Homie Weekly | News Update for This Week (Sep 27, 2024)

1、Cathay Pacific bans couple after video showed inflight dispute over reclined seat

The Hong Kong-based airline banned a couple after video footage emerged of an onboard disagreement that occurred on a long-haul flight on Sept. 17.

The video showed the couple taunting, using vulgar hand gestures, and jostling the chair of a female passenger who reclined her seat on a 14-hour flight from Hong Kong to London.

The woman, who narrates parts of the video, said the couple harassed her after she declined to return her seat to the upright position. She said she asked the flight attendants for help. “I was shocked because it was not meal time, but the flight attendant ... she asked me to compromise, so I rejected the suggestion.”

The unruly behavior rose to the point where nearby passengers intervened. Passengers can be heard in the video saying: “Show some decency!” “Don’t bully that little girl!” “You are bringing shame to our Hong Kongers.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/25/couple-mad-about-reclined-seat-are-banned-from-flying-cathay-pacific.html

2、China’s New Hit Film is a Harsh Glimpse Into the Lives of ‘Aunties’

It was one of the feel-good stories of the pandemic. Four years ago, 59-year-old Su Min left behind her abusive husband and decades of domestic drudgery to begin an epic solo road trip across China. Millions followed her journey via social media.

Now, a major new film based on Su’s life has hit Chinese theaters. But it’s not the crowd-pleaser that viewers were expecting. The film focuses on the darker, often overlooked side of Su’s story: the years of pain that drove her to leave home in the first place.

Debuting on Sept. 15, “Like a Rolling Stone” was the top-trending movie On the Chinese review platform Douban throughout last week with a sky-high average rating of 8.6 out of 10. Many users have commented that watching the film made them look at their own society with new eyes.

https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1015924

3、China tea shop in hot water for ‘funny’ video of staff wearing paper handcuffs

A leading Chinese tea shop chain got into hot water for creating a video it hoped would amuse internet users, but which instead attracted widespread criticism for being disrespectful to its employees.

The controversy arose from a clip released by the brand Good Me on social media earlier this month, featuring staff admitting to mistakes they had made at work, as reported by the Southern Metropolis News.

In the video, workers in uniforms had their heads lowered and were “handcuffed” with cardboard tea cup holders.

Hanging around the necks of some were cardboard signs stating things such as “the crime of forgetting to put a straw in the cup”, “the crime of overturning tea buckets”, and “the crime of not sticking on an expiration date label”.

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3279444/china-tea-shop-hot-water-after-funny-video-staff-wearing-paper-handcuffs-backfires

4、Grad student's janitorial job choice sparks debate

Reports that a college student pursuing a master's degree in physics enrolled to work as a janitor at a secondary school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, have ignited heated debate online about whether he has made the best career choice.

The master's student, Li Yongkang, was unable to get his master's degree as he had not published enough academic papers during postgraduate study, so he could not work at the school as a teacher.

"Becoming a teacher is my dream, and I will start my new job while also waiting for the next opportunity to realize my teaching dream," he said.

The news became a trending topic on social media platforms, with many saying that his choice was a waste of education resources. Others said Li's choice should be respected and some said that given the current tough job market, he was lucky to find a job.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/25/WS66f365d7a310f1265a1c4aa2.html

5、Starbucks releases Douyin mini-drama to lure Chinese customers

A six-episode mini-drama produced by coffee giant Starbucks streamed on China’s TikTok sibling Douyin last week, showcasing a new method of advertising for global brands in China, where the size of the micro-drama industry reached about $5 billion in 2023.

Released with one episode per day, the short drama is set in ancient times, in a society unfamiliar with coffee. It follows a fictional Starbucks employee who travels back to ancient China to opens a Starbucks store, becomes the wealthiest man in the region, and finds romantic partners along the way.

