The Riches in Beverly are Still Riding the Winds and Waves

“Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreaming!”

-《Pretty Woman》

Recalling the cold winter in Canada, the easiest way to avoid depression is to buy a ticket to California. Every time I walked out of the airport, when the first ray of California sunshine shone on my face, my first response was "Ah! This is happiness."

I will try to arrange to visit Los Angeles every three months. In addition to business meetings, there is a personal reason. I like to go to LA for a haircut.

When my girlfriend Tanny, who is based in Hong Kong, told me every time that she was going to Singapore next week. I will ask her, are you going to have your hair cut again? She will laugh and say yes. In fact, we all know that she was accompanying VIP customers to Singapore to handle private banking business. Going to Singapore for a haircut has become a secret word of our business. Tanny indeed only cuts her hair in Singapore. Her hair stylist is Daniel Ng, who works with many beautiful women around the world, including wealthy business women, public figures, celebrities and members of the royal family. His status in Singapore is like that of Kim Robinson in Hong Kong.

Daniel Ng

Kim Robinson is the designated hair stylist for a group of celebrities in Hong Kong

Kim Robinson

And my favorite salon in Los Angeles is Mèche Salon. Every time I come to LA, I will look for my “TONY” teacher: Eli Thomas.

Eli Thomas

  Eli Thomas is also the founder of Vuja de Beauty. His concept is based on the sense of ritual, which empowers the products through design and quality. He wants to create the most beautiful hair care product in the world – hair brushes.

“When you look for something familiar with a fresh view, that is VUJA DE.”

"You live in a beautiful house, you need this beautiful brush to start your day when you wake up every day"

"Beauty" is a kind of enjoyment. A smart woman lives only for one audience - herself. 

★ Hair brushes loved by celebrities like Kardashian and Hilton

V1 Detangle

V2 Smooth

Los Angeles is a place that excites people and a place to build their dreams. Most people will connect to film when they think of Los Angeles because of Hollywood. Universal Studios has naturally become a business card of LA. Even if you've been to the Universal Studio in many countries, you will still find the one in Los Angeles closest to the original.

Hollywood Mountain

Sunset Boulvard

Chateau Hanare

Hollywood Hills

Santa Monica Pier

The Gretty Villa

Malibu Farm

Nobu Malibu

Marina Del Rey

The Highlight Pool and Lounge

@ Dream Hotel Hollywood

★ Highlight dining bar’s LA city events such as exclusive rooftop performance parties, dinners, press conferences, red carpet walking, etc. have sprung up one after another in Hollywood Dream Hotel. Let's take a look at recent popular celebrities’ activities:

• With her outstanding performance at the 2018 Coachella Music Festival, Alison Wonderland became one of Coachella’s most expensive female producers in history, which also made her the best choice for the spokesperson for the Forever 21 limited edition festival series. Last year, Alison Wonderland attended a pool party to celebrate the launch of the Forever 21 X Pepsi co-branded clothing collection.

• Lincoln celebrates the launch of the new 2019 models at the Highlight Dining Bar Lounge.

• Dash Radio hosted the Grammy musician and record producer nominee, Anderson Paak, at Dream Hotel, DJ SKEE interviewed Iggy Azeala's new album event, and singer RichTheKid also performed his new song for the first time at Dream Hotel.

• REVOLVE hosted its first live award ceremony with Terrence Jenkins as the host.

• Dash Radio held a party at the Dream Hotel and invited a number of Grammy-nominated musicians and record producers, including Ice Cub, late rapper Nipsey Hussle, female rapper Swaatie, and Soulja Boy.

• Last summer, actor Leonnon Stella attended the exclusive rooftop party organized by Chase Bank as a guest of honor.

• 2019 BET Awards weekend event, the famous DJ Khaled hosted a dinner party at the Highlight Dining Bar Lounge. Many celebrities gathered together on that night, including JameeFoxx, Teyana Taylor, and rapper Jim Jones.

• The famous rapper WizKhalifa (who once sang the theme song "See you again" of "Fast and Furious 7") made an outstanding performance at the Halloween weekend carnival party. The party was filled with a hubbub of voices and extraordinarily bustling.

