FAMILY

By Xiran Jay Zhao Ages 14 and up

Xiran Jay Zhao is a Chinese Canadian of Hui descent who is not only a New York Times bestselling sci-fi author but also a YouTuber and cosplayer with a vast following.

Iron Widow has been described as “Pacific Rim meets Handmaid’s Tale” due to the elegant and uncompromising characters mixed with futuristic ‘mechas.’

Despite being set in post-apocalyptic China, the book is available on Taobao.

By Megan Wagner Lloyd Ages 8 to 12

This coming-of-age novel follows a young girl who feels somewhat overlooked within her family dynamic.

As an animal lover, she decides that a pet dog is a solution to her problems. When she goes to adopt one, however, she realizes that an allergy is going to make it that much harder than she anticipated. Megan Wagner Lloyd offers realistic and relatable characters for a young reader to engage with while overcoming an obstacle that is no fault of the protagonists.

Roles were reversed at Hebei Hengshui No.1 High School when teachers had to sit for an exam invigilated by the students.

The exam itself consisted of remembering the names of all of their students, but the atmosphere was just as serious and oppressive as a regular high school test.

As of press time the hashtag related to the activity has been viewed about a million times with netizens praising the creative method of improving the student-teacher relationship.

The term ‘ergonomics’ appeared in 1857 in a book about the science of work. However, the type of work being done wouldn’t shift to sitting at a desk all day for nearly a hundred years.

In 1968, Wilfred Dauphin, a german engineer, was tasked with conceptualizing the future impact of the computer on the modern office. The first ergonomic chair was the result of his investigation. Just over a decade later, Hans Christian Mengshoel developed the kneeling chair which spreads the weight between the buttocks and the shins while opening the pelvic angle and relieving pressure on the spine.

Anyone born in the 90s had that one family friend who was either an artist or a scientist and had one of these chairs. Now you can become that weirdo yourself for only RMB380.

By Joshua Cawthorpe

State media asserts that yoga was introduced to China by way of the daily CCTV broadcasts of Wai Lana. However, the generation that fuels China’s yoga craze today would probably snicker at the quintessential 1980s fitness videos with soothing guitar melodies playing as the Hong Kongnese yogi guides viewers in her flowing technicolor jumpers and flower crowns.

Although Wai Lana might technically be the world’s most-watched yoga teacher (according to her own website), China’s growing yoga culture is comprised mainly of Millenials.

One key driver for the predominantly female customer base is the desire for sculpted physiques in line with ever-evolving beauty standards. The elements of meditation and spirituality don’t seem to be what sparks the interest of Chinese fitness consumers but, in the age of hectic overtime and six-day work weeks, they might be what make people stay.

This month That’s sits down with Shen Yan to discuss how this ancient art is amassing followers in the modern age. Shen discovered yoga in university back in 2014. When you see him practicing yoga it becomes immediately evident that he has a special kind of dedication and discipline that most people simply don’t possess.

We meet Shen in the Starbucks, 13 floors below his studio: Yan Yoga. Shen tells us that he began practicing almost every day from early on in his yoga journey. When he graduated in 2016, he got a ‘proper’ job at a good company but he immediately felt uneasy about sitting at a computer all day. “I felt discomfort,” he tells That’s,

“and I could see that my bosses were in bad shape too. They were very rich but I knew immediately that it wasn’t worth the sacrifice for me.”

Shen decided to quit his job and progress into teaching yoga. Around that time he claims to have seen a shift in the demographic of yoga practitioners. “Yoga was already well-known in 2016 but it had a stigma of being slow, boring and mostly suitable for the elderly. The yoga that China’s older yogi generation practices is a slower Indian style. However, around 2016 we saw more American and European influences on yoga being practiced in China. More upbeat music, a faster pace and more fitness-oriented movements draw in younger people.”

Shen has watched yoga explode and he has friends that have ridden the swell. Not wanting to replicate the stressful lifestyle of an office job, he chose a more conservative approach to entering the yoga business. “I have friends who have opened yoga studios all around the country — Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu,” says Shen. “They opened big studios in malls and they can tell me firsthand how the business is going. Their costs are too high and they are consistently losing money. Like me, they got into the business to master their own yoga and teach others. But now they are always stressed out and glued to their phones.”