The coffee brand showcases new seasonal offerings and its “Zhuanxingsong” delivery service throughout the series, mirroring the strategy of brands such as McDonald’s and KFC that have filmed their own branded dramas highlighting signature menu items.

https://technode.com/2024/09/23/starbucks-releases-douyin-mini-drama-to-lure-chinese-customers/

6、A lesser-known retail platform claiming China-wide “refund-only” policy faces user backlash

A Chinese e-commerce platform claiming to allow users to apply for a refund without returning the product, known as a “refund-only” policy, faces a backlash from customers angered by the policy’s fine details.

The platform has up to RMB 2 billion ($284 million) in refunds that have not been issued to shoppers who applied for the refund-only service.

Numerous obstacles in the way of users’ succeeding with a refund-only request have left consumers feeling cheated by the advertised offer. The process involves consumers taking complex steps in practice.

Jingtaotao only accepts users with paid membership for its refund-only policy, entailing setup fees from RMB 188 to RMB 28,888.

The “refund-only” policy is an after-sales service popularized by Pinduoduo in 2021 with the aim of encouraging merchants to improve product quality and service.

https://technode.com/2024/09/24/a-lesser-known-retail-platform-claiming-china-wide-refund-only-policy-faces-user-backlash/

7、Shanghai Disneyland to Apply 'One ID, One Ticket' Policy to Stop Scalpers

Shanghai Disney Resort said it will implement a "one ID, one ticket" real-name ticketing policy by the end of this year to combat scalping and other illegal commercial activities.

When the new policy kicks in, each visitor will be able to buy only one ticket a day using one identification document instead of up to five, Shanghai Disneyland announced today. The measure will also apply to those purchasing annual passes, it added.

The exact day the new real-name ticketing policy will take effect will be announced later, Shanghai Disneyland said, adding that this is an important measure to combat illegal commercial activities and create a safe and healthy environment for visitors.

https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/shanghai-disneyland-to-launch-id-ticketing-system-to-stop-scalpers

8、Tencent Robotics X Lab reveals The Five, a hybrid home help robot

The Five, the latest offering from Tencent Robotics X Lab, was unveiled on Tuesday.

The residential robot, created as a general-purpose robot that can coexist safely and harmoniously with people, integrates core capabilities from previous generations, features four-wheels, tactile skin, and hands.

Lab tests have shown that The Five can walk, transport objects, handle complex tasks, and interact with humans, according to the company.

The biggest difference between The Five and previous offerings is its hybrid design of four straight legs and wheels. This design retains the obstacle-crossing ability of legged robots and the efficiency of wheeled robots, allowing the robot to move faster on flat surfaces.

https://technode.com/2024/09/25/tencent-robotics-x-lab-reveals-the-five-a-hybrid-home-help-robot/

9、Microsoft Research, Shanghai Mental Health Center Ally on AI to Treat Alzheimer's

Microsoft Research Asia, US tech giant Microsoft’s research arm in the Asia-Pacific region, is linking arms with the Shanghai Mental Health Center to develop a multimodal artificial intelligence tool that can help Alzheimer's patients slow down cognitive decline.

The personalized cognitive training framework called ReMe is based on Microsoft's large language model development platform, Azure OpenAI, according to a press release published by Microsoft Research Asia on Sept. 21. It provides cognitive training experiences for patients in the form of a conversational chatbot, supporting text, image, and voice inputs and outputs.

This idea originated in April with the aim of quickly entering the clinical stage and targeting early-stage Alzheimer's patients, Qiu Lili, deputy director of Microsoft Research Asia, told Yicai.

https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/microsoft-research-teams-up-with-shanghai-mental-health-center-to-treat-alzheimers-with-ai

10、Beloved Disney character embraces Huju Opera

The beloved Disney character LinaBell has taken on an exciting new venture by embracing the art of Huju Opera.

On Monday, the curious pink fox graced the Shanghai Huju Opera Theater, where she learned Huju Opera poses alongside 11-year-old Xu Zitian and acclaimed performer Chen Yu.

She also performed the Duffy Month theme song "Let's Get Together" in the Shanghai dialect with Xu, entertaining around 100 local seniors in the Xuhui District.

Since her global debut at the Shanghai Disney Resort in September, 2021, LinaBell has captured the hearts of fans around the world and is set to celebrate her third anniversary in style.

https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2409238624/