The Tao Restaurant

TAO Restaurant - gains popularity around the world, the most profitable restaurant group in the United States and is also one of the restaurants with the highest chance of meeting celebrities in LA. You may meet celebrities at a glance at the adjacent table or even meet celebrities when you come out of the restroom and look up. The Tao Group’s Halloween Carnival Party opened on time every year. Famous rappers Travis Scott and DJ Guy Gerber once made their special performance and the party scene was full of excitement.

In addition to architecture, art, beach, and sunshine, Los Angeles also has a place that fascinates the rich all over world, Beverly Hills! When I was practicing my English listening, I loved watching a Hollywood movie “Pretty Woman”. Many of the shots were taken on Rodeo Drive, street known for luxury goods boutiques. Every time I come back to this place, window shopping alone is enough to satisfy my eyes, and I often encounter groups of supermodels who are preparing for casting. All of them have blonde hair, blue eyes and long legs. They are really eye-catching! But what excites me the most is visiting the House of Bijan.

I remember once I was wandering alone on Rodeo Drive, my eyes were attracted by a dazzling Bugatti.

Bugatti Veyron outside House of Bijan on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
©Adventure Avenger

The door of the boutique behind me opened gently, and an elegantly-dressed shop assistant bowed and fareware to her gentleman guest. My sight was attracted by the storefront and the window again. As I walked up the stairs, the shop assistant stopped me politely, "Hello! We only accept regular guests who make an appointment here." "Sorry, I am a tourist." She looked at me from head to toe twice, including my handbag, with the eyes of the two shop assistants used on Juliet Roberts in the movie and then politely said, "OK, welcome!"

A lady manager accompanied me to the latest seasonal display wardrobe on the second floor, casually pointing at the photos of her VIP guests, from prince to president. Then she asked softly, "where did you come from?" I replied, "I'm from Vancouver, Canada." She didn't seem to be interested in me. Then I added, "I often go back to Shanghai, China, and I am from Shanghai." She immediately increased her interest and asked me if I am using WeChat. I answered, “of course.” She enthusiastically asked me to add her WeChat and told me that she had a few excellent guests from China. I felt that she saw the rise of China's economy and the huge market from me. It also made me feel proud of myself. This was a boutique with a limited edition design for men. There were only two kinds of women's products. Of course I can't treat myself badly, so I chose a bottle of perfume for myself. To me, this was more like a training in brand services. My shopping expenses were regarded as training fees, so I won’t feel guilty anymore. Haha!

Leaving Rodeo Drive, driving a short distance to the Hotel Bel Air on Beverly Hills was the enjoyment of my spirit and taste buds.

Hotel Bel Air

Compared to my Old Glamour affection, my daughter and her friends like to go to the Beverly Hill Hotel, because they can meet the world's most famous dog star Jiff Pon.

LA is an endless city, and almost everyone can express their love for it from different angles. Finally, in order to foreshadow the content of next month, Los Angeles also has a business card that will never go out of fashion, it’s called Trend. Its street culture is different from Brooklyn in New York. It leads young people all over the world who are pursuing fashion, and has successfully bred one brand after another with epoch-making significance. If you ask about the clothing brand that the post-95 generation wants the most, 90% of them will tell you supreme! The times have changed dramatically, and the trend can naturally become contemporary art. LA is still the best among them, and this is precisely the charm of it!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on July 16, 2020

Chinese Version 中文版

HEALTHY Nudged You; International Regimen Just Take It!

"The peace of body and soul is the well-ordered and harmonious life and health of the living creature." 

- St. Augustine (British writer)

Good evening everybody, Angela is going to talk about "health" with you today. There are tens of thousands of popular health preserving sayings nowadays. I think the one that suits your physical condition is the best! Self-feeling is the most important, psychological factors come first. Let's disassemble the word HEALTHY together and understand the complete "healthy" in an interesting way.

