GODZILLA VS BOND PART 1- GODZILLA’S REVENGE

Why, you might ask, am I pitting such two wildly different movie “franchises” (awful word) against each other? Well, there are more similarities than you might discover at first glance. Let’s compare.
Both sagas started out around the middle of the last century, (Godzilla in 1955, Bond seven years later), they both started out as straightforward, comparatively serious entries into their respective genres, which are the giant monster flick (that had its roots in King Kong and 20,000 Fathoms) and the spy caper movie (co-founded by Alfred Hitchcock) respectively. They both gradually developed a winning formula that steered them into more escapist territory during the sixties, only to simultaneously go for complete campy silliness during the 70s. Latter development was owed to Godzilla director Jun Fukuda and Bond actor Roger Moore, equally misunderstood and underrated masters in the art of high camp.

How to Use Chopsticks and Some Table Manners in China

No , no , Yukun! You must wait for Granny to move the chopsticks first. ” Yukun is my Chinese first name and that is what my mother would often say when I broke the Chinese table rules during meals. Coming back to China in the summer of 2003 after living in the states for 8 years, I was only 12. I was a total stranger when it came to Chinese eating etiquettes. Let me share some eating rules and table manners with you to make your dining much more convenient and enjoyable when eating Chinese food in China.

HOW TO PLAY SHAANXI MAJIANG

Mahjong is a very popular game in China, especially amongst the older generation. Essentially, Mahjong is a game where you try to get a series of sets of three (matching tiles) or series of three (sequential numbers), similar to Gin Rummy, but you are aiming to have 14 tiles at the end, with 4 sets or series and a pair or three sets of four and a pair. The game is typically fast-paced among experienced players, and the strategies evolve as more tiles are played. The endless combinations make it a very interesting game, and there is also sometimes gambling, but I suggest avoiding that unless you’re looking to lose your money. Also, gambling is illegal in China.

The Secret Life of a Swiftie

It feels like almost a lifetime ago when I had moved out of my hometown to start my first year at university for my bachelor’s degree. It was during this time when I got my first portable MP3 player that could probably hold a maximum of 100 songs (if I was lucky). Due in part to the influences of my mum’s love of country music, I searched for new up and coming singers in the country genre and stumbled on this song called “Teardrops on my guitar”. A sucker for ballads and acoustic melodies, I was hooked and used every cent of my allowance to purchase what would then be her self-titled debut album..

Biking for Beginners 8 tips from a former NOOB

Just a little over a year ago, I had just visited the hospital (for reasons we shall not discuss here). Long story short, the doctor told me I “needed more exercise.” I needed to do something, but the big question was: what?
One of my friends in Xi’an suggested biking, so I started riding in February of 2021. Just over a year later, I have lost more than 10kg, have completed dozens of 100km+ rides, and have conquered steep climbs around Xi’an. Just this past April, I rode my 7,000th kilometer and 45,000th meter of elevation (that’s more than 5 Mount Everests!). So how did this happen?

Labour Day Endurance Cycling Challenge

On the 1st of May (Labour Day) the local Cube Shop at the Stadium organised a 24-hour distance challenge. They announced the event in the local bike community and provided a support car, rest stop, and prizes for all finishers.
Participants could choose between 300 km, 400 km and 500 km as the target to finish within 24 hours. The clock would always be ticking, so any stops or breaks would be counted into the total time. Represnting the Shaanxi Hills International Team, Marcus signed up for the 500 km goal, and Francis signed up for the 300 km goal.

Role Models:Zhuoran Li It’s our responsibility to become ourselves

When I was 3 years old, I liked a short-hair girl in my kindergarten. My feelings for girls got more intense when I was growing up. It was very confusing since everyone and everything around me told me I was supposed to like the opposite gender.
I used to wear women’s clothes when I was around 2-3 years old. As I got older I started to wear more and more masculine clothing. I think it was me unconsciously wanted to be a boy so that it would be ok for me to like girls. If I were a boy all my feelings towards girls would make sense and I wouldn’t be a freak anymore, trapped on my own isolated little island. I would be like everyone, be able to connect with the world. I could breathe freely and like girls as the way I wanted. I even considered transgender surgery for a long time, however the cost of transition proved to be prohibitively high.

