to the staff at the gate. You are now approved to fly to China… and relax.

Arriving Back in China When you land the first thing you need to do is to show the Customs Pocket Declaration QR code at an e-gate. Next, you need to show your

passport and register for another PCR test. There have been lots of reports of the test at Shanghai Pudong airport being like a frontal lobotomy, but the test I had in Copenhagen was worse.

Finally, you head to the passport control desks where the procedures are mostly the same as before COVID-19.

Once you have your bags, you head out of the airport and register for your quarantine hotel. I live in Shanghai which means isolating for fourteen days in a hotel, followed by seven days at home. The rules are different if your final destination is outside Shanghai. Again, scan a QR code and submit your details. Make sure to take a screenshot of the code that is generated after you have completed the form and go to the desk assigned to the district you live in. Since my home is in Qingpu, I followed the signs for Qingpu.

Once you are called to the desk, they will take your passport, enter your details on a laptop and wait for the local community where you live “to accept your return”. You can then choose a quarantine hotel in the district you live in.

I chose the Mercure because, although it’s more expensive, the rooms are bigger. There were eight people from my flight heading to Qingpu. We had to wait for everyone’s registration to be completed before leaving the airport on the same bus.

Landing and leaving Shanghai Pudong airport took just under four hours.

When you arrive at the hotel (through the back entrance), you will

pay for the room (RMB480 for 14 nights in my case) and are given a bag with some documents and your key card. There’s a WeChat group that they use for sharing important information during your stay.

From the moment you land to the moment you get to your room, everyone is fully suited in PPE and hazmat suits. You will be tested on day four, day seven, day fourteen, day sixteen and day twenty-one. Your China health code will be red for the first fourteen days. It will turn orange on day fifteen and green on day twenty-two.

We checked our own temperature every morning and afternoon and submitted the result to the WeChat group.

Of the RMB480 room cost, RMB100 is for three meals per day which are delivered to the room at 8am, noon and 5pm. They are placed outside the door on a plastic tray, like clockwork. The food wasn’t bad as it was standard Chinese canteen fare. The hotel had an additional food menu so guests could pay extra for ‘made-to-order’ meals. I didn’t try them but there were a lot of expat favorites such as dumplings, fried rice, hongshao pork and fried noodles, ranging from RMB28-48 per dish.

As far as I know, no quarantine hotels in Shanghai

allow you to order meals from outside, unless you are given a special dispensation for dietary or religious reasons. Most (possibly all) quarantine hotels allow grocery deliveries and ‘care packages’ with different hotels having different rules about what can be delivered.

Generally, items such as fruit, snacks, instant noodles, and similar such items are fine.

There seems to be a blanket rule about no alcohol, although I got lucky as my hotel allowed beer deliveries. Many people also bring a lot of groceries with them from the UK and items such as electric cookers or kettles. There are also quarantine WeChat groups where information is shared about what to pack.

I would encourage anyone who is thinking about making this trip to do plenty of research into the cost and process, but not to feel like it’s impossible. As long as you meet the criteria to return (fully vaccinated with a Chinese vaccine and have a current work visa and residence permit), there is a very clear, tried and tested route to fly to the UK and return to China. My trip home was costly and stressful, but absolutely worth it.

JANUARY 2022 | 23

BUSINESS & TECH 27 MILLION CHINESE WATCH WESTLIFE CONCERT p27

Highs and Lows P26 24 |JANUARY 2022

China Highlights P27

LOOKING AFTER YOUR TICKER

It’s time to talk about cardiovascular disease.

Interview by James East

T

he new year has just begun and some of us are working hard to stick to our New Year's resolutions. Some are already struggling to stay or get back on the horse while the rest have just given up all together. Whatever stage you’re at, something that you might not have thought about when planning your resolutions is your ticker. It’s time we spoke about cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Meng Wei is Chief of Cardiology and Chief of Internal Medicine at Jiahui International Hospital. He has been studying medicine for over 40 years and specializes in coronary heart disease. During Dr. Meng Wei’s career, he has studied in both the United States and Germany and in 2017 he was awarded the outstanding contribution award for cardiovascular diseases by the Chinese Medical Association.

What are some simple changes our readers can make to stay away from cardiovascular disease and lead a healthy life?

It’s important to make some simple lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking, eating more fruits, vegetables, foods with a lot of fiber and staying way from foods that have a lot of sugar. Also, if you’re overweight you should look at trying to slim down. Regardless of your weight you should try and do some simple exercise everyday. What is really important, and what a lot of people don’t realize, is that depression increases your chance of getting cardiovascular disease.

How can depression affect cardiovascular disease?

Psychosocial factors may contribute to the early development of atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries) as well acute precipitation of myocardial infarction (MI, commonly known as a heart attack) and sudden cardiac death. The link between psychologic stress and atherosclerosis may be direct, via damage of the endothelium.

It may also be indirect, via aggravation of traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and lipid metabolism.

Depression, anger, stress and other factors can all be related to cardiovascular disease.

Just how bad is alcohol and smoking when it comes to cardiovascular disease?

Cigarette smoking is an important and reversible risk factor for coronary heart disease. The incidence of a heart attack is increased sixfold in women and threefold in men who smoke at least 20 cigarettes per day compared with subjects who never smoke.

Conversely, the risk of recurrent obstruction of the blood supply, in a study of smokers who had a heart attack, fell by 50 percent within one year of stopping smoking and normalized to that of nonsmokers within two years.

The benefits of giving up smoking are endless and it doesn’t matter how long or how much the patient has previously smoked.

As for alcohol, it can be enjoyed in moderation, but if you drink too much then you should take measures to limit the amount you drink.

How else can I improve my diet?

The most important thing to know is that diets containing foods with a high glycemic index or glycemic load may contribute to the risk of coronary heart disease. A high intake of red meat has been associated to high risks of cardiovascular disease.

Consumption of trans fatty acids, or foods that contain them, relate to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

What are some common risk factors of cardiovascular disease?

Smoking is a main risk factor that many people know of, but also hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a very common risk factor

of cardiovascular disease. If there is a history of cardiovascular disease in your family, you may be at risk too. If you have three of these risk factors, or any of the ones we mentioned before, you should have an annual health evaluation.

What are some early symptoms of cardiovascular disease and what should I do if I have them?

Many people with coronary artery disease don’t show any symptoms and that’s why an annual check is important. For those who do, the most common symptoms usually occur during exercise. They can include pain, pressure, or discomfort in the center of the chest. Symptoms like pain, tingling, or discomfort can occur in other parts of the upper body like the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. Another sign can be shortness of breath. If you have any symptoms or any concerns, please arrange to see a cardiologist.

Tests to check for coronary artery disease are usually the same in women and men and are quite simple. We would do blood tests to check cholesterol levels and an ECG to measure the electrical activity in your heart. On top of that, you may do a stress test, where the doctor evaluates heart blood supply during exercise. Another important test is a coronary CTA which can accurately display the condition of the coronary artery. Finally, a cardiac catheterization is the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. This is always performed before interventional treatment.

JANUARY 2022 | 25

HIGHS AND LOWS

Highs China’s three internet behemoths, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent are racing towards the metaverse. Alibaba registered numerous trademarks, including Ali Metaverse. Tencent is taking a slightly different road: investing in companies already on their way to the metaverse. The United States gaming company Epic Games, of which Tencent owns 40%, is building its own metaverse.

Baidu on the other hand is looking at smart hardware which users will need to plug in to the metaverse, such as VR headsets.