H  My understanding is HAPPY

Maintaining a happy mood is the foundation of health, and contentment is the secret of longevity. Many data have shown that emotions are a direct factor leading to a variety of diseases. There are also many female friends around me who suffer from maladies because of depression and unhappiness. On the contrary, some girls who are carefree and optimistic have very good health and appetite. Therefore, the primary factor of being healthy is to learn to be happy and to maintain long-term happiness! The classic quote from TVB is "to be a man, the most important thing is to be happy". If you are not happy, you will easily have strange disease. So now I have every reason to be happy every day, enjoy the moment, and not compete with myself. Everyone gets it in a different way, my hobbies are simple: exercise, keep fit, dress well and move bricks comfortably. Exercise makes people happy; I believe many friends have this feeling. Shopping regularly can make people maintain the concentration of dopamine, facilitate blood circulation! Moving bricks comfortably is a great pleasure in my life. Making money is a kind of ability and the best way to produce satisfaction. The main way for contemporary women to obtain happiness is not limited to love and marriage. Spending your own money is the unchangeable absolute principle.

E I think it can be EATING

People view food as the primary need, it is very important for people to eat healthily. How to eat and what to eat is knowledge. Some time ago, I received emails from readers, one of which was an email from Peter, a friend I met at work.

“In the email below and the link to Nourish to Flourish a new website authored by my wife (Barbara). The motivation for the site is Barbara's long-standing interest in helping people to follow a plant-based eating lifestyle. The content and photos are based on many years of finding and developing appropriate recipes (of which I have been the beneficiary) combined with her own professional background as the head of a graphic design and branding firm. I hope you enjoy visiting the site. Please feel free to share the site. Hopefully there will be a Chinese version in the not too distant future.”

I immediately went online to see this vegan recipe website, www.nourish-to-flourish.net. In English, nourish means nourishment, while flourish means vigorous growth. It is easy to understand literally that the nourishment of food is used to achieve the effect of strengthening the body. Many surveys and studies have shown that vegetarian food is not only beneficial to our body and the earth's environment, but also saves the lives of many animals. Vegetarian food can cover all the nutrients our body needs. The website has nutritional characteristics and cooking tips for a variety of ingredients. So, I tried a recipe.

Tofu + Delicata Squash + Black Rice

Suddenly came up with an idea to modify western-style recipes into Chinese-style seasoning, so that it could be more suitable for my Chinese appetite.

A   My work habit reminds me of ACCOUNT immediately

Having a stable sufficient deposit in the account is related to one's financial situation. As the saying goes, it’s better to save a little each day than having ten million cash. When I was studying accounting in university, I learned that cash flow is more meaningful than profit. Although the data on the income statement of some enterprises looks very good, their bank account balances are insufficient. It reflects that the enterprise's ability to pay may not be healthy. Extending to the financial health of the family, it is necessary to retain cash for 2-3 years of family expenses, and the remaining funds can be used for high-risk and high-return investment and luxury consumption. Under the epidemic situation, such an arrangement demonstrates its stable effect. Financial situation is like the human body meridians, if there is no blockage, there is no pain, if you feel the pain it means there is blockage! As long as you unclogged the financial meridian regularly, you will feel at ease and live a wealthy life.

L  The absolute C position in the word HEALTHY is obviously LOHAS

LOHAS is the abbreviation of Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability in English. It means to live in a healthy and self-sufficient way. It is a new healthy and sustainable lifestyle emerging in the world. It is also a new healthy lifestyle proposed by American social scientists in 1998 which aimed at human beings’ "health decline, mental emptiness, estrangement and resources shortage" problems.

LOHAS is a group of people who value health and care for environmental protection and take health, environmental protection, fashion, organic, natural and green as the theme in consumption. One out of every four people in Europe and America belongs to the LOHAS group. There are 40% of the adults (80 million people) in America are LOHAS consumers. At present, there are at least 30 million precise and 100 million quasi-LOHAS consumers in China. LOHAS group emphasizes a "healthy and sustainable lifestyle". "LOHAS" is an environmental protection concept, a cultural connotation, and a product of the times. It is an exquisite attitude towards life that is close to the source of life, nature and health. It is also a kind of lifestyle that most of my friends and I respect very much.

In Canada, the concept of environmental protection is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, especially young people. From preschools, kindergartens to primary schools, middle schools and universities, every school have an introduction to environmental protection. The environmental protection department of the local government has also issued various kinds of energy-saving knowledge brochures. Environmental NGOs also carry out public welfare publicity through the media or communities. When people are able to receive environmental protection tips at almost every time and place, they will be unconsciously influenced by what they constantly hear or see, and their environmental awareness will be enhanced. In Vancouver, where I live, the concept of environmental protection has become popular, and urban development has been reasonably controlled through urban planning, effectively protecting the ecological resources and environment, and improving the quality of life of residents.

