Annual disposable income for residents in Shanghai during the first three quarters of this year reached 21,871 yuan (US$3,200) per person, which is 8 percent more than last year, according to latest figures from the Shanghai Statistics Bureau. Read More…

• Finally arrived in China… now, back to the Salt Mines! #
• [China] Only on Shanghai Daily: “Boy drank gasoline to copy his TV heroes” boy wanted to get energy, like the Transformers http://tr.im/u5Jm #
• “Stuck” in Amsterdam, stopping in Paris before heading back to Shanghai #
• It was good while it lasted… Now, let’s confront the harsh reality: 15 hours flight back to Shanghai, with 6-hour lay over due to a mi … #
• Heading back to China! #
• http://twitpic.com/b8a3m – London Walking Tour: Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery #
• http://twitpic.com/b7jn7 – London Walking Tour: Leicester Square #
• Just landed in London … Greeted with a bomb scare! 30 minutes stand out! #
• http://twitpic.com/b4adl – Northumbria Summer Congregation 2009: and it’s finally over! #
• http://twitpic.com/b3y9x – Northumbria Summer Congregation 2009: who really matters is here with me! #
• http://twitpic.com/b3xuk – Northumbria Summer Congregation 2009: The day finally arrived! #
• Just landed in Newcastle… long day ahead of graduation tomorrow! #
• http://twitpic.com/b0jht – Just landed in Newcastle: immigration checked everything but internal cavities! #

According to Shanghai Daily, Sexual discrimination in workplace is widespread in China with one in four female job seekers denied employment because of their gender, a study has found. Read More…

Shanghai schools should monitor their students’ psychological health and educate them about psychological problems to prevent them from falling into depression because of the economic crisis. Read More…

Feeling tired is the top complaint of local office workers, followed by worries over their jobs and emotional problems, according to an online survey. Covering 405 employees aged between 25 and 40 in Shanghai earning over 5,000 yuan (US$731) a month, the survey is the first in the city to study office workers’ lives and barriers to their satisfaction, said the organizers, consultant Nielsen Company (Shanghai) Ltd and the local branch of Cerebos, producer of BRAND’S health products. Read More…

As part of the preparations for the Shanghai World Expo, the Shanghai municipal government has marked the 600 day countdown by publishing a report on “uncivilized behavior” among locals. The report is based on an online survey in which over 5,000 Shanghai citizens were polled on what kind of behavior they consider annoying or rude. Read More…

Despite a struggle to meet global demand, Champagne houses are fighting for market share in the growing Chinese mainland market. Two differently-structured maisons with similar approaches to quality and food and wine pairing are trying to convince local bubbly lovers there’s more to the region than Moet or Mumm. Read More…

Despite the severest economic crisis in decades, Beijing and Shanghai continued to significantly increase workers’ salaries last year, according to official statistics. In Beijing, workers earned on an average 44,715 yuan ($6,570) last year, 4,848 yuan more, or a 12 percent increase, than in 2007, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. In Shanghai, the average monthly salary last year was 3,292 yuan, a 400-yuan, or 13.8-percent, jump from 2007, according to the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau announcement. Read More…

The Shanghai English Language Usage Standards will be issued soon to improve English-language signs and services before the 2010 World Expo, the Shanghai Language Work Committee said recently. Read More…

As more young people elect to stay longer at colleges and universities because of the shortage of job opportunities, some education experts and company executives are saying that the current Chinese college education system is too academic to help young people find work. “We should introduce more vocational programs and market-oriented approaches to our college education system. This could help more students find jobs and better adjust to the world outside,” Xu Peili, an official with Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, told Shanghai Daily. Read More…