China’s e-sports industry is expected to grow its market size by over 130% year-on-year and surpass RMB170 billion. Huya, China’s leading esports live-streaming company, released a report stating that due to the increased maturity of the industry and more policies and regulations, the esports ecosystem is only going to continue to grow and improve.

JD Fresh, a part of the JD franchise, is ramping up efforts to import fresh produce as Chinese consumers are going all out on overseas fruit and vegetables. JD Fresh is working with four different exporters to bring in Chilean cherries, highly popular amongst Chinese buyers. A staggering 92% of all Chilean cherries land in China.

Lows China Evergrande Group has been branded the “world’s most indebted company” by the BBC. The property development company is at risk of becoming the country’s biggest defaulter after they missed a debt payment deadline of USD82.5 million on November 6. Evergrande was founded in Guangzhou in 1996 and has more than 1,300 real estate projects across China. A special government team has been drafted in to rescue the property tycoon.

Weibo made a move to the Hong Kong stock market and lost more than 7% on its first day of trading in early December. The move to the Hong Kong market wasn’t the social media giant’s only blow of 2021; in the last six months of the year they lost almost a third of their value on the company’s US-listed shares. Alibaba and JD.com are other notable companies listed on both the US and Hong Kong stock market. Companies are said to be making moves between the two because of increased tension between China and the United States.

On December 14, 2021, popular restaurant chain Element Fresh announced that they would be closing stores across China and filing for bankruptcy. The company stated that they have had financial difficulties since the pandemic began in January 2020. There are 31 restaurants in China across eight cities, but there have already been closures in both Shanghai and Beijing. An exact date for store closures hasn’t been released but some restaurants have stated that they will be open over the Spring Festival.

26 |JANUARY 2022

CHINA HIGHLIGHTS

Over 180,000 Apply For Hong Kong Health Code

New COVID-19 Drug Authorized for Use in China Chinese authorities have approved a new COVID-19 drug, the first antibody therapy for the novel coronavirus to be sanctioned in the country.

The antibody therapy is administered by intravenous injection and designed to treat anyone aged 12 years old and above, showing mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms.

The drug, known as BRII-196/ BRII-198, was domestically produced by pharmaceutical company Brii Biosciences, in partnership with scientists in Beijing and Shenzhen.

More than 180,000 people had applied for the new Hong Kong Health Code last month. The health code has been designed to allow for quarantine-free travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macau.

The Hong Kong Health Code’s data is shared to China’s central government

by Hong Kong and Macao and vice versa. This means that if you’re a Guangdong resident and your Yuekang Health Code turns from green to red, so will your Hong Kong Health Code.

Travel between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau will be restricted to Guangdong province.

WeChat was temporarily transported back to the early 2000s as over 27 million Chinese people tuned in to Irish boyband Westlife’s London concert, which was live-streamed on WeChat.

The band played popular songs such as ‘Uptown Girl’ and ‘My Love’.

They even performed a Chinese song to cater to the audience.

For many Chinese people, Westlife were their first experience of Western pop music when the group broke in to the Chinese market in the early 2000s.

Prevention of Sexual Abuse in School

Live-Streamer Fined Over RMB1.3 billion In less positive live-steaming news, tax authorities in Zhejiang province ordered popular live-streaming host Huang Wei to pay RMB1.34 billion (USD210 million) in fines. The star, commonly known as Weiya, also had her Tabao live-streaming account closed.

Authorities claimed that Weiya was using several business consulting entities to hide the amount of personal commission she received from live-streaming.

Weiya will avoid criminal charges should she abide by the tax authority’s ruling and pay the overdue tax on time.

In an official statement by the live-streamer, she said that she would fully comply and disclose her full income structure.

27 Million Chinese Watch Westlife Concert

Weibo Bans These ‘Insulting’ Words In an official statement on December 1, Weibo released a list of words and statements that would no longer be permitted for use on the platform.

Words such as erhuo ( 二货 , idiot), SB (a stupid c**t), niangpao ( 娘炮 , sissy), and biesan ( 瘪三 , a broke and unemployed person) were all classified as vulgar and insulting, and will be censored on the Twitter-like platform.

Some netizens were quick to criticize the statement, highlighting that only recently the term ‘sissy boy’ was being used by state media to describe feminine men.

The Chinese Ministry of Education announced new guidelines for the Health and Life Education curriculum for grades 1 to 12. One major talking point is educating children in primary and secondary levels about sexual abuse prevention.

Students will be learning “to protect oneself” and “the basic knowledge and skills of health care and the ability to prevent sexual harassment and abuse.”

Furthermore, Chinese students will learn how to prevent the spread of infectious disease, including understanding the transmission and prevention of AIDS. High school students will receive lessons in “sex, love and marriage.”

JANUARY 2022 | 27

BUSINESS & TECH | F E AT URE

SIRI & ANN MYbarre Fitness Founders Interview by Ned Kelly

28 |JANUARY 2022

S

iri Nordheim arrived in China from Denmark in 2011 and has been teaching dance, fitness and the MYbarre program ever since. Well known in the fitness community as a partner and the face of Z&B Fitness, the instructor and mother of three has a personal commitment to being healthy and staying active.

Ann MacLellan also arrived in China in 2011. Hailing from Scotland, she studied sports management and has worked in the health and fitness industry for more than 20 years as a group exercise instructor. She has taught a number of programs including barre, spinning, TRX, bootcamp and HIIT circuit style classes. Additionally, she worked for many years in the sales & marketing and operations side of the industry, opening health clubs and building membership bases.

F E AT URE | BUSINESS & TECH

What is MYbarre?

It is a group exercise class in the studio, a full body workout inspired by the ballet and pilates movements combined with functional fitness training. Students will feel powerful yet elegant in this cardio and sculpting workout that is high in energy and low in impact.

How did MYbarre Fitness come about?

We both had been teaching various barre programs in our fitness careers and we worked together at Z&B Fitness teaching classes. We found the industry was changing fast in China and the students wanted something more.

The trainers who taught barre here also didn’t have access to any continued education to develop their moves or choreography from the basic qualifications.

We met over a coffee one day and spoke about our frustrations. The result was MYbarre which is a fitness program for students, but also an instructor training program in English and Chinese with continued education.

What social media platforms are you on?

We have a MYbarre official account on WeChat where we update all our training info and fitness event news.

We also have Xiaohongshu and BiliBili.

How do you tailor content for the different platforms?

Currently we create workouts for BiliBili that are 15-45 minutes long.

We make our Xiaohongshu workouts shorter in duration, and often focus on one body part or the end result.

We listen to what people want in the comments; the length of workout they want, whether they want to work their booty or improve their posture, etc. And we create the content in response to this.

We often break down each workout into 5-8 minute sections and we both teach in every workout to keep the energy high. The workouts are pretty tough to film and host.

That said, our highest viewed video has more than 32,000 hits on a 35 minute workout. Our 25-35 minute workouts seem to be the most popular, as I think that viewers can easily fit this workout into their day. It’s a fast and efficient way to do their barre session, and if they are consistent they really see great results.

We have uploaded some great general workouts as well as some focused on specific body parts like booty blaster or abs sculptor.

What tips do you have for someone new to Chinese social media?

Although Siri speaks enough Chinese to be able to upload what we want and create text content around it, we have a social media manager to help us. We would definitely recommend having someone who reads and speaks Chinese fluently to help you kick it off. It’s great to

have someone help you get it right.

Also, find something that you are passionate about and want to share with others. New and exciting content is the best. Look at the trends and what people are searching for.

What kind of people and groups do you collaborate with?

