Cringing in the New Year

People across China are celebrating Spring Festival (春节) today, which naturally involves huge transportation bottlenecks this week as millions return home or visit relatives for the highly auspicious occasion. It’s the Year of the Fire Rooster, according to the Chinese zodiac. This will be easy for us to remember here in the States, thanks to […]

Reality Check to Aisle 3

Earlier this month, a short-lived debacle involving pre-peeled tangerines and their plastic packaging has thrown a harsh light on the supposed environmental friendliness of high-end grocery stores. Customers are drawn to supermarkets like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Trader Joe’s by the promise of quality food which isn’t oozing with preservatives and artificial colors, even […]

Painting Mao Gold

From a recent high of 51% in 2011, US opinion of China has fallen precipitously in the years since to a ten-year low of 35% in 2014. Negative perspectives of China are proliferating as China’s GDP plays catch-up to the US economy. The game is tense, the stakes are high, and US politicians are […]