With all the huffing, puffing, moaning and yelping about international debt crises, one has got ask how China is maintaining its frantic "building binge." Today, the GlobalPost published my analysis of the current infrastructure and property development problems in China, notably in urban centers such as Shanghai and Chongqing. This story began its life during …
Continue reading Overdeveloping China creates speculation and elitist markets
If I were to write a narrative of my first (nonconsecutive) weeks in Kuala Lumpur, it would be one of heady political chaos followed by a contemplative decrescendo into the month of Ramadan. It would start out in KL and it would begin with a bang – namely originating from the disbursement of tear gas …
Continue reading First weeks in KL: Bersih 2.0 protest to bazaar Ramadan
From the volume of globular beings plodding across aisles in Walmart to an increasingly explicit trove of accessible web junk, obesity – judging from my recent visit – is clearly the order of the day in today’s US. Yet while keeping updated on the latest “feature creatures” at People of Walmart keeps me cracking up …
Continue reading Calorie counts in US chains need time to counter norms
Before making my grand exit out of Shanghai, I decided it was more than necessary to revisit The Manchurian, or Dongbei Ren (东北人), a chain of atavistic eateries that perfume a potent Mao-era ambiance. While I love the nostalgic decor and variety of northeastern dishes (the medley of fried mushrooms comes to mind), the real …
Continue reading Goofed up Translations from The Manchurian’s Menu
I’ve been monitoring an increased amount of traffic the past two weeks coming to a post of mine about the illegal trade of wild frogs in Shanghai. The spike of interest in frogs instantly got me thinking that a possible story was brewing, and, sure enough, the inclination was well-founded. A report published on June …
Continue reading Frogs jump back into the news, and this time with cholera
Justin Calderón 