We love to collaborate with other brands that have a passion for women’s fitness and promote and create strong-minded real women. For our social media videos right now we work with MAIA active. We love to workout in their clothes and they are really evolving with the new fitness market in China.

Any exciting plans for the future?

This year we can’t wait to bring more workouts to our social media platforms, run some in-person fitness events and parties and, of course, build our MYbarre Instructor community. 2022 will be a great year for us and we are excited to plié, pulse and passé our way into this new year with our existing and new followers. > To follow MYbarre Fitness on WeChat search ‘MYbarre’ or scan the QR:

How do you go about building a following?

It has been very organic growth since we started in August with one basic MYbarre workout on BiliBili to introduce some basic moves. We wanted the viewer to feel the benefits of the workout and it has more than 15,000 views to date. From that we started to upload every Saturday and grow our audience.

JANUARY 2022 | 29

Six of Shanghai’s Best Amateur Photographers Interviews by Ned Kelly

SHANGHAI SIX H

ere’s how running the That’s Shanghai Instagram account works: users hashtag their images #thatsshanghai and we pick out the best of them to ‘regram’, tagging the original photographer.

In the process, we found ourselves reposting some absolutely stunning photos of the city and beyond. The more we did it, the more we noticed we were regramming photos from the same accounts over and over again.

We decided to reach out to these budding stars of the Shanghai photography community, learn a little bit more about them and their methods and, of course, share their incredible work.

Here are six of the very best, and you’ll be able to find even more (as well as the full interviews) on thatsmags.com over the coming months, and hopefully years.

Keep on Grammin!

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

MIKE @mikeonthebeach_sh Shanghai residents might know Mike as the owner-chef of French restaurant Cuivre on Huaihai Road.

What they might not know is that he is also a keen photographer.

3

How did you get into photography?

I bought my first Reflex camera when I was 18 because I was traveling a lot. I got really addicted to landscape and cityscape about 10 years ago when I purchased my first DSLR. How do you choose where to shoot?

I am a world traveler and an urban explorer; I like to discover gems within the city and think outside of the box. Photos need to have a meaning to me, so every one of my photos has a personal story.

What do you look for in a photograph?

For cityscapes, I like to shoot at night when the city starts to shine and glow. For landscapes, I love to shoot during sunrise.

How is the Instagram community in Shanghai and China?

I think it’s a great community! I’m always connecting with new people on Instagram to get information on interesting locations, especially when I’m traveling to places in China I’ve never visited before. I’m very happy to help others who connect with me when they are looking for a new spot to shoot in Shanghai too.

If you could shoot a place you haven’t shot yet, where would it be?

I would love to photograph the Yellow Mountains during winter. The first time I fell in love with China was through a photo I saw before I even came to the country.

Captions 1. Wukang Building I shot this photo during the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic when the streets were still quiet. It is usually a very complicated place to shoot because it has become such an Instagram photo attraction and is always crowded.

2. Lujiazui at Night I’ve shot Lujiazui so many times! But to be able to shoot it during a perfect dark night without the clouds and with the last cruise passing by was awesome.

3. Lujiazui Sunrise This was my first time to use a technique called intentional camera movement (ICM) during a shoot at sunrise and it turned out to be one of my favorite photos yet.

4. Hangzhou Lake This is what I enjoy the most in photography: being alone at 5am and shooting people that are starting work. It is so calm and peaceful.

5. Chongqing Bridge Chongqing is one of my favorite cities to shoot.

I went back there this summer. The colors are vibrant and there are colorful bridges everywhere. For this photo I was trying to enhance it using some Photoshop techniques.

6. Brothers I love when a photo tells a story. This photo was shot this year during the seven year anniversary of Union Trading Company, when Yao was behind the bar and our dear friend Austin was looking after him. Priceless.

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ALESSIO

@_alexi0s_

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Italian Alessio moved to Shanghai in 2014. After graduating in Architecture, he relocated to China where he switched careers and is now the art director for an events company.

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Captions:

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How did you get into photography?

Everything started back in 2012 when Instagram launched. I began sharing some simple pictures taken with my phone. Over time, this hobby turned into a major interest. I went from using my father’s compact camera to buying my own DSLRs and a drone.

As for inspiration, social media made me explore others’ work, which motivated me to reach new levels. Through practice and constant learning, it made me want to explore the world and travel more. It also led me to take a lot of photos and to start taking portraits, which I share on my second account @shotsbyalexi0s.

1 It was November during the China International Import Exposition in Shanghai. I’d heard about a light show happening on the Bund. One afternoon I went to Zhapu bridge.

It was 5pm, and there were already so many people with cameras and tripods.

I think I waited there for an hour or more.

After the first show I realized I was in the wrong place to take the picture I wanted, so I rushed to the main promenade on the Bund, set my camera and shot around 2,000 pictures.

in Shanghai in the night. I still remember how much my hands were shaking, and the moment when I lost the signal, but what impressed me more was what I was seeing through my screen. It felt like a movie scene.

2 I shot this a long time ago. After purchasing my drone, I did a bit of self training and then one day I decided to fly above the big intersection

4 This one was taken the same day I got the low clouds shot. I joined a sunrise photowalk on the Bund, and then around 7am we went to Memorial

3 One of my dreams was to take a photo above the clouds in Shanghai. I tried several times, waking up early in the morning to fly my drone. I don’t know if my tenacity got rewarded or if I just got lucky – I couldn’t believe when I crossed that layer of clouds.

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Tower to take photos of the tai-chi masters.

Their movement and their synchronization were beautifully hypnotic, and the iconic Shanghai landmark in the background really completed that moment.

5 This is one of my favorite shots I’ve ever taken with my drone. I think it was from three years ago; I went flying during the work day right before going to the office. The light of that sunrise was just amazing.

How do you choose where to shoot?

Each time is a different adventure and a new story to tell. Sometimes I walk without a destination and sometimes my friends know interesting spots and they invite me along.

When I want some sought-after place, I use Chinese social media to get information.

What do you look for in a photograph?

Mostly composition, balance, and colors If the photograph has a story to tell, that’s the photo I like the most.

What advice would you give someone trying to build an Instagram account?

There are no established rules. Choose what you want to do, set down your style and interact! Not because it’ll bring more likes or followers, but it’ll create a chance to meet people, to learn or teach with them, and to be inspired or inspire others.

It’s not easy, but it’s definitely possible.

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SHI YE @yeshinobi French with Chinese origins, Shi Ye was born in China and then lived his whole life in France before moving to Shanghai in 2012. He started his career working for an engraving machine company, but gradually changed paths and dedicated himself to photography.

How do you choose where to shoot?

I prefer to shoot in places that people haven’t seen, especially abandoned places, deserted areas and vast landscapes. To find these places, I browse a lot on social media and get inspiration from other photographers and bloggers. I also like to shoot people’s day-to-day life. For that, I just wander in the city and something captivating always comes up.

What do you look for in a photograph?

Firstly, I try to give sense to the photo and seek meaning as a good photograph must tell a story. I also

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try to find original angles that bring out the perspective of the place I’m shooting. I often play around with the different angles in order to capture an original photograph with an angle that may not have been seen before.

What advice would you give someone trying to build up an Instagram account?

Perseverance: always keep taking and posting photos. Another thing to keep in mind is to keep a coherent feed, with the same shades of color or the same theme. I realized that my account was not as clean and as organized as I wanted it to be and part

of it was just because I would post all kinds of photographs. Therefore, I created multiple accounts in order to manage and organize my work: one for gastronomy and another one for portraits.