These friends will ultimately downsize, and they imparted the following wisdom to Shen. Do not exceed three locations and each one should be no larger than 400 to 500 square meters. Three locations are reasonable to manage as you can visit them and teach in a single day. Despite yoga being the passion that brought Shen into the business, he still intends to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The yoga business is booming in China but the per-customer spending remains relatively low. “No matter how much we love yoga, the industry still needs to keep us alive. The rent and the fixed monthly expenses must be carefully considered when choosing a space and designing a course schedule.”

Shen explains that the biggest shift he has witnessed in the yoga business has been in the membership and payment structure. In the beginning, it was always annual and monthly memberships to the studios. This

discourages people from trying out yoga and it’s not realistic for young professionals with busy schedules. Thus, the industry shifted to multiple class passes. A 10-class pass at Yan Yoga costs RMB1500 but doesn’t expire. This makes it more approachable to customers as well as maintaining the value of each class for the business.

Yan Yoga opened in 2020 at a time when many businesses that require in-person gatherings were struggling. Nonetheless, Shen says that they built it slowly and were able to sustain it because of the studio’s modest size. “In the beginning, we would only have five or six people join a class but this would cover the fee for the teacher and it grew from there.”

Shen hints that he’s looking to expand into a larger space but he quickly reminds us of his raison d’être. “The original choice was to open a yoga studio so that I could live a life of balance. If it turns into a high-pressure job then it becomes a contradiction. I chose this lifestyle because I looked at my future self and at those who walked this path before me. I decided this is the kind of life I want.”

Interview by Ned Kelly

Bloodline is a group of likeminded people dedicated to the cause of blood donations, with a presence in 14 cities – including Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Dalian and Guangzhou in China. With the Guardian Angels Community blood donation event coming up in Shanghai this month, we reached out to them to find out more.

How long has Bloodline been around? Bloodline was founded in 2017 by Dr. Ashish Maskay, a Nepalese doctor who has been working at Shanghai United Family Hospital since 2007 and living in Shanghai since 2003.

Bloodline is a Shanghai-based non-profit advocacy group for blood donations whose mission is to actively organize blood donation drives at the Shanghai community level and try to educate the public about the importance of building a mutual support system based on voluntary blood donations. Bloodline also responds to urgent appeals for blood needs for locals or expats by connecting Bloodline donors with recipients to help those in need.

Why did you decide to set up Bloodline? Dr. Maskay was inspired to establish Bloodline by an incident that occurred several years ago. It started with a French woman who was in Shanghai visiting her boyfriend. The couple was involved in a scooter accident and the woman was sent to Shanghai United Family Hospital. She needed surgery on a bleeding liver.

The woman’s blood type was Rhnegative, a rare blood type worldwide, and extremely rare among Asians. Dr. Maskay sent out a call for blood donations. Over 80 people responded.

The incident made him realize the power that people have, and that we need to do something to tap into that power.

In general, the issue is that many people don’t realize the importance of blood donations until they need a transfusion themselves. We want to change that concept and make people realize that donations are not just for others but perhaps also for yourself.

Why is it so important for people to donate blood?

Donating blood saves lives. Blood cannot be manufactured; it only comes from the generosity of donors.

Focusing on China, more than 99% of the population in China has Rh-positive

blood. Rh negative blood types are incredibly rare and only 3-5 in a 1000 Chinese have Rh negative type blood. Moreover, in China, there is no long-term, established tradition of giving blood

Who is eligible to donate blood?

How often can the donor donate?

Who cannot donate blood?

Who cannot donate blood?

Donors should wait...

Where does the blood donation take place, and how do you assure safety? It takes place at Shanghai Blood Center, and also in mobile unit buses scattered across the city.

Donating blood is completely safe. Only sterile and disposable kits are used. Shanghai Blood Center is committed to the safety and comfort of blood donors. It is the only institution in Shanghai licensed to collect and distribute blood and has been operating for more than 50 years now. Tell us about the Guardian Angels ‘Blood Party.’ The Guardian Angels Community blood donation event is held in the form of a communal gathering likened to a carnival.

Donors and participants come dressed as angels, superheroes and in other costumes.

While the adults participate in blood donations, the little ones can engage in merriments, games, songs, dances, face painting and traditional Chinese art forms.

What is the philosophy behind getting children involved in the events? Can people give blood at any time or only during these special events? Yes, people can give blood at any time, not only during events organized by Bloodline. Simply show up with your ID card or passport and tell the staff at the blood center you are from Bloodline.

Shanghai Blood Center is open seven days a week, from 8 AM to 4 PM.

