Daily Blog
Friday, 12 March 2010 11:03
Written by James Ashford

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We can finally reveal it, the St. Patrick's Charity Ball mystery guest and leader of the St. Patrick's Day Parade is none other than Britain’s Got Talent legend Stavros Flatley and his dancing counterpart, Flatley Jr. We caught up with them at the venue for the ball, the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel.

The pair had just stepped off the plane and were seriously jet-lagged. In any other circumstance this would pose potential problems for an interview but, as you might imagine from a man who performs half naked on TV waving his belly at grandparents, not with Stavros!

Asked to explain the duo’s rapid rise to fame he grabbed his sizable stomach and gave all credit to “the mighty beast” - we clearly aren't dealing with a diva here then! Flatley Jr was equally modest about the experience; it was obvious the pair having such a close relationship greatly benefited the youngster.

When asked about his upcoming performance in Shanghai, he stated “nerves were still an issue,” but, consummate professional that he is, it was “simply another performance.” It is the “addiction to the roaring crowd” that continually motivated a return to the stage.

Concluding our meeting, it was overtly clear Stavros new what his rise to fame entailed. Making money, giving his son an awesome experience and, above all, having a good craic until the 15 minutes is up. And tomorrow, he'll be doing it right here in Shanghai. Join him!

The 4th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place tomorrow Sat the 13th of March, starting in Fuxing Park at 10.30am before heading along Yandang Lu, while the St. Patrick's Charity Ball takes place in the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel in the evening. For more details on these events and everything Ireland Week has to offer visit www.lecheileshanghai.com

Expo Update
Friday, 12 March 2010 05:03
Written by Urbanatomy

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Local families open their homes for the Expo

Whether its language barrier, culture shock or just shyness, when you’ve only got a few days to visit, it can be a pretty hard to make a real connection with a city and its people. Luckily for visitors to the Expo, a number of generous-spirited families are doing their best to remedy this, opening their homes and hosting tourists during the festivities. We paid them an early visit and asked why they decided to throw open their doors. 

Daily Blog
Thursday, 11 March 2010 12:03
Written by Urbanatomy

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Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen has finally filled the months-long void left by chef Shaun Anthony with Matthew Ona. This guy has quite a resume: a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, a Master Chef certification, an accreditation from the Tokyo Sushi Academy and some truly impressive stints at Napa Valley powerhouses like the award-winning Peju Provence Winery, not to mention a little restaurant called The French Laundry.

Expo Update
Thursday, 11 March 2010 07:03
Written by Urbanatomy

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 OMG! If you couldn't get excited for the Expo before, do so now: the Japanese Corporate Pavilion is promising to bring us the world's cleanest, most comfortable toilets. 

"People will feel as happy and relaxed in the toilets as they would in a comfortable living room," said Sakaiya Taichi, comprehensive producer of the Japan Industry Pavilion, according to an Expo press release.

The luxury toilets will feature aromatic scents and 24-hour cleaning.

Oooooh. Let me in, I might not ever leave. 

Daily Blog
Thursday, 11 March 2010 06:03
Written by Urbanatomy

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You might have seen them, new bike rental stands are cropping up in Xuhui. Shanghai daily says they're free for rides under 10 minutes, 2 RMB for one hour and 4 RMB per hour after the first two hours. And you can get a card to rent them Xuhui District Tourism Bureau. 

Supposedly, this month is a trial run and more bikes might be added if the rentals prove popular.