In terms of construction, Vancouver has introduced the greenest building standard in North America, which requires all buildings to meet the LEED certification (i.e., the "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" certification issued by the U.S. Green Building Council), and more and more residential areas and buildings strictly comply with LEED certification standards. Green does not represent the color that sacrifices economic development, but represents new business opportunities in the industry that include clean energy, low-carbon buildings, energy-saving vehicles, and the production of recycled products. It also attracts more green investment.

Canada has been rated as the most livable country for all mankind for six consecutive years. In recent years, it has ranked first in the list of the healthiest and happiest countries in the world. You can enjoy these sceneries of fascinating mountains and waters, feel the charm of Canada’s ecological and environmental protection, and live a healthy and happy life after you immigrate to Canada.

T I think it should be TREATMENT (Physiological treatment)

Everyone has different degrees of congenital or acquired pain. It is the most common way for humans to use effective medical treatment to achieve optimal health. During my stay in Shanghai, I like to go to the Chinese-style Spa in front of my house for meridian conditioning. Because of long-term intensive physiotherapy, I began to understand the principles of the meridians, and I had to admire the essence of China’s 5000-year culture.

The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Meridian and 12 Meridians of the Human Body

After each meridian conditioning, I just felt that my whole body is unclogged, as if my governing and conception vessels are being opened up. Now more and more foreigners are keen on traditional Chinese medicine and have some understanding of traditional Chinese culture such as the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi. "Taoism follows nature" is the core of Laozi and Zhuangzi's thought. It shows the behaviors of respecting nature, following laws and advocating natural morality, which have profound health preservation significance. In addition, the aesthetic thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi have a profound influence on traditional Chinese art, mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, and all living things. The unity of man and nature is also an important concept of Lao Zhuang's philosophy and the way of maintaining one’s health.

H  I love HEALING (Psychological healing)

If you have been traumatized mentally or psychologically or have a tendency to depression, we can use a variety of physical therapy to recover, such as five senses spa, yoga, moxibustion, aromatherapy and so on! Every time I go to a resort, I will definitely visit the local spa. Spa can relax the fatigue caused by the journey and soothe the body and mind. Although the treatment concepts of the East and the West are different, from the origin, they are the same. In addition to spa, I also prefer all kinds of aromas from nature. In my opinion, aromatherapy oil is a good medicine from above. My good friend once told me that she never went to the hospital for cold and flu, only one aromatherapy massage is needed for recovery. She believes that the power from flowers and plants has extraordinary therapeutic effect, which I fully agree with. In my opinion, getting closer to nature and do more seemingly useless things are also a different kind of “healthy”. It is not a complete "rule of inaction", but adequately slows down the pace and footsteps, put down the obsession, and let it be!

My personal favorite fragrances:

Jo Malone

Diptyque (black acorn)

Ecoya (Beckham’s favorite brand) – the limited edition couriered by my friend is on the way, strawberry ice wine, fresh pine

Y  The last thing I want to say is YOUNG

Keeping the body and mind young is an important factor for human beings to stay healthy. I especially like to interact and communicate with my post-80s/90s generations friends. They will constantly inculcate me with the latest Internet language and trend information in China. I even like to follow my daughter after her favorite Instagram celebrities. Here is the list she gave me.

Instagram Celebrities

Halston.blake: One-year-old baby’s account has 610,000 followers

Jiffpom: Account of the world's most famous dog has 10,040,000 followers

Sushisai: Adorable poodle has 31,800,000 followers

Of course, at my age, it's already a veritable front wave, but I don't mind feeling the trend of the times with the rear wave. Just like the online talk I saw today in my friend’s circle, Deng, Wendi’s conversation with Maye Musk: "How to solve women’s anxiety caused by age?" Musk's replied, “Women should not be friends with people who think she is getting older." Similarly, the public square dances that Chinese women are passionate about reflect their desire to be young and energetic. More and more post-90s also began to actively join the army of health care. There is no right or wrong in the way of preserving one’s health as long as it is suitable for them. The best secret to maintain a youthful appearance is to have a relaxed mind.

