Manufacturer China

       

Hou Gouzhu, now 11 years old, had half of his skull removed as a child because of Rasmussen’s Encephalitis. Two years ago, when he was 8, photos of him and his father splashed across Chinese and international media. He was quickly dubbed “half-brain boy” and many felt sympathy for the son and his father, who said they had spent every penny they owned on Hou’s medical treatments, and couldn’t even afford the ticket back to their home in Shandong province. Since then, donations have poured fourth and Hou was able to undergo cosmetic surgery. He was fitted with a skull made of titanium mesh, effectively giving him half his head back! [ more › ]

Is there no end to the food safety issues we have to deal with here? Luckily, this new scare doesn’t seem to actually be harmful. Unluckily, this means that officials are “passing the buck” when it comes to actually dealing with it. [ more › ]

Ever wanted to know how much your local official at a state-owned enterprise is paid? We’ll soon be able to know at least the pre-kickback rate: “The Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission said they are working on plans to enhance transparency and public supervision of incomes at state-funded operations in the city. The initiatives include publicizing salaries of high-ranking officials at such companies as well as reports of how the commission values their work performance. The initiative has come in response to mounting calls from the public who want authorities to address the income gap between leaders and staff at state-owned companies and to prevent managers from being paid unfairly high salaries. The commission said top leaders at 75 state-owned enterprises in Shanghai, such as chairmen and presidents, were paid an average of 696,100 yuan in 2009, about 10 times the salary of employees at these companies.” [ more › ]

This enormous sunfish, weighing 381 kg (840 lbs), was caught off the coast of Taiwan this week. And if that’s not enough, the same guy also landed a 120kg swordfish! The catch has prompted speculation that these are in fact “quake fish”, or fish driven closer to shore as a result of the earthquake and tsunami last month. For some reason, most of the Chinese press is particularly amused by the terrified girl in the video, who starts screaming when her father shows her the fish. [ more › ]

              

Spring is finally here and with it comes the urge to watch greenery grow. What better time than now to check out some of Shanghai’s best Bird & Flower markets? We’ve checked out several around Shanghai that are relatively easy to get to from city center – greenify your life today! [ more › ]

The spectacular arrest of famed Hong Kong actor Max Mok (莫少聪), 50, by Beijing police for allegedly taking drugs has been widely reported in the media. As this video shows, the actor, best known for his role in the 1990s drama series Once Upon a Time in China by director Tsui Hark, was busted at home in Beijing together with two of his friends, including his manager. Commenters have been horrified at the way Mok has been humiliated on public television for the relatively minor crime of smoking pot, and many have wondered if this wasn’t the handiwork of someone else in the industry who reported on him to the police. In the video, a tired-looking Mok insists, “I really didn’t do it… Even if you give it to me for free, I don’t want any of it.” But later when shown the results of his drug test, Mok concedes that he took two hits, but only because there were lots of friends around who kept pushing it to him, and he found it hard to reject them. Mok’s buddies also tested positive for ketamine, but their faces were blurred out in the news report. Moral of the story? If you ever get busted for smoking pot some day, then you only really need to start worrying if you’re as famous as Max Mok.
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This week is fairly dead as far as international acts go, but there’s plenty of local talent to fill in the gaps! We’ve got Chinese metal bands at MAO Livehouse, the monthly Fever Machines show, and some earthy Taiwanese folk music. We only list the highlights here at Midweek Music Preview, so if you’re looking for full listings check out our calendar! [ more › ]

              

Last Saturday, April 16, the Eco Design Fair showed up at its new digs in the Waterhouse at Cool Docks on the South Bund. Since 2008, the fair has showcased eco-conscious designers and products. The participating stalls ranged from bakers to bikes, computers to clothes and featured everything in between. Throughout the day there were multiple events including live music performances, a farmers market as well as eco fashion shows and even a “green wedding” feature. [ more › ]

A few links to start off your day: [ more › ]