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Captions: 1 This is one of my favorite photos that I have captured. I was at the right time in the right place for this photo. I love the contrast between the luxury of the Peace Hotel and the migrant worker.

2 This picture was taken at Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La. This young monk turned around to look at me when I took the picture.

3 A shot of the Nanpu Bridge taken from a rooftop. This was taken at the end of the day and we can clearly see the sun’s rays piercing through the clouds.

4 This photograph was taken in the abandoned American Dream Park in Shanghai. My friends posed for me in tribute to The Walking Dead . I also wanted to play with perspective and lights, hence the symmetry and width.

5 This photo was taken at Hakone Shrine torii gate very early in the morning when the tourists had not yet arrived. It fully captures the mirror-like reflection of the lake and it creates this panoramic view.

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How do you choose where to shoot?

Generally, I use satellite maps to scout out an area I am visiting or I am interested in. If I find something that I think is worth looking into, I find time to visit and have a look around.

Another way I find location inspirations is to see what others are currently shooting. Then I do some research on the web and see what locations might be good for a shoot. It’s not about going to capture the same photo as others, but to find your own interpretation of the location. And sometimes I just get in the car and drive around and stop if I find something interesting.

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What do you look for in a photograph?

Recently I have focused mainly on aerial photography as it allows me to be more creative with compositions.

I used to love finding symmetry in photography, but am trying to push myself to attempt different compositions or editing styles. Another thing I look for is the lighting conditions. I try to take photos when the light is softer, at sunrise or sunset, as the end photo is usually more peaceful.

How is the Instagram community in Shanghai and China?

Instagram is a great way to meet fellow photographers in Shanghai and beyond. The community is a hot pot of creative talent. It ranges from young students who are starting out on their photography journey, to elderly citizens walking around Shanghai with their zoom lenses.

Shanghai truly does have a large photography community.

What advice would you give someone trying to build up an Instagram account?

Firstly, don’t stress about the numbers on your account! Post consistently and make your Instagram account a portfolio of the work you love. Not everyone will love it, but slowly you will find your own cult following.

Another thing is to interact with other like-minded creatives on the platform; it’s a great way to make friends and find or give inspiration.

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@xxiamandixx Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Andi has been living in Shanghai for more than ten years.

He currently works in the import-export industry but, two years ago, he got his first drone. The rest, as they say, is history…

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ANDI

Captions: 1 This is one of my first ever drone shots. At the time most of what I could do was topdown photography.

This photo was taken in Pudong at the old World Expo site.

2 This image captures the sunset at the Wujiaochang intersection. This photo was taken this year after I had driven past this ‘dome’ several times.

After having a look

at the satellite image on maps, I thought it would make an interesting photo.

3 One of those epic moments on the Bund during sunrise.

Although there was a little haze around, I felt it brought a nice mood to the cityscape.

Definitely not easy to get up that early, but it is well worth it.

4 It was my birthday

and I was out with my friends for a quick shoot before dinner. The sunset that day was epic! I love the photo I got, but more importantly the memories of that day feel like they were yesterday.”

5 “Having slept outdoors with only a sleeping bag and my camera equipment, I was determined not to miss another opportunity to see

the majesty of Mount Fuji. I woke up before sunrise and could not see anything in the distance; clouds covered the entire landscape.

Instead of giving up, I thought I would send my drone up to have a look and I was greeted with

this sight. A truly memorable moment.”

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@jasmineyang1116 Shanghainese Jasmine is a 3D game design director. She’s in charge of making models for games and communicating with her Japanese parent company. She got into Instagram and photography during the pandemic, thinking it was a good time to learn something new.

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What do you look for in a photograph?

I was into street photography before, and I still love it but it was too stressful getting close to people to shoot. So I started taking photos of landscapes. It’s more relaxing and I’m happy I can get beautiful photos. I can also share them with my friends on Instagram. At the end of the day, that’s why we’re on Instagram; exploring the world through each other’s eyes.

What is your favorite place in Shanghai to shoot and why?

Lujiazui, with the four iconic high buildings, is an amazing spot to get drone photos. Especially because it’s home to our mother river, the Huangpu. I also love Chenghuang Temple. You can see Lujiazui behind it which combines ancient Chinese architecture with modern buildings.

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JASMINE

Captions: 1 I got up at 4am to take drone photos and, when I left home, I couldn’t see any clouds. I was kind of disappointed when they filled the sky, but when the sunrise got brighter, the clouds were so beautiful. You never know what the future will hold, so just do your best.

2 Chenghuang Temple in Shanghai has a long history. It was built in the Ming Dynasty about 600 years ago.

Over the years, the area got built up around it. This was the first time I went there to fly my drone. l’m happy that I found this place and got a different perspective from other people’s photos.

3 I went to fly at Nanpu Bridge in December.

I was nervous when the drone first took off because I knew I would need to land it manually. When the

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drone went higher, and I saw the Huangpu River, I was so excited because it was a scene l’d never seen before.

At that moment, I was not nervous at all, and I just flew higher and higher, enjoying the flight. Sadly, it was too bright and I didn’t take an ND filter with me that time. I will definitely return!

4 This photo was shot at the beginning of December. I got my drone in September and this was the first time I could finally capture some autumn vibes. This plane is an early model of a Chinese warplane. It was put in Dongping National Forest Park on Chongming Island after being retired.

It is so beautiful with red metasequoia and dawn redwoods cradling it like a sleeping baby. I’m happy I finally got a nice autumnal shot.

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RUPANA @pana_285 Hailing from Bali in Indonesia, Spa therapist Rupana spends his spare time exploring Shanghai and capturing the city in stunning images.

How did you get into photography?

When showing friends around, or simply exploring the city, I would choose places that I saw recommended on Instagram. I fell in love with the iconic buildings of Shanghai and the beautiful architecture, so I started to shoot it myself.

What advice would you give someone trying to build up an Instagram account?

Keeping supporting each other, learn from what you share and pay attention to design. There are so many good places to explore across China, like Hangzhou, Nanjing, Beiling – the list goes on an on.

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Captions 1 One of my best photos at sunset, this was a really nice capture. The birds and the cityscapes were taken in Pudong from Qixia Lu.

2 ≠≠≠≠≠One of those epic moments on the Bund during sunrise. It is not easy to capture a moment like this because normally the Bund is always busy in the

morning, with people running and on photography walks. I was very lucky that time.

3 One of my favorite shots is sunrise on the Bund. At the time of this photo, the weather was very good. It’s a little bit dark, but I really like it.

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WHO WON WHAT AT THE THAT’S SHANGHAI FOOD & DRINK AWARDS 2021

T

he results are in, the votes counted, the plaques polished and awarded to their worthy winners – here's the list of bars, restaurants and personalities that scooped prizes at the 19th That's Shanghai Food & Drink Awards, held at WAN MORE. Thanks to everyone who voted in this year's competition, and another big thank you to our lovely food sponsors Empty Jar, Green

Common, OMBRA, CYCLO by Pho To Shop and Bontanical Basket, and to our excellent Italian importer wine sponsor: INTERPROCOM. They helped create a fantastic evening that has gone down in the annals of Food & Drink Awards history.