Were there any issue with blood donation thoughout the pandemic? The COVID-19 outbreak meant very low blood reserves as most people were stuck at home and unable to donate blood.

Any final message for potential donors? Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The gift of blood is the gift of life. Bloodline is dedicated to #KeepingDreamsAlive.

And lastly, Bloodline is you, me, us… the whole community. And only together we are Bloodline… so…#GotBlood?

To teach them, with deeds and love, how our actions can save the lives of others, and consequently also our own. By sitting on their parents’ laps during the donation drive, children learn that donating blood is natural, common and nothing to be afraid of.

It is something you do not do for compensation or rewards, but rather for a feeling of self-fulfillment and out of the sense that you are giving back to society and saving the lives of those in need.

Tell us about the blood donation center tours for kids.

Children will get to tour blood donation centers and witness how blood is processed, who the end users are and the difference that they can make to the lives of those in need of blood. We want them to have an emotional attachment to the cause and know why they should donate blood.

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 Center’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)

One of the top residences in Beijing, GTC Residence is located beside the third ring road within a 5 minute walk to subway line 5 and a 10 minute drive to Hou Hai . It is also within reach of the CBD, embassy area, Financial Street and other urban commercial, shopping and recreation areas. Fully equipped apartments with impeccable quality offer you a cozy living space and will meet all of your requirements in terms of room decoration, furniture, electric appliances and more. A unique sky garden with a practice golf course and barbecue area is a unique symbol of GTC Residence. > sales@gtcresidence.com, website: www. gtcresidence.com Tel:56756666

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-hour 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 close to the Third Embassy Area and shopping and dinning services at the Beijing Lufthansa Center. It is only 19 kilometers away from 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

The newly renovated China World Apartments consists of two high rise 30-storey residential blocks with a total of 412 units ranging from studio to Penthouses, sizes range from 42 to 455 square meters. All apartments have been carefully redesigned with modern interiors, comfortable furnishings, and several added amenities to improve the level of comfort and living experience. All rooms come with a centralized ventilation system, water filtration & softening to further improve overall home comfort. The new Lodge Club features a wide range of facilities such as a newly constructed swimming pool and wading pool, state of art gymnasium, sauna and steam rooms, children's play area, resident's lounge, multi-function rooms and more. China World Apartments is just minutes away from the Guo Mao subway station and provides easy access to a wide range of retail shops, restaurants, services and amenities at the China World Mall. >No 1 JianGuoMenWai Avenue Beijing 100004 >Email: apartments@cwtc.com Tel: (010) 65052686

Situated on the fourth floor of Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai, the 1515 West Chophouse & Bar unveils its new à-la-carte menu, crafted by the hotel’s Executive Sous Chef, Peter Lin. Sourcing local and seasonal ingredients, Chef Lin continues the 1515 West Chophouse authentic American cooking style, featuring a series of unique specialties including Bouquet of Asparagus Salad, Poached Egg with Caviar, Spicy Beef Tongue, Oxtail Consommé, Lamb Shoulder, Roasted Lemongrass Chicken, Turbot, Ice Cream Buckets, Violet Crumble and more. Guests are invited to start a feast for all the senses, immersing in the vintage American dining environment in the heart of the city. Meanwhile, the steak menu adds high-quality Wagyu beef from the Australian Rangers Valley - Infinite M7+ Full Blood Wagyu. Compared with 350 to 400 days’ grain-fed Wagyu, where more than 500 days’ grain feeding makes the cattle grow plumper at a natural rate, achieving fine meat texture and rich marbling. Guests can choose different cuts such as tenderloin, striploin or rib-eye.

The Opposite House in Beijing announces SUPERFLY’s selection as one of only 11 restaurants for global sports behemoth Adidas Originals’ ‘adilicious’ campaign. Celebrating SUPERFLY’s cult status amongs Beijing’s youth scene, the collaboration sees Adidas Originals and SUPERFLY work together to reimagine one of the brand’s iconic sneakers, with a limited-edition run of 880 pairs to be released on 23 September. Central to the partnership is the limited-edition sneaker drop, which draws on the style concept of SUPERFLY; creatively combining retro elements with future ideas. As a restaurant known for its bold design, the blue and white squares patterned on the shoe nod to SUPERFLY’s tiling, while splashes of orange-red mimic the terrazzo dining tables. Available in Beijing via select retail stores as well as Adidas’ dedicated app – CONFIRMED. Through the CONFIRMED app the limited-edition Forum Low SUPERFLY will be available for the Chinese Mainland market starting Friday, 23 September and ending on Tuesday, 27 September. For the global market, pre-order opens on Wednesday, 28 September. On the launch day of 23 September, visitors to SUPERFLY will also be experiencing a full venue takeover, with Adidas installations to discover both inside and out, and a short menu of reimagined basketball snacks in tribute to the original concept of Adidas Forum.

