Megan Shank dot com

THIS WAS PART OF A COVER PACKAGE FOR OUR SEPTEMBER EDITION. I EDITED AN OLD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE’S WORK: MAY I PRESENT THE INCREDIBLE COURTNEY WOO.
BUSINESS
Better Than Home
From sumptuous suites to venerated villas, Chinese luxury accommodation serves more than sweet dreams.
By Courtney Woo
As China’s hotel industry expands its offerings, today’s style-savvy tourists are [...]

(note: I’ve been hopelessly neglecting the site and am prepared to post a lot of backlog stuff during this week and next.)
FOR THE OCTOBER EDITION OF NEWSWEEK SELECT AS PART OF OUR WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM PACKAGE.
The Environmental Armory
At summer Davos, politicians, innovators, businesspeople and NGOs bust out the big guns in the aim to [...]

An interview with Chi Heng’s founder Chung To for Newsweek Select’s October 2007 edition
LAST WORD
Doing the Right Thing
Recently awarded the 2007 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership, Chung To has fought HIV-AIDS for nearly a decade via his Hong Kong-based charity Chi Heng. In addition to working with male sex workers, Chi Heng has [...]

SHORT LAST-MINUTE ART PIECE I WROTE FOR THE SEPTEMBER EDITION. THIS PLACE IS WICKED COOL.
Arts
It’s Not Disneyland, Kids
By Megan Shank
Shanghai
Does your family ever wake up on a Saturday morning and feel at a loss of what to do for the day? You could go shopping, visit the park, or stay at home and watch television. [...]

ONE OF THE PIECES I WROTE FOR SEPTEMBER. WILL PUT UP THAT ISSUE’S CONTENT SLOWLY SINCE WE’RE ALREADY ON DEADLINE AGAIN.
Society
Television’s Sino-American Alliance
by Megan Shank
Fun is not something people always associate with language learning, but the science fiction series Firefly, written and directed by Joss Whedon, is changing all that for its Western audience. [...]

That’s not going to look very good on his resume, is it?
He’s such a jerk, but his wife was so Jackie O…

On Saturday morning, I jumped into a cab at 9am to make it on time to meet my friend at a swimming pool in Pudong. Normally, 9 out of 10 times, I take the subway or ride my bike, but I was running a little late and at the last minute hailed down a white [...]

For the San Antonio Express News: 8/31/2007
Cultural diversity shines through in Malaysian city
Megan Shank
Special to the Express-News
MELAKA, Malaysia — A lapsed Catholic, the last place I expected to find myself on my recent holiday to Malaysia was at an Ash Wednesday Mass. I didn’t make my way there because I had experienced some call [...]

China is THE place for plagiarism.
Today, researching some things for our China edition Newsweek to complement this story that the American edition did, I came across this from the folks at Sina News, which in turn was from 新闻晚报(Evening News), which had, basically, been completely ripped off from the American version’s story and translated [...]

There is a season for sun, another for shadow. A season to sing, another to be silent. And, in all seasons, parting and reunion. –Bette Bao Lord
Feens left today for the States.

I’ve been really bad about blogging this summer and keeping my Newsweek Select work up to date here. In fact, this website needs a major rehaul — the sections and subheadings included. And for some reason, the archives have a bug where it’s impossible to go back and see all my work. But I’ve been [...]

Caffeine, exercise can team up to prevent skin cancer
WASHINGTON, July 30 (Xinhua) — Regular exercise and little or no caffeine has become a popular lifestyle choice for many Americans. But a new study has found that it may not be the best formula for preventing sun-induced skin damage that could lead to cancer.
Low to [...]

Find it here.

Adam and I were discussing children this morning over our coffee before going for our Saturday swim.
Megan: We definitely have to adopt.
Adam: Yes, agreed.
Megan: And I think that maybe once we start, I would like to have three, four, maybe even five kids, like my family.
Adam: I think two is good.
Megan: But what if [...]

FOR THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Megan Shank
Recently, I read with interest an article in the International Herald Tribune regarding the groundbreaking of the environmentally sustainable town, Dongtan, slated for construction just outside of Shanghai. I’d been following news of the town since plans for it were first published a few years ago. But what was most [...]

July 20, 1848: The Seneca Falls Convention convenes for a second day. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a group of early feminists demand women’s right to vote in the United States.
July 20, 1969: Man walks on the moon.
July 20, 1979: A moonstruck feminist is born via caesarian section. She makes her lift off before her [...]

I think alcoholic behavior has become completely acceptable in the Western world — whether among college kids or among NYC journalists, both of whom I once shared long hard nights of drinking — but the question remains: what are we giving up to live this way? And beyond the Western world, whether it’s the [...]

Bush commutes Libby’s prison sentence
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush commuted Monday the prison term of former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, facing 30 months in prison after a federal court convicted him of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators.
A commutation is distinct from a pardon, which is a complete eradication of [...]

TO COMPLEMENT A STORY BY THE AMERICAN NEWSWEEK THAT WE TRANSLATED FOR OUR JULY PUBLICATION, WE HIRED A WRITER TO DO A LOCAL STORY ON TRANSGENDER ISSUES. SHANGHAIIST ALSO WROTE SOMETHING ABOUT TRANSGENDER TODAY FOLLOWING A BIT OF NEWS FROM SHENZHEN. I EDITED AND TRANSLATED OUR STORY.

Society
When He or She Becomes She or He
By Gubo [...]

I’m a walker and a biker. Occasionally, I take a subway or a bus. Even more rarely a cab. Every morning I walk or bike to work. It is often pleasant. I enjoy the exercise and the satisfaction that I’m being more environmentally friendly on my commute. Today, however, a Mercedes almost ran over me [...]