蟹小姐 · Cajun Seafood

Finger-licking goodness just in time for summer
If you had any doubts despite the sunshine, 30+ degree weather, and rapid proliferation of outdoor seating, let us reassure you that summer is finally here. And what better way to welcome summer than with savory finger food and cold beverages?
We are of course talking about Cajun Seafood, a new spot that opened this April. Before we get into food, we must first address the important question: what is Cajun? It is a style of cuisine originating on the

YAN 煙

I s there anything in life better than a really good burger? Probably, but the experience of diving in to a tasty pile of meat, cheese, and bread is definitely up there. But, alas, in Xi’an it can be difficult to find a burger that really hits the spot, and often times you get a fried chicken sandwich instead of a burger when ordering a 汉堡. But, luckily we seem to be going through something of a burger revolution, as there are now numerous spots serving up burgers that are better than anything we’ve seen in recent years. One such place is a new restaurant that ranks among the best we’ve seen in a long time, Yan.
Located just inside of South Gate, close to the entrance of Shuyuan Men, Yan started serving food at the end of 2021, right before the most recent lockdown shut temporarily shut their doors for a month. However, they persisted and now are back to serving up some great food.

西安经开洲际酒店“松与松联名主题客房及下午茶”暑期启幕

从空间提供者到精神疗愈所,以松为引,构筑城市度假“新五感” 西安,2026年7月4日——近日,西安经开洲际酒店宣布,再度携手设计品牌“松与松”,推出【松与松联名主题客房2.0】,将于7月中旬正式亮相。同期,【与松片刻】主题下午茶已率先上线,提前开启一场关于松的感官序章。 此次合作,酒店与设计师团队深度共创,将象征坚韧与永恒的东方黑松作为灵感原点,把酒店内两棵标志性黑松转化为品牌精神载体,并将盎然绿意引入大堂吧。通过造型松树艺术装置与主题下午茶的巧妙呼应,直抵“都市绿洲”的治愈内核,于西安经开区行政中心商圈核心地带,为都市人群打造一方“新五感”生活方式空间。 西安经开洲际酒店总经理张洋表示:“在信息洪流与城市快节奏的双重裹挟下,人们愈发渴望在生活缝隙中寻得一处柔软的落脚点。“短逃离”正成为普遍的精神诉求,而酒店作为天然的“第三空间”,具备承载情绪疗愈的独特场景优势。西安经开洲际酒店敏锐捕捉这一趋势,以‘像松树一样生活’为理念,将2025年“短暂逃离”的居停体验升级为2026年‘新五感’生活方式空间,致力于为都市人提供一处真正可以放松身心的栖息地。” Read More …

空港唐潮启新章 产商融合添动能/西安康得思酒店与西安东航中心商业同步启幕

7月3日,西安康得思酒店耀启盛典暨西安东航中心商业华彩绽放活动在西安空港新城举行。空港新城党委委员、管委会副主任刘建峰,中国东航西北分公司党委书记张巍、总经理张宇辉,东航资产投资管理有限公司党委委员、副总经理冯亦军,朗廷国际酒店集团中国区业务拓展及战略性业主关系高级副总裁范萌妃等出席活动,品牌商户、媒体代表及各界嘉宾齐聚现场,共同见证东航资产旗下云锦智运西安·东航中心商业与酒店配套同步启幕。 双星同启,共见空港商业新气象  活动现场,六重奏迎宾、唐潮舞蹈等环节将盛唐文化意象与现代空港活力相结合,为开业活动营造出热烈氛围。剪彩仪式上,与会领导和嘉宾共同为项目启幕;随后,醒狮点睛、登高采青等传统仪式依次展开,寓意项目蓬勃发展、焕新起航。  致辞环节中,冯亦军从东航资产战略布局角度,阐述了西安·东航中心作为中国东航布局西北重要项目的意义。范萌妃介绍了康得思品牌特色,表示将以国际化服务经验助力区域商旅品质升级。 Read More …

西安浐灞艾美酒店《生长的光》摄影艺术展温情启幕 

2026 年5月29日,西安浐灞艾美酒店携手摄影师陈意,于艾・美学空间优雅启幕《生长的光》自然人文摄影作品展。这场以自然为底、以温情为核的影像盛宴,将“自然、人文、友好” 的理念融入镜头,让宾客在光影流转间,邂逅自然呼吸,感受人文温度。 摄影师陈意秉持 “情感本质,即是本真” 的创作初心,以慢行视角捕捉世间温情。其作品摒弃刻意摆布,在“零压力” 场域中,定格旅途中的回眸、亲子间的牵手、夕阳下的拥抱等真实瞬间,与艾美酒店自然、人文、友好的品牌理念深度契合。展览作品横跨祖国南北,从北国杏花微雨到南海盛夏浪花,从高原澄澈天光到水乡晨昏烟火,以温柔镜头留存不可重来的珍贵片段,串联起温暖纯粹的生命故事,让观者在光影间感受自然呼吸与情感共鸣。 坐拥河畔风光的西安浐灞艾美酒店,秉持品牌初心,融汇艺术美学与旅居体验,打破艺术与日常的界限,引领宾客品味美好生活。本次摄影展是酒店 “艺术 + 酒店” 特色体验的全新呈现,依托多元艺术空间与沉浸式休憩场景,带来观景、赏艺、静心疗愈的多元享受。 未来酒店将持续以艺术为纽带,依托浐灞地域风貌与品牌文化底蕴,不断推出高品质艺术活动,持续挖掘旅居美学内涵,为到访宾客打造兼具质感与情怀的沉浸式旅居生活。 Read More …