The Big Ones

Lifetime Achievement Award

Club of the Year

Resly Parado

People's Choice: Bar Rouge

Michelle Garnaut

Bar of the Year People's Choice: Union Trading Company Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon New Club of the Year Editor's Pick: WAN MORE New Bar of the Year People's Choice: Zodiac Editor's Pick: La Mezcaleria New Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Klay Editor's Pick: BONICA New Exclusive Dining of the Year People's Choice: Club Whisper New Entertainment Destination of the Year People's Choice: Lounge by Topgolf New Lounge Club of the Year People's Choice: La Suite

Personalities

International Restaurants: Western Burger of the Year People's Choice: Fat Cow Editor's Pick: Commune Reserve Editor's Pick: Yugo Grill Editor's Pick: Blue Frog Taco of the Year People's Choice: Tacolicious Editor's Pick: Chihuahua Italian Pizza of the Year People's Choice: D.O.C. Gastronomia Italiana Editor's Pick: Alla Torre Editor's Pick: Azul Italiano Pizza of the Year People's Choice: Joe's Pizza Editor's Pick: Homeslice Editor's Pick: Pizza Street Mexican Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: TACOS Editor's Pick: Pistolera

Mixologist of the Year People's Choice: Geo Valdivieso

Spanish Restaurant of the Year

Editor's Pick: Mark Lloyd

People's Choice: Tomatito Editor's Pick: Mercado 505

Chef of the Year People's Choice: Baidas Mo Editor's Pick: Lucky Lasagna Editor's Pick: Nikolai Grigorov Editor's Pick: Johnny Qi 40 |JANUARY 2022

Latin American Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Latina Brazilian Steakhouse

Editor's Pick: Azul French Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Polux by Paul Pairet Editor's Pick: Cuivre Editor's Pick: Le Coquin

Rooftop of the Year People's Choice: POP Rooftop Brasserie & Bar Editor's Pick: M on the Bund Contemporary Western Restaurant of the YearPeople's Choice: The Refinery Gastro Bar

French Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year

Editor's Pick: Money Shops

People's Choice: Maison Lameloise

Editor's Pick: Commune Social

Editor's Pick: Jean-Georges Italian Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Mercato by Jean-Georges Editor's Pick: Italo Trattoria Editor's Pick: Pici Italian Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Da Vittorio Editor's Pick: 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana Brunch of the Year People's Choice: Colca Editor's Pick: The Bull & Claw Editor's Pick: Liquid Laundry Vegan, Vegetarian, Health Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Duli Editor's Pick: Green Common Middle Eastern of the Year People's Choice: Eli Falafel

Editor's Pick: Le Daily Editor's Pick: Blue Frog American BBQ of the Year People's Choice: The Smokehouse x The Camel Editor's Pick: Cages Editor's Pick: Bubba's Food Co. Butchery of The Year People's Choice: SWISS BUTCHERY

International Restaurants: Asian Thai Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: KIN Urban Thai Kitchen Editor's Pick: Eldivino Thai Vietnamese Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: HA TIEN Editor's Pick: Pho To Shop by Cyclo

Editor's Pick: Mess

Southeast Asian Restaurant of the Year

Steakhouse of the Year

People's Choice: THE PAWON

People's Choice: El Bodegon

Editor's Pick: Urban Café

Editor's Pick: RAW Eatery & Wood Grill

Indian Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Bollywood

Indian Restaurant

Brewhouse

Editor's Pick: Khan Chacha Bistro & Lounge

Editor's Pick: Mad Dragon

Korean Restaurant of the Year

People's Choice: Boxing Cat Brewery

People's Choice: Botong Sikdang

Editor's Pick: Commune Reserve

Editor's Pick: Jeju Izakaya

Craft Beer Brand of the Year

Japanese Restaurant of the Year

Tap Room of the Year

Editor's Pick: Beast of the East

People's Choice: XIME

Casual Cocktail Bar of the Year

Editor's Pick: Hundo Lounge Izakaya

People's Choice: Botanical Basket

Avenue Cantonese, Park Hyatt Shanghai Editor's Pick: Ming Court, Cordis, Shanghai, Hongqiao Modern Chinese Hotel Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: YEN, W Shanghai-The Bund Hotel Italian Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: LAGO by Julian Serrano, Bellagio by MGM Shanghai

Hotel Lounge of the Year People's Choice: URBAN Lounge, The Sukhothai Shanghai Editor's Pick: The Ritz Bar & Lounge, The Portman RitzCarlton, Shanghai Hotel French Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Jade on 36 Restaurant, Pudong ShangriLa, Shanghai Editor's Pick: Fifty 8 ° Grill, Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai

Editor's Pick: Revolving Door

Editor's Pick: Calypso Restaurant & Lounge, Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai

Craft Cocktail Bar of the Year

Hotel Steakhouse of the Year

People's Choice: J. Boroski

People's Choice: The 1515

People's Choice: Lotus Eatery

Editor's Pick: Banana Moon Sports Bar of the Year

Hotel Japanese Restaurant of the Year

Sichuan Restaurant of the Year

West Chophouse and Bar, Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai

People's Choice: HIYA, Shanghai EDITION

People's Choice: Sichuan Citizen

Editor's Pick: Big Bamboo

Editor's Pick: Flint Grill & Bar, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Shanghai Pudong

Regional Chinese Yunnan Restaurant of the Year

Editor's Pick: Perch

People's Choice: Cages Editor's Pick: Lounge by Topgolf

Editor's Pick: Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire, Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li

Editor's Pick: Kobachi ON 56, Grand Hyatt Shanghai

Live Music Venue of the Year

Editor's Pick: CHAR Bar & Grill, Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund

People's Choice: Xibo

People's Choice: The Pearl

Hotel Buffet of the Year

Cafés, Desserts and Ice Cream

Hunan Restaurant of the Year

Editor's Pick: JZ Club

People's Choice: Di Shui Dong

Editor's Pick: Heyday

People's Choice: The COOK, Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai

Bakery of the Year

Shanghainese Restaurant of the Year

Whisky Bar of the Year

Xinjiang Restaurant of the Year

People's Choice: Ye Shanghai Editor's Pick: SILAN Cantonese Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Canton Table Editor's Pick: Hakkasan Editor's Pick: Lotus Moon Chinese Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Canton 8 Huaiyang Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: XI TANG YAN Editor's Pick: East Bund 1818

Beverage and Nightlife Craft Beer Bar of the Year People's Choice: Mikkeller Tasting Room Editor's Pick: Goose Island

People's Choice: Ounce Editor's Pick: Senator Saloon Wine Bar of the Year People's Choice: Wine Universe

by Little Somms Editor's Pick: Pudao Wines LGBTQ+ Venue of the Year People's Choice: HUNT Editor's Pick: Roxie

Hotel Bars & Restaurants Hotel Shanghainese Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: Dragon Phoenix, Fairmont Peace Hotel Editor's Pick: Oriental House, InterContinental Shanghai Pudong Hotel Cantonese Restaurant of the Year People's Choice: 100 Century

Editor's Pick: Cachet, The Langham, Shanghai Xintiandi

People's Choice: Pain Chaud

Hotel Brunch of the Year

Ice Creamery of the Year

People's Choice: Café Gray Deluxe, The Middle House

People's Choice: Luneurs

Editor's Pick: The Stage, The Westin Bund Center Shanghai

Cafe of the Year

Hotel Bar of the Year People's Choice: The Bulgari Bar, Bulgari Hotel Shanghai Editor's Pick: The St. Regis Bar, The St. Regis Shanghai Jingan

Editor's Pick: Bread etc.