HEALTH TIPS

1. It is very necessary to strengthen immune system. A healthy diet will bring more energy, improve sleep and mood, and eating more fish, beans, nuts, fresh vegetable & fruit, etc. will keep the coronavirus away from you;

2. Take more deep breath or meditation, and deeply feel your potential energy;

3. Find the sensory information that suits you: listening to a piece of classical music can relieve your stress? Or smell the aroma of freshly brewed green tea? Or come to a scalp spa to relax;

4. Stop the busy pace in time and feel the link between yourself and your surroundings;

5. Do a financial health check regularly;

6. Maintain a balance between work and entertainment;

7. Cultivate the ability to capture and recognize happiness;

8. Be kind and smile more!

OK, I shall stop here. I'm very down to earth recently, watching a very popular variety show “Older Sisters Who Brave the Winds and Waves”!

Their performance on the stage fully reflects the beauty of health and self-confidence. We must also continue to keep it up! If you are not satisfied with your health, welcome to chat with Angela. I hope everyone who sees this tweet will always be healthy and happy~~

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 17, 2020

Chinese Version 中文版

Shanghai has magic power; let’s follow Angela to have a global Odyssey

Shanghai is like Smart casual,

New York is a typical High fashion,

London is super One piece,

Tokyo is very Streetwear~~

–Angela Bi

Every time a new foreigner friend asks, where are you from? I would say I'm from Shanghai, China without thinking. There is a little unavoidable pride in the subtext. I remember last year when I was on holiday in Greece, a friend from New York who had spent a lot of time in Shanghai said to his Greek friend who had never been to China, "If I were to live in China, I would only choose to live in Shanghai." Shanghai women are the only ones who can do business together. Ha ha, a hundred sentences are omitted here~~

As you know, I am an authentic Shanghai woman. Now, there is a very interesting phenomenon. I rarely speak Shanghainese in Shanghai. On the contrary, I often speak Shanghainese when living abroad. When I take a “Didi” (China’s Uber) in Shanghai, I will definitely communicate in Mandarin. When I go to a restaurant, I will also begin speaking in Mandarin. In some international communities, the proportion of foreigners is higher than Richmond where my Vancouver office is located. Sometimes when I met new friends during a social gathering, after a circle of greetings, I found out that we are all Shanghainese. Then, I would switch to Shanghainese, and I immediately felt like I'm back home~~

Our lives are becoming more and more international, and the definition of hometown and home also needs to advance with the times!

Gertrude Stein: “America is my country and Paris is my hometown”

To me, China is my motherland, but my home can be a different home of dreams and hearts. I often have the urge to become Princess Jasmine, and sit on Aladdin's magic carpet to fly to the city my heart yearns for.

First of all, it must be Paris! Shanghai, where I live, was known as the Oriental Paris in the 1930s. The French Concession in those days is now the most fashionable European-style community in Shanghai. There are old houses, cafes, restaurants that are famous online and endless fashion designers boutiques.

Because of these French concessions plots, Paris has always been the Holy Land in my mind.

Strolling around Paris is a very inspiring matter and the best way to discover the city. Because you always unintentionally discovered new museums, shops, restaurants and dessert shops. 

Le Relais Plaza, Hotel Plaza Athenee

Paris is the most romantic city in the world, known as the city that never sleeps, which is extremely similar to Shanghai. It's always full of energy and you can eat and drink at any time.

Beautiful French Garden

Jardin des Tuileries by Louvre Museum

The city is like an active museum

Jardin des Tuileries by Louvre Museum

French Cafe

Le Café Marly

Fashion Shopping

Dior, Paris

Unique grocery shopping experience

Fauchon, Paris

Love for Food

Tour D'argent, Paris

New York, New York! 

    Foreign friends who come to Shanghai for the first time often marvel that Shanghai is simply New York! Indeed, looking at the high-rise buildings on both sides of Shanghai's viaduct, from the perspective of color and facade, it really looks like New York.

New York

Shanghai

Each visit to New York is like having a mental spa. A girlfriend of mine who has lived in New York for a long-time shared her thoughts as follow:

"I think New York is the most colorful large dyeing tank in the world. There is no difference in order, priority, language, age and race. Everyone can find their own colors in the tank and shine brightly. As long as they are willing to try, integrate and work hard, they will draw the blueprint of the American dream. New York is also like a big onion. It is not a beautiful city at first sight. Only after settling down, it is peeled off layer by layer, and each layer will bring different aroma. With different levels of depths, the more peeling, the more excitement. It can even become addictive and inseparable."

