China
Based in Beijing but eating global cuisines. I cover culture, food, travel, and internet trends for publications around the world. Stories mostly come from China but Eastern Europe is the second hotspot.
However, when a country rolls out such a one-size-fits-all system, some citizens are bound to be left in the fringes. While much of the elderly population in China own smartphones, there are still some who have never owned one.
Music has been, and still is, an integral part of political change in Eastern Europe. From folk songs to newly-penned rock ballads, powerful lyrics and the euphoria of a crowd united by a single melody has split countries and toppled dictators.
Lithuanian designer, Robert Kalinkin, usually appears in the public eye for his sharp remarks and provocative ad campaigns. But in the last couple of weeks, his name has been stealing headline for another reason: his campaign to create protective clothing and masks for medical staff battling the Coronavirus pandemic across the country.
Chinese social media website Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, usually falls somewhere between Pinterest and Instagram. Its 300 million registered users can access a mixture of tips, how-to guides and photos from travel and fashion influencers. Users start crafting their feed by choosing interest areas upon signup and continue adjusting it by following topics, hashtags, and other users.
Feeling blue? In China, you can pay someone to cheer you up. Online chat groups called kuakua 夸夸, or praise, groups have been gaining popularity among university students and other young adults in the past month. "The person I like doesn't like me back.
Fashion trends tend to fall victim to overanalysis. Especially in China, where the hottest thing can become passé almost overnight, it's easy to read too deeply into any particular trend. But when it comes to the suit, one might want to reconsider.
No matter how often the beverage industry touts the potent Chinese liquor baijiu 白酒 as the "most purchased spirit in the world" (simply by the sheer size of the Chinese market), it remains unknown to most of the world.
Lithuanian theatre troupes have been stepping on stages around China for years. Audiences' fascination with the noble, well-established, and often melancholic theatre tradition only grows. 立陶宛的 剧团多年来一直在中国各地登台演出。观众们对他们高贵、成熟和有些忧郁的戏剧传统的热情日渐增长。 This year, Lithuanian and Chinese theatre collaboration took an exciting leap forward.
2017 will largely be remembered in the west as the year the #metoo campaign came to prominence and for the many women who broke their silence on prolonged and pervasive experiences of sexual assault.
"Unapologetic" is the first adjective that comes to mind when describing Kiev. The bold, brave, extravagant, and all-round bright capital of Ukraine will be an unexpectedly delightful discovery for many. If you're tired of the trend towards minimalism, Kiev will bring you welcome relief: the thousands of golden domes dotting the hilly landscape, soaring towers, street frescos, and beautiful art-deco buildings are proof that more is always more.