Editor's Pick: Gelato Dal Cuore People's Choice: RAC Editor's Pick: Shanghailander Golden Forks

Le Coquin

Pici

Lounge by Topgolf

Colca

Italo Trattoria

Azul

Blue Frog

Hotel Rooftop Bar of the Year

OMBRA

People's Choice: RuiKu, Wanda Reign on the Bund

Eli Falafel

POP Rooftop Brasserie & Bar

Editor's Pick: Flair Rooftop Bar, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong

Liquid Laundry

Editor's Pick: VUE Bar, Hyatt on the Bund

Ounce

Editor's Pick: Sky Bar and Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Shanghai Global Harbor

PIZZA Street Mad Dragon

HA TIEN

Mercato by Jean-Georges Jean-Georges Canton Table Pistolera

品粹1788 JANUARY 2022 | 41

FAMILY Are You Feeling Sh*tty? p45

Eco Home P44

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Class Clown P44

FULL HOUSE

BRET ISIS

Founder and President of Teaching Nomad

By Vanessa Jencks

W

ith so many changing regulations in the education industry, many teachers are wondering if it’s time to leave China altogether. Bret Isis, founder and president of Teaching Nomad, gladly sat down with That’s to discuss what his team has observed in the industry, both globally and specific to China. Teaching Nomad is a teacher placement agency that works in several countries, including the substitute placement industry in the US. For their international sector, they have a steady supply of jobs originating from 12 different countries. Their team is based in both Denver and Shanghai.

Isis explained that at the heart of Teaching Nomad is the mission to support teachers internationally and in the US by providing “great employment opportunities and professional development.” Their international unit has a goal to “bridge cross-cultural awareness and support life-changing overseas experiences” while their US substitute counterpart “helps to ensure that schools have the coverage they need to support learning outcomes, while providing teachers with valuable classroom experience.”

“All of this comes together to battle the global teacher shortage by retaining experienced teachers and giving noneducation majors the opportunity to try out teaching. Then linking them with the training and certification they need to turn it into a rewarding career.”

In terms of China’s changing landscape with teachers leaning toward staying in China, Isis responded, “smart move! Right now there is massive demand for foreign teachers but an extremely limited supply. We’ve seen nearly every school increase salaries

and benefits to attract and retain the teachers they have.” Of recent regulations shutting down or limiting training schools, Isis noticed a trend of tutoring shifting into core curriculum schools, potentially causing an increase in workload.

Isis was quick to point out that this increase in salary and workload “won’t last forever.” As China opens back up, “don’t be surprised if your school wants to reduce your salary to pre-pandemic levels or skip an annual salary increase, ” Isis explained. Overall Isis mentioned teachers should consider themselves lucky if they’re already teaching in China or using this unique season to propel their career. “Thousands of teachers wish they were already in China.”

Though the regulations have had an immediate impact within China’s borders, Isis mentioned that it’s too early to know with certainty how this will affect teaching recruitment in China long term. “At a recent meeting of school leaders in Shanghai, we heard varying opinions including more tutoring shifting to the K-12 regular school day.

Some of the changes could be rolled back through government sanctioned partnerships between training schools and K-12 schools. At this point, there’s so much focus on test results that it seems impossible that afterschool training won’t continue to thrive in some form.”

Regulations aside, COVID-19 has had a much larger impact on Teaching Nomad, leading to their development in the US market, and on teacher recruitment in general. Restrictions on travel lasted for a longer time than Isis initially expected. “Schools in K-12 have had some success bringing new foreign teachers into the country, using PU

letters. However, I would estimate they have only been able to get visas and PU letters for about 15 to 25% of the teachers that they would have wanted to hire pre-pandemic.” One change seems to be a mix between new regulations and the pandemic as “afterschool training centers have not been allowed to obtain PU letters, essentially eliminating all opportunities for beginner TEFL teachers.”

Teachers desiring to leave China still have options available. “Southeast Asia often boasts a better work-life balance but with a decreased savings potential.

The Middle East is still a popular choice, especially the UAE. Culture shock is often easier there since so many people speak English, but the students can be tougher and don’t have the same intense focus on doing well in school like we see in China.” For teachers considering a move back to their passport country, there are plenty of teaching jobs available. In the US, Isis acknowledged public districts have higher pay, but he suggested private schools often have better worklife balance and smaller classes making a slight pay cut worth it for some. Where to go next all comes down to motivation for the move from each individual teacher. If teachers need input, Teaching Nomad has both resources to consider and staff that can discuss these options. > For your next move in the education field, check out www.teachingnomad.com where they have jobs and continued education information available.

JANUARY 2022 | 43

READING CORNER Book recommendations from That’s editorial team.

Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood This true story written by Cheryl Diamond takes readers through a life with parents on the run from Interpol across five continents. Cheryl recounts six assumed identities by the time she was nine. She remembers taking on the appearance of a Sikh one year and then being Jewish a few years later. She picked up odd skills along the way in this exciting but conflicted childhood. These include forging identity papers and fixing a car with chicken wire.

Cheryl writes of some truly epic moments but her story comes to a crossroads when she must decide whether to stick with a family living in the shadows as it implodes or make a way for herself in a world of paper trail truth.

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids 1 & 2 Whether you have a reluctant reader or anxious test-taker at the end of the school semester, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids with two editions will help your children relieve stress and bolster their love of reading. Reading will become a community event with lots of giggles as the readers won’t be able to keep the laughs to themselves. These two books will be great tools for busting any boredom, whether due to travel (or avoiding travel for health reasons) or waiting out the last days in the classroom after final exams. It’s highly rated and sure to bring a smile to many faces.

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CLASS CLOWN

Chinese Astronauts Give Spacey Science Lectures A group of 1,420 students in Beijing, Nanning, Wenchuan, Hong Kong and Macao were invited to attend live broadcasted lessons given by crew members of Shenzhou XIII on December 9, 2021. The astronauts showed students how they live and work in space, along with a tour of some of the astronaut’s quarters. Included in the hourlong presentation were demonstrations in microgravity, most notably a water ball. Students got the chance to ask questions, with several students remarking how the lecture surprised them and increased their interest in space.

Image Credit: Xinhua

ECO HOME

Zero Waste Shampoo Bars Did you know that shampoos, conditioners and soaps available in most supermarkets are not only bad for the environment but they’re also bad for your skin and hair too? Whether due to sulfates, parabens or a number of other additives, your skin and hair can really take a beating from using the average shampoo and soap on the shelf.

Unsustainable and synthetic ingredients wash down the drain, eventually splashing into the ocean, where they’re toxic to everything from coral reefs to larger sea mammals. On top of that, liquids can only be kept in bottles (think of all that plastic filling up landfills) and these companies are making no promises about their manufacturing processes either. Switch to a sustainable, zero-waste, vegan and cruelty free bar that can be used from your head to your toes. Brands to try that are available on Taobao include Ethique and Friendly Soap. If you’ve got the time and a hankering, there are plenty of homemade recipes available online too.

F A M I LY

Are You Feeling Sh*tty?

A

re You Feeling Sh*tty? is a free monthly mental health support group that aims to provide approachable support to those who need it. The group offers compassion, community and respect for substantive academic research on mental health. Participants may talk, share, or just listen. We thought it sounded like a great initiative, so we reached out to organizer Charey Utton to find out more.

How did the event come about?

The idea was bubbling away in my head for years, but there were three main catalysts that drove it to fruition.

First, the observation that, in Shanghai, mental health support options are thin on the ground; you either have prohibitively expensive therapy or superficial ‘positivity’-oriented workshops and communities that choose to treat symptoms by essentially ignoring them.

Second, I’ve personally struggled a lot with mental health. As a result, I have spent years researching and reading about it from the perspectives of philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, sociology and art. I don’t have any unique contributions to make in any of these fields, but I figured sharing what I’ve learned from professionals might be of use to others.