★ Visas have joined forces with top developers and become the exclusive agent of these 9 successful New York EB-5 projects:

1. CPT One Central Park (By Extell Developer): No. 217, West 57th St., NY

2. E59 Central Park E59 (By Macklowe Developer): 200 E59 St., NY

3. FSNY Four Seasons Hotel New York World Trade Center (By Silverstein Developer): 99 Church St., Manhattan, NY

4. 1 Wall Street (By Macklowe Developer): Manhattan, NY

5. HYM Manhattan Tower (By Related Developer): Manhattan Tower, No. 30, Hudson Yards, NY

6. HRS Hudson Riverside Court (By Related Developer): Cloud courtyard (515 West 18th St. NY) and Water courtyard (555 West 22nd St. NY)

7. FANY New York Fifth Avenue MasterCard Tower (By Robert Adler and L&L): No.114-116, Fifth Ave., Manhattan, NY

8. TSM New York Marriott Times Square Hotel (By Lightstone developer) 485 7th Ave., NY

9. ESM New York Marriott Imperial Hotel (By Lightstone developer): 105-109 West 28th Street, NY

CPT, NY

What about London? 

    The Bund of Shanghai is the symbol of the city. The buildings here are known as the World Architecture Expo. The Bund was the site of the British Concession. It fully reflects the momentum of old Shanghai in that year.

The Bund, SH

Compared to the stretch of buildings along the Pu River, London is the glory of the whole city. My girlfriend, who lives in London, shared her understanding of the city. Once again, I am tempted to fly to London.

London, UK

London is such a culturally diverse place, you are always meeting incredible people with remarkable stories to tell and experiences to share. It is the people of a city that gives the place its unique soul.

I adore walking around London and just wander from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. 

There are countless pockets of London, each offering completely different vibes and energy from the super polished Regency streets, to the trendy tech startup hubs, from the gleaming towers of the City that drives global finance, to the arty dens of youth culture, there are endless discoveries for the new-in-town and the old-timer alike. 

You will never run out of things to do in London. This is the most happening place on earth, with some of the world’s best museums, galleries, concert halls, theatres, as well as innumerable events and pop-up experimental experiences. Whatever you are into, you will find things to your taste, every day and every night, if only you can keep up with the energy of this great city.

London has this unassuming and effortless sense of prestige and lux that nowhere else can quite emulate. You will be welcomed in a quiet and reserved way into some of the most exclusive venues and experiences available on earth.

London is home to some of the most prestigious and diverse range of private members clubs, each with fascinating histories and membership profiles, offering a range of subtle luxury, privilege and comfort. It is both unashamedly exclusive and at the same time so quietly enjoying its elitism on the sly.

The fashion sense of London perfectly exudes what it is to be the modern trendy Brit. Lux but not ostentatious. Casual but so much more than meets the eye. Plus it would not go amiss to throw in some multi-cultural elements in the mix - Chinese silks, Indian paisleys, African statement jewellery, Mediterranean colourings......

In a nutshell, London is like a mysterious lady. It has so many facades and layers for a lifetime’s discovery. But alas, unless you are the Queen, you’ll probably never be fully let in to all its secrets.

★ UK Immigration by Investment

For high net worth people who intend to make a large financial investment in the UK, the investment of £ 2 million is expected to not only bring considerable income to the applicant, but also provide more flexibility and freedom to the applicant. The UK Representative of an Overseas Business Visa is a visa that British overseas companies send senior managers to the UK to set up UK branches or wholly-owned subsidiaries, so as to apply for UK immigration, which is a visa issued by the immigration office to the applicant after approval. It is suitable for business executives, small shareholders of the company, or heirs of family businesses with certain working experience to apply. Applicants can also bring their spouses to the UK for development and their children can receive education in the UK.

Finally, we must talk about Tokyo! 