Mr. Cundle joins the hotel from The Peninsula Bangkok, where he has been Hotel Manager since October 2018. Born in Australia, Mr. Cundle received a Masters in International Business from Macquarie University in Sydney, in conjunction with the Cesar Ritz Hotel School where he earned a Bachelor of Business Hotel & Tourism Management and Diploma of Hospitality. Upon graduation, Mr. Cundle embarked on his hospitality management career at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. In 2011, he joined The St. Regis Singapore, where he spent three years as Director of Front Office before being promoted to Director of Rooms. He subsequently spent two years at the St. Regis Bangkok, where he was Hotel Manager. “I am excited to be joining The Peninsula Beijing at this exciting point in its storied history,” Mr. Cundle said. “It is an honour and a pleasure to be a part of this magnificent premier all-suite hotel, which is a vibrant centre of luxury hospitality, cuisine, arts and culture in the Chinese capital.”

The fishing season is coming! Chef Chen Zhenyuan of Man Ho Restaurant at Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe has become a master fish hunter. He will search for the seasonal seafood for you. Whether it is a classic recipe combined with traditional flavor or a new creative cooking art, you can make your taste buds explode with these golden autumn “fishing” treasures. With local fish sourced from Nansha, to Dalian Abalone and red sturgeon crab from Fujian, classic and fragrant Chinese preparations will warm your soul as we welcome the cooler months.

Dulwich Pudong are thrilled to announce that its annual student-led One Voice Summit has been recognized in the 2023 International School Awards, shortlisted in the top three in the category of Ethical Values Education! It’s a great honor to be recognized by the International School Awards. This year there were 291 applications received from international schools in 61 countries; many fantastic schools around the world which made the shortlist. One Voice Summit is one of Dulwich Pudong’s flagship Global Citizenship events. It originated several years ago with Senior School students who wanted to find new ways to collaborate with other students in Shanghai. They saw that many inter-school activities were based on competition (sports, Model United Nations, etc.), and rarely focused on unity and working together.

At SSIS, they believe that every student is a leader. They provide various opportunities for students to apply leadership values and skills from an early age. This includes formal leadership roles or informal options within the classroom settings. SSIS was excited to announce its Senior School Student Council and House Captains 2022-2023. These students went through a rigorous application, election and interview process. They are role models to their peers and juniors and will serve as leaders of the school community. Everyone looks forward to seeing the fruits of their labors in the school year and embodying the SSIS attributes. There is no limit to what they can achieve.

BISS Puxi Sports Day for Years 4 to 6 was a remarkable success with amazing achievements and much fun shared by all. There were too many standout performances to mention, but suffice to say the children gave it their all and were suitably exhausted at the end! Away from the sporting achievements, it was pleasing to see group camaraderie and support within the houses and year groups and even students passing on tips for success. Well done to all staff who made the event possible, the Sports Leaders from Secondary for their amazing assistance, and the parents who were able to attend and cheer on the children.

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi was honored to welcome Ms. Vivyan Lam from The Savannah College of Arts and Design. It was a great opportunity for students to engage with a university representative in person, and learn different facets of the university application process from her unique perspective. Dulwich look forward to providing even more similar opportunities as just one key element of its robust University and Careers Counseling program.

On September 29, the A2 Drama students at Shenzhen College of International Education presented the initial performances of their devised theatre work. The plays, BAT and MisReed, were based on Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” and infused with the ideas of German theatre practitioner and playwright Bertolt Brecht. The plays will be refined and presented again before the final exam.

Year 5 finished their fable unit this week. The students worked really hard writing their fables. They used dictionaries and thesauruses to help them to expand their writing - looking for adjectives and words that might not be commonly used. The students then edited their fables and practiced to be ready for their performance. Finally, they performed to our EYFS students who laughed and appreciated their creativity and enthusiasm. The students tried to include more dialogue, animal noises and gestures so that the EYFS students could enjoy their performance even more.