Third, and the thing that really tipped

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F A M I LY

the idea into existence, was the suicide of a friend who’d been living here in Shanghai.

There was no way of changing what had happened. But, I figured, there might be a way to prevent something like that happening again.

Are You Feeling Sh*tty? was the best answer I could come up with, when I asked myself how I could personally provide some sort of safety net to those who need it.

What can attendees expect?

We meet in a group of around 20 people, of whom normally around half are regulars, and half are newbies. Each month there’s a theme, such as loss, generosity or anger.

At the start, I’ll give a reading on that theme. We’ll then chat about it as a group.

Afterwards, we move onto a sharing session where anyone may share with the group why they’re feeling downtrodden.

They can tell their story.

This is not an event for advice – we’re not trained professionals, so nobody gives advice after someone shares. The group is just there to listen.

What sort of people does it attract?

Mostly women. I wish men would come more. In most countries, men are two or three times more likely to kill themselves than women, and yet they

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almost never reach out for help. Let this be a message to any men reading: if you’re feeling shitty, be brave and admit it, don’t bottle it up and try to deal with it alone.

Besides that, it’s a complete mix of nationalities, ages and professions. What’s nice is that when we hear each other share, we come to realize how universal so many of our stories actually are.

Often people feel like they might be the only one suffering in their particular way, and are shocked and comforted to find someone else, perhaps of a different age, and a different background, who is suffering in exactly the same way.

What would you say to someone nervous/cautious about attending?

There’s absolutely no pressure to say anything during a session. You can come and sit, listen, and not say a word.

We’ve had people who have come every month for six months, never said a thing, and then one day quietly open up about how helpful it’s all been.

F A M I LY

How do you pick your themes?

First off, I pick what I think are the most salient issues when it comes to mental health.

They’re all what philosophers might call ‘second order’ ideas. These can be seen as mechanisms or rules, rather than specific instances.

Instead of choosing ‘cheating’ or ‘theft,’ I might choose ‘envy.’

Second, I balance the light with the dark. We had ‘grief’ a few months ago, which was super heavy, so I followed it with ‘generosity’.

Third, I choose whatever I personally want to do some research on that month. I spend hours researching and writing for each session, so I’ve gotta be feeling it.

What’s up with the artwork?

Since I started, with every session I’ve published a WeChat post that features art from this illustrator called SilentPilot ( 愚木 in Chinese). I found his work online, where it’s massively popular internationally, and later found out

that he lives in Shanghai.

It’s so beautiful, and introspective, and surreal, and relatable. I got in touch with him and found that he’s the sweetest, humblest dude in the world about it all. He’s been making one piece every day for 1,795 days now, which is the sort of dedication I will never achieve in my life.

Meanwhile, the art on the poster was made by my old friend and Shanghai legend K-Real. Check his stuff out online, he does amazing prints. > Scan the QR to add Charley and find out more.

JANUARY 2022 | 47

LISTINGS

Beijing Kerry Residence Whether you’re a single business executive or a busy family, Beijing Kerry’s fully- furnished 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments will feel just like home. As well as enjoying all the comforts of modern living – including a well-equipped kitchen, entertainment systems, high-speed broadband and much more – residents are just moments away from the Kerry Centre’s shopping mall and sports facilities.

The rest of the CBD is on your doorstep too. >1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang 朝 阳 区 光 华 路 1 号 (8535 6888, www.beijingkerryresidence. com)

BEIJING

GTC RESIDENCE BEIJING One of the top residences in Beijing, GTC Residence is located beside the third ring road with 5 minutes’ walk to subway line 5 , 10 minutes’ drive to Hou Hai . It is also within easily reach of CBD, embassy area, Financial Street and other urban commercial,shopping and recreation areas. Fully equipped apartments with impeccable quality offer you a cozy living system and will meet all of your requirements for room decoration, furniture, electric appliances etc..

Unique sky garden with golf practice field and barbecue area is another symbol of GTC Residence. > sales@gtcresidence.com, website: www. gtcresidence.com Tel:56756666 Beijing Lianbao > Unite 1C, Building 7, Xingfu Yicun Xili, Chaoyang District 朝阳区幸福一村西里7号楼1C (6415 8001, 138 1093 6118, hanxingyue1127@126. com)

Oak Chateau Beijing Oak Chateau Beijing has 236 stylish and contemporary fully serviced apartments from studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four bedroom suites available, measuring

64 to 260 square meters. There is a 24-hours guest reception, and housekeeping is offered twice a week.

Nestled within the landscaped gardens of the Ocean Express commercial and residential complex, Oak Chateau Beijing is very close to the third Embassy Area and shopping and dinning services at the Beijing Lufthansa Center. There are only 19 kilometers to the Beijing Capital Airport. > 北京市朝阳区东三环霞光里 66 号远洋新干线 D 座 邮编 100027 Block D, Ocean Express, 66 Xiaguang Li, Third East Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100027, P.R.C Tel: (86-10) 84465888 Fax: (86-10) 84465999 Email oak.chateau@oakchateau.com Website: www. oakchateau.com Oakwood Residence Damei Beijing The only serviced apartment in the city that has its own in-house supply of natural hot spring water supply. Expansive city views are available from floor to ceiling windows with the apartments situated from level 23 to 35 in the building complex.

The 171 stylish contemporary serviced residences range from studios to threebedroom apartments and offer an elegant range of amenities and facilities to ensure each resident’s stay is comfortable and well taken care of. > Building No.1 Damei Center, 7 Qingnian Road, Chaoyang District Beijing 北京市朝阳 区青年路 7 号达美中心 1 号楼 Tel: 86-10 8585 2211 (8:30am-5:30pm) 86-10 8585 2888 (5:30pm-8:30am) Fax: (86-10) 8585 2666 website OakwoodAsia.com

HOTEL NEWS BEIJING

CHENGDU

Waldorf Astoria Beijing Proudly Appoints New Director

Iconic St. Regis Chengdu Welcomes Veteran General Manager

Waldorf Astoria Beijing is proud to welcome Mr. Cai Lei as the Commercial Director, overseeing matters relating to sales, marketing and revenue.

He brings with him the experience and insight of an illustrious career with Starwood, Hilton Group, Bulgari and the Shanghai EDITION. He believes that a professional team is the key to delivering superior customer experience.

The St. Regis has acquired the distinguished Mr. Radek Cais to assume leadership of the ultra-luxury Chengdu property. The Cornell graduate began his career in Vancouver and then proceeded to build a 25-year career in top destinations around the globe. Having worked in Holland, Sweden, Norway, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and the Ritz-Carlton Tianjin, Cais will undoubtedly continue to impress during his tenure in Chengdu.

48 |JANUARY 2022

GBA

SHANGHAI

Jing An Shangri-La Wishes You a Happy Holidays

Art Space Unvelied at Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou With Fashion and Photography Show In December, Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou celebrated the grand opening of 080 X Raymond Hui Aesthetic Space. The opening ceremony was attended by some 80 arts, fashion and media guests, and was held at Four Seasons Tian bar on the 99th floor of the hotel. The event included a pop-up photography exhibition by Kevin Zhou and a fashion show, all encompassing the theme of what it means to be a gentleman.

Shangri-La celebrated its 50th Christmas with elegant gift hampers, festive afternoon tea packages and New Year’s Eve and Day free-flow and set menu events. Situated in the heart of the affluent Jing An central business district, the 508-room Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai is the focal point of the integrated Jing An Kerry Centre. The hotel provides 4,465 square metres of meeting and conference space. Offering diversity in the dining experience, guests have options at the hotel’s six F&B outlets, serving both Western and Eastern cuisine.