    Tokyo is the nearest international megacity to Shanghai. There used to be two well-known TV series "A Native of Beijing in New York" & "Shanghainese in Tokyo". It can be seen that there are so many Shanghainese in Tokyo. It is possible that Westerners can hardly distinguish Chinese from Japanese by appearance. But we can distinguish ourselves at a glance. On a vacation in Hawaii, the tanned man with a surfboard in the sun should be a Japanese man. The children who wear shorts in winter and are not afraid of cold should be Japanese. Of course, there are Oriental eyes with single eyelid, which are also easy to distinguish. Ha ha! But when it comes to women who use umbrellas in the summer to protect themselves from the sun, it's impossible to distinguish them. A Shanghai friend who settled in Japan shared a profound differences. His feeling is that compared to Shanghai, the biggest feature of Tokyo life is that the locals are self-discipline, do not touble others, and do not need others' supervision, which embodies a harmonious life style everywhere.

《Shanghainese in Tokyo》

Many wealthy friends in Shanghai who plan to retire are not willing to travel long distances to Europe and the United States. Instead, they prefer to invest and live in Japan which is also in Asia. Due to its geographical advantages, Tokyo is only less than three hours away from Shanghai by plane, and Japanese cuisine is delicious and healthy, which is suitable for us who also have Asian stomachs. Besides, the air is fresh, the life is stable, and the gardens and buildings make people feel calm. Therefore, Shanghainese always traveled to Japan for shopping and vacation. There are also many reasons to recognize the Japanese culture of making a dojo in the snail shell, making everything extremely exquisite!

At this moment, I'll take you to explore the hidden fairyland mansion in the bustling business district of Tokyo – The Avior. Luxury is not an expensive item, but an experience that can't be copied. Limited to only 13 units to select from.

The appearance of this building is undoubtedly one of its characteristics. A huge lattice column surrounds the two buildings, separating the property from the street, creating an amazing light and shadow effect.

Seen from the road, it is more like a momumental public art work than a building, but behind it, the bamboo leaves are swaying and the glass windows are shimmering. The whole building looks very charming. The designer cleverly unifies the two buildings visually. Its facade not only enriches the street landscape, but also enriches the culture of the entire area of Minamiaoyama.

Surrounded by Japanese gardens, there are rolling mossy hills, gardens with scattered small rocks, flowing streams and dense bamboo forests, maples and cherry trees. 

Cobblestone or striped bamboo flooring, Venetian gypsum, painted walls, and Japanese paper windows, plastered surfaces, abstract black lacquered kitchen cabinets, backlit striped agate, glittery copper. The materials and textures are layered on top of each other, presenting a deep atmosphere and a gentle transition. The floor and walls are integrated. Seamless connection between indoor and outdoor. One living space transferred to another natural space. The light jumped mysteriously. The residents in the building feel extremely comfortable and pleasant.

The geographical location also reflects that it is the bridge of the world. While enjoying tranquility and seclusion, it is also one of the most upscale and elegant communities in Minamiaoyama district in Tokyo. You can walk to boutiques, restaurants, art institutions and famous universities. The concierge department is ready to provide you with reservation and suggestions. The best place in Tokyo is right at your doorstep.

The Avior presents all the exquisite things of Tokyo in front of your home. It not only has a very refined Japanese style, but also meets the Western expectations for proportion and various aspects of life expectations.

Different cities are like a selection in a wardrobe, they are different, and there is not point to compare which is better and which is worse.

To me, Shanghai is like smart casual, New York is a typical high fashion and London is super one piece Tokyo is very streetwear~~

You only have one life to live, and everyone is eager to live their lives to the fullest. Put on this "clothing" called the city and I hope you will reach where your heart wants immediately! 

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on June 25, 2020

Chinese Version 中文版

Filming is not a dream

“It was my commitment to bring you to the ocean, to show you how to set a course. But, the lands you set out to find are your own. "

-     “Dear Catherine”

Having done immigration by investment for the most of my life, I can be said to be a professional in my field. I didn't expect that in 2019, I will be hotheaded and did another thing that is not earthshaking but interesting. I made a micro movie!