30th of September FEIS International Coffee Morning! A HUGE thank you to the Parent Link Group and a big thank you to every parent who supported them. They are pleased to announce that they raised over 12,000 RMB for charity! The money raised from this event will be donated to a local charity, Star SEN Education. They have worked closely with this charity for several years now, even sending the Upper School students to teach there as part of their volunteer experience.

Secondary students went on their legendary China Trips, experiencing the local culture and natural environment of their host country in unique places such as Qingyuan, Huizhou, Wanlü Lake, and Kaiping. Trips ranged from three to five days, allowing students to fully immerse themselves and engage in a different style of learning. AISG provides students with creative and differentiated learning experiences such as China Trips to give students a chance to develop friendly and cooperative relationships, demonstrate their learning in relation to their Approaches to Learning (self-management, social skills, thinking skills, and communication skills), and widen their global perspective.

This year, Zhuhai International School hosted its first Terry Fox Run to raise money for cancer research. So, who was Terry Fox? Terry was a young Canadian who, at the age of 18, lost his right leg to bone cancer. Instead of becoming despondent, Terry decided to make a difference. He challenged himself to run across Canada and raise 1,000,000 dollars. After training on his new prosthetic leg Terry started his run on the east coast of Canada on April 12, 1980; he called it the Marathon of Hope. He ran almost a marathon a day (that’s 42 km) for 143 days before the cancer spread to his lungs. He ran 5,373km, just over 3/4 of of the 6,800km, and raised more than the million dollars. Every year, schools in Canada and around the world host a Terry Fox Run to keep his dream alive. Talk about a modern-day hero! Our Terry Fox Run was a fantastic success thanks to incredible community support. It provided our students with a chance to take action and reflect on what it means to be courageous and take a stand. All our proceeds went to 广州市风马扶贫济困促进会 , a charity based in Guangzhou that mainly focuses on children. It’s so exciting to know that we can make a difference through them.

By Felizabeth Chan

Scorpio season has arrived and, as always, just in time for Halloween. Crack out that ouija board and slide into the DMs of the ghosts in your building. The occult awaits you.

Your optimism has guided you through the challenges of the last few months. The ninth phase has nearly arrived. Be patient and maintain a positive outlook and you will reap the rewards in December.

Prioritize your solitude in the coming month. Your creativity has been stifled and you need to allow yourself space to daydream and reinvigorate the inspiring energy within you.

Catch up with old friends and connections this November. Someone from your past will prove crucial to a step forward in the near future.

Jupiter, that bright yellow light in the sky this past month, will slide into Pisces in the end of November. All that gravity is sure to bring both opportunity and turmoil. Expect the unexpected.

The rug might be pulled out at any moment so it’s important to assess how much money you’re saving or investing in contrast to your quality of life here in China. Some small sacrifices now will mean that the nest egg will be mature in case of an emergency.

Prepare for a total lunar eclipse in the house of Taurus on November 8. This eclipse will reveal what was previously obscured — the clouds will part and you should expect an epiphany of some kind.

Focus on the way that other people are perceiving your behaviour. It’s important to maintain a balanced perspective. Your narcissism is getting a little bit unkempt.

Downsize your responsibilities in the month of November. Always remember that, even if you are meeting all your deadlines and demands, it’s better to do a few things well than to do everything with mediocrity.

Squeeze all the enjoyment you can out of life. Slow down and bask in your surroundings. A certain amount of childishness is the key to longevity.

You have been feeling homesick this autumn but, although hopefully just around the corner, international travel is still a distant yearning. See what creature comforts you can replicate to tide you over for the final leg of this confinement.

Expect your circle of friends to evolve during this month. And by evolve we mean shrink. Change is always good as it opens the door for new opportunities and relationships. Don’t dwell on what you are losing but rather what you have to gain.

Urbanatomy Media is excited to share the highly anticipated fourth edition of our Explore China travel guide. The latest edition of Explore China offers detailed information on historical sites, scenic spots, local delicacies, activities, transport information and places to stay.

• Historical and geographical facts and points of significance • Where to stay, eat and drink, with must-try dishes and local delicacies • Transportation information, airports, railway and road connections • A shopping guide with tips and local products worth looking out for • UNESCO World Heritage Sites and sacred mountains • Informative features to help you understand China • Fun day trips and destinations to visit from major cities • China’s ethnic minorities and their culture • Chinese characters and pinyin to facilitate travel and communication • Must-have apps, and how to set up a phone and digital payment system

Scan the QR code to buy.