CHANGSHA Nobody Does Decorations Like the Bulgari Hotel Shanghai Bulgari Hotel Shanghai rang in the holiday season with magnificent lighting and decorations to provide guests with a magical and yet cozy atmosphere.

Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito offered authentic and elevated Italian delicacies like beef tongue tortellini with parmesan cheese, citrus and pumpkin broth, beef tenderloin with mushroom jelly, black truffle and potato mayonnaise, and custard-filled bignè with warm chocolate sauce.

Bulgari Hotel Shanghai offers beautiful panoramic views of the iconic Bund waterfront, the magnificent skyline of Shanghai, legendary Huangpu River and winding Suzhou River.

“Mad Madame” Is the Official Scent of Changsha Niccolo Changsha has launched a series of co-branded promotions with Juliette Has a Gun, the luxury perfume brand from France, including a themed art afternoon tea, cocktails, and a themed room package. When booking the limited afternoon tea, cocktails and room package guests will also receive one free Experience Perfume Set by Juliette Has a Gun, valued at RMB288.

These co-branded promotions will be available daily in limited quantities until 15 January 2022.

Christmas Eve Tradition Takes Turkey to the Top Tier The St. Regis Shanghai Jing An took care of the cooking for Christmas Eve this year with a sumptuous buffet in Social and a six-course set menu in The Club House. The buffet featured succulent lobsters, king crabs, oysters, grilled beef, and roasted turkey and ham with free flow of sparkling and wines for RMB998.

JANUARY 2022 49

SCHOOL NEWS SHANGHAI

2021 BISS Puxi Winter Bazaar The British International School of Shanghai Puxi Winter Bazaar hosted families to mingle and explore a festive market with stalls of delicious snacks and a chance to meet Santa.

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi Winter Ball Makes a Difference The Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi community came together for their annual Winter Ball at W Hotel Shanghai and successfully raised over RMB50,000 for two causes that are close to their hearts. Funds raised will support Veal Reyoung School in Cambodia, which they have committed to funding through a partnership with United World Schools, as well as the Shanghai Roots and Shoots Million Tree Project. Dulwich is proud of the difference their community is making.

From Farm to Table: The Tale of the Red Dragon in YCIS Shanghai Every noon from the start of November, children from YCIS Puxi Primary gathered to collaborate on a mural on the 18-meter wall at the Hongqiao Campus. They took on different roles painting the dragon – including coloring the tail, outlining the eyes, and depicting various characters across its body.

The mural, titled The Tale of the Red Dragon , is a project conceived by the artists in the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Programme at YCIS Shanghai.

The AIRs in Pudong and Puxi create spectacular art pieces with students from YCIS’ five campuses throughout the school year. For this project, Ms Elena Hasnas, YCIS Puxi AIR, joined forces with YCIS Pudong AIR Ms Haruka Ostley. The children were enthusiastic about their shared creative task come rain or shine.

50 |JANUARY 2022

Wellington College International Shanghai Launches Scholarship Programme Wellington College International Shanghai is now accepting applications for its Academic Scholarship Programme for the 2022-23 academic year. In addition to partial or full tuition coverage, Wellington Scholars will develop their research skills through an extended project and receive on-on-one academic mentorship.

GUANGZHOU

SHENZHEN

CIS Winter Festival Raises Money for Charity A wrap for the biggest community celebration of 2021! In December, CIS’ caring community came together for the annual Winter Festival. It was a truly wondrous celebration to raise money for the CIEO Charity Foundation.

Indeed, it takes a village to fulfil the CIEO motto of “Education is Love” and they are very appreciative to everyone who supported this worthwhile cause.

SIS 2021 International Winter Bazaar Celebrates Diversity Shekou International School’s 2021 International Winter Bazaar was successfully held at our Net Valley campus on December 18. This year, there were over 20 booths set up by international families and community members showing the diversity and inclusiveness of the SIS community. SIS is very proud of the way the International Winter Bazaar brings communities together. While we look forward to 2022, SIS would like to extend a huge thank you to all members of our global communities for the support in 2021. Our common interests keep us connected as we celebrate our unique characteristics and cultures.

FOSHAN

ISA Hosts Colorful Multicultural Festival The 2021 ISA Festival ‘A Journey Through Time’ celebration has been successfully held at ISA Science City International School. Guests enjoyed gift shopping for charity, playing games, and tasting international food in the joyful Festival bazaar and exhibition. The Festival also celebrated the multi-cultural integration with a splendidly costumed Flash Mob and wonderful multi-cultural performances presented by ISA students, parents & teachers. The curtain of the Festival descended with a spectacular drone show demonstrating the growth of the ISA community.

NAS Brings the Excitement of the Tanzanian Jungle to Foshan Fun Day NAS Foshan held an amazing and fun Open Day in December. The theme of the Open Day was exploring the jungles of Tanzania, which is connected through Nord Anglia Global Campus projects. Families came to NAS Foshan and enjoyed the music festival and the sunshine on the green sports field. In addition to Tanzanian performance and activities, NAS Foshan also offered an array of extra-curricular activities for families to try, such as fencing, equestrian, golf and archery.

JANUARY 2022 51

That’s

JANUARY

Horoscopes

Finally, a horoscope that understands your life in China.

By Joshua Cawthorpe

Aries

Capricorn

Aquarius 1.21~2.19

2.20~3.20

3.21~4.20

You’ve got a big career change or promotion nearby in your future. Keep your eyes open and your nose brown. Venus will be in retrograde until January 29 so try not to fall in love.

At your age, hand-eye coordination is dwindling and it's unlikely that you can manoeuver a motorcycle in Chinese rush hour traffic.

Just settle for the leather pants and jacket. January is a time for healing and restoration so call the friends you haven’t talked to in too long.

Start swimming at the nearest pool and become a regular attendee of all hotel pool parties in your area.

Pisces needs to splash, baby!

A Roomba might not get at those hard to reach places, but neither will the ayi in your price range. Start the year out with clean floors.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

12.22~1.20

Taurus

Gemini

Pisces

Cancer

Leo

4.21~5.21

5.22~6.21

6.22~7.22

7.23~8.23

The year of the Bull has come to a close and if nothing changed for you then maybe you should go back to school. Being a mature student can be a very rewarding experience. It’s never too late to up your keg stand game.

Take a walk on the wild side.

Start a collection of clothing with colourful prints. Looking like a curtain from your grandmother’s nursing home is super 'in’ right now.

You got stupendous news last month so make it count. Reel in the risk taking behaviour that you’re known for and you might just see another full circle of the sun in the wa r m em br a ce of China.

Your job lets you nap after lunch but now you feel helplessly lethargic after every meal. Either substitute your eggs and bacon for a banana or double-down with a pillow under your desk.

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

8.24~9.23

9.24~10.23

10.24~11.22

11.23~12.21

The wilderness is calling you.

It’s been years since you camped under the stars and howled at the moon. Don’t be scared — all the wolves were eaten in the 80s.

This year is all about revitalizing yourself for Libras. Start with Goldbond in your shoes and stop using natural deodorant — it doesn’t work.

Stop planning on becoming Douyin-famous when you aren’t even filming videos.

Check out a job board, apply, and accept your rejection so you can plan a more humble retirement.

If it feels like an impossible task to ask for forgiveness from the hordes of folks you’ve wronged, you can always skip that step. The path to sobriety is a road you should travel after blacking out on NYE.

52 |JANUARY 2022

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