西安新罗汇纹酒店耀世启幕

唐风融韩韵 国际铸新章(中国·西安)2026年2月2日,三星集团旗下新罗酒店集团中国大陆首店—西安新罗汇纹酒店盛大启幕,作为西安高新金控集团与韩国新罗酒店集团战略合作的里程碑成果,将为古都西安敬献一座链接全球的文化新地标。 开业盛典当日,众多嘉宾齐聚现场。韩国领事馆副总领事郑光洙先生、新罗酒店集团副社长金埈焕先生等韩方代表应邀出席。高新金控集团总经理郝耀伟先生、副总经理梁思思女士等相关领导一同莅临。数十位来自文旅界、媒体界的中外嘉宾共同参与了本次盛典,现场气氛热烈,彰显出该项目在推动区域国际化发展与文化交流方面的深远意义。 盛典以“风起长安,云集四海”为主题,将长安古都的千年底蕴与新罗美学的雅致格调融为一体,奏响一场融汇中韩文明的千年交响。2020年4月,在高新区党工委、管委会的引领与推动下,西安高新金控集团成功引入新罗酒店集团旗下高端品牌SHILLA Read More …

《来自原野的光谱》艺术展正式启幕

西安浐灞艾美酒店《来自原野的光谱》艺术展正式启幕,艺术家廖原野携代表作参展,艺术爱好者与媒体齐聚浐灞河畔的酒店空间,共赴艺术之约。 艺术家廖原野的创作风格兼具东方传统底蕴与当代艺术活力,擅长以灵动的点线连接传统与当代,其作品中“一即一切”的东方哲思,与艾美酒店“让艺术融入日常”的核心理念高度契合。此次展出的作品以温暖光亮的视觉表达,为观众带来跨越时空的艺术共鸣,让大家在酒店空间中沉浸式感受艺术与生活的碰撞之美。 西安浐灞艾美酒店始终致力于打破艺术与生活的边界,让酒店不仅成为休憩之所,更成为交流艺术、感受美好的公共平台,此次展览也是酒店深耕“艺术+酒店”模式的又一次实践,希望为宾客带来轻松愉悦的艺术体验。 展览为西安文化艺术版图增添活力,将持续开放诚邀公众观展。酒店也将继续以艺术为媒,探索旅居与美学融合,呈现更多优质文化艺术活动。 Read More …

弦上绝恋 音乐私享会

近日,西安索菲特传奇酒店携手峻溪会客厅,特邀青年小提琴家——米哲,成功举办了“弦上绝恋 · 音乐私享会”活动。此次活动不仅为宾客们带来了一场视听盛宴,还通过情感与艺术跨界对话的体验方式,让宾客们深入感受到酒店独特的品牌文化及内涵。 活动期间,艺术氛围与优雅场景深度融合,宾客们享受了一场浪漫的音乐私享会。青年小提琴家米哲以《梁祝》与《罗密欧与朱丽叶》两首经典小提琴曲为线索,展开了一场“音乐讲演+现场演奏+思想对谈”的跨界对话,并以“演奏+解读”的形式,带领观众解锁中西方“爱情悲剧”的音乐表达密码。通过解析揉弦、跳弓等小提琴技法,以及旋律走向、节奏变化,拆解音乐如何传递甜蜜、挣扎、悲恸等故事情感;并与观众互动提问、开放交流、深化情感共鸣。 Read More …

「驭」见梦想座驾,「跃」享驾控激情

[西安,2025年11月15日] 法拉利A Ferrari Day 活动在西安拉开帷幕,众多跃马拥趸受邀齐聚法拉利西安SKP活动现场,近距离品鉴purosangue的卓越设计,感受法拉利永恒经典的跑车魅力。  此次展出的车辆法拉利Purosangue,是法拉利重磅揭幕令全球跑车爱好者翘首以盼数年之久的法拉利Purosangue。新车是跃马品牌75年来推出的首款采用四门四座布局的跑车。 Read More …