By Kristiano Ang Thomas Lee for The Wall Street Journal A new survey suggests that in China and other parts of Asia, knowing how to cook may help you win the heart of a potential mate. Property ownership is often seen as a prerequisite to getting hitched in China, but if you’re single and don’t own a house, you might want to work on your cooking skills. That, at least, is what a recent survey on Asian cooking and eating habits by Swedish household appliances maker Electrolux suggests. According to the Electrolux Asia Pacific survey, released this week, 95% of respondents in China regard expertise in the kitchen as an attractive attribute in a partner. Couples in China also tend to cook together, with two-thirds ... Continue reading →

“Great Changes After the Liberation” A Weibo user by the name of @说书者一枚 posted a comic strip from 1950 comparing the hardship and the injustice of pre-liberation China to that of the “New China” under the leadership of the Communist Party. The subsequently deleted Weibo post described the comic’s portrayal of pre-liberation China that ironically resembled the plight of many Chinese people today – more than 60 years after liberation. @说书者一枚: In 1950, Huadong Comics published a comic book titled “Great Changes After the Liberation”, the comics within the publication drawn by Zhang Leping, Hong Huang, Mi Gu, Zhang Wenyuan, Han Shangyi, Shen Tongheng, and other famous artists. This publication was intended to “awaken people’s disgust toward imperialists and KMT counterrevolutionaries” – Now when we ... Continue reading →

The official trailer of Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” was released by Warner Bros. late Tuesday. An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel by the same name, the film is set in 1920s New York and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. It is also the Hollywood debut of legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who makes a fleeting appearance in movie as Meyer Wolfsheim, a shady businessman who in novel is known for his human teeth cufflinks. India Real Time has more. Follow Scene Asia on Twitter @WSJscene. Continue reading →

Bloomberg News Pedestrians carry shopping bags in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, May 17, 2012. An ongoing battle over language and identity hit a busy Hong Kong shopping district this weekend, stirring deep emotions over the city’s at times uneasy relationship with mainland China. It started with some simple price tags at Giordano’s, a homegrown Hong Kong clothes company that was founded in 1981 and has since managed to establish a significant overseas presence. The company inflamed anger when locals in recent weeks discovered it was marking its apparel price tags with simplified Chinese characters—such as those used on the mainland—instead of traditional Chinese characters, which are used in Hong Kong. The incident marked the latest in a series of ... Continue reading →

BY ENDA CURRAN SYDNEY—Australia is living up to its nickname of 'the lucky country,' with a new survey marking it as the happiest industrialized nation in the world based on criteria such as jobs, income and health. Having sidestepped the economic malaise gripping much of Europe and with near full employment owing to a once-in-a-century resources boom, Australia has come out on top ahead of Norway and the U.S. in the annual Better Life Index compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The findings come despite fresh signs that not every Australian is enjoying the benefits of the resources boom, with ...BY ENDA CURRAN SYDNEY—Australia is living up to its nickname of 'the lucky country,' with a new survey marking it as the ... Continue reading →

Just before sunset on Sunday evening, millions of people across the western U.S. and around the world watched the annular solar eclipse. Here, Japanese school children use specially designed eye glasses to observe the eclipse, also known as 'Ring of Fire,' in Tokorozawa, Japan. Just before sunset on Sunday evening, millions of people across the western U.S. and around the world watched the annular solar eclipse. Here, Japanese school children use specially designed eye glasses to observe the eclipse, also known as 'Ring of Fire,' in Tokorozawa, Japan. Continued Although not quite a total eclipse—one in which the moon's shadow completely covers the sun—this 'Ring of Fire' temporarily blocked up to 86% of the sun. Here's a look at the annular eclipse in the sky ... Continue reading →

Apple has taken China by storm. A Starbucks can be found on practically every major street corner in coastal cities and beyond. From Nike to Buick to Siemens, Chinese consumers actively prefer Western brands over their domestic competitors. The rise of microbloggers, the popularity of rock bands with names like Hutong Fist and Catcher in the Rye, and even the newfound popularity of Christmas all seem to point toward a growing Westernization. Photos: Chinese Consumer Culture Bloomberg Brands like Starbucks, Prada and Porsche have made deep in roads Consumers in China aren't becoming "Western." They are increasingly modern and international, but they remain distinctly Chinese. But don't be deceived by appearances. Consumers in China aren't becoming "Western." They are increasingly modern and international, but they ... Continue reading →