Dear Catherine is the first short film produced by Arte House. The story is inspired by a trip to Antigua in the summer of 2018. It's a combination of business and leisure travel. It may be that I like this island between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean so much, it completely soothed the nerves of all of us. Along the way, friends shared their knowledge and understanding of overseas life, wealth, family, health, interests and hobbies. At the end of the journey, my brand partner, Jung Ah Suh, had an idea to turn this journey into a movie story, sharing the clash of the values between two generations of wealthy Chinese families and the importance of family inheritance. We found that compared with the excessive emphasis on wealth of the first generation, the younger generation is more self-centered, more concerned about what they think inwardly and desire to build a long-term value system. Because of this, our protagonist is a young and independent woman. Through the elaboration of the film, she finally discovered that the meaning of having a dream of life is to provide long term service to others rather than self-enjoyment.

This is my first time to participate in film production. As a very pragmatic lady, I know nothing about shooting and production. It's a great honor that Svetlana Cvetko, a famous Hollywood director, is willing to take this short film. I remember the first time we met at the Highlight restaurant on the top floor of Dream Hollywood. She asked me seriously about my original intention of making this film. I replied that I want to be Martha Steward of China. Martha encourages American women to return to the kitchen, and I hope that I can encourage Chinese women to live around the world. Svetlana readily agreed to our invitation to shoot this short film. You need to know, Svetlana is a famous documentary director in Hollywood. Her movie, “Show Me What You Got”, just won the best film at 65th Taormina Film Festival in Italy.

“Show Me What You Got”

Winner of best film at 65th Taormina Film Festival

Director: Svetlana Cvetko

Already acclaimed Director of photography renowned for her work in a long list of critically acclaimed documentaries, including:

Oscar winner “Inside Job”, Oscar nominated “Facing Fear”, “Red Army” in the official selection of Cannes, and “Inequality for All” which won the special jury prize for best US documentary at Sundance.

Editor: David Scott Smith 

Executive Producer: 

Phillip Noyce & Sergey Sarkisov

Although it's a low-cost production, all the procedures of the production team are in accordance with Hollywood standards: from actor recruitment to casting, costumes, makeup, props and log keeper, there is nothing less! There are more than a dozen people in the small and elaborate production team; each performs one’s own functions. At the moment when everything is almost ready, Mrs. Huang, the key character of our film, has been slow to find a satisfactory candidate. It wasn’t easy to find a wealthy lady who started from empty-handed in such a short time. When everyone was in despair, a belated candidate caught our eyes on the last day of casting. Everyone took a closer look, OMG! Isn't this Mrs. Huang herself? Fortunately, the film was finally able to start shooting as scheduled.

Although the budget for the first shooting was limited, I was very pleased to be able to invite such a heavy hitter director. In order to reduce the production cost of the film, we as the main creators also contributed our private ornaments. Mrs. Huang's Hermès Kelly bag and Dior clothes were provided by Jung Ah, and Pomellato jewelry was provided by me. Grant's yacht was moored at the Newport Beach Marina, and the captain was also provided for us on the day of shooting. I remember that day I just arrived in Los Angeles.  When I got on the boat, I had jet lag and fell asleep. When I woke up, the whole team had finished filming. Now that I think about it, it was really an interesting experience!

The names of the characters in the firm also originated from my life. Catherine is the name of my younger daughter. The name Jack came from her seatmate she liked when she was 5 years old in kindergarten. Mrs. Huang borrowed the surname of my friend who journeyed with me to Antigua, and Vera was the name of my assistant. Originally, I was arranged by the director to make a cameo appearance in the film. But, in the end, due to time constraints, I failed to do so. However, attentive friends have discovered that a very critical plot in the film, which was to call Mrs. Huang's real estate agent was “acted” by me. Although I didn't appear in the film, I made a cameo appearance with my voice, which was especially enjoyable!

Now when I recall the many scenes at that time, I suddenly feel like I was giving my speech of winning the prize, and there are too many friends to thank. Special thanks to Grant King of the Relevant Group for letting us use his yacht for free, and my friend for providing us the residence in West Hollywood for the mansion scene of the art broker. The Hollywood Dream Hotel developed by our company’s US immigration EB5 project also provided the Penthouse for shooting. The high degree of fit between these scenes enables the film to accurately convey the message of "family inheritance".

★ EB5 Dream Hotel

Grand opening in the beginning of 2017, as the iconic series of exclusive agent of Visas Consulting Group, the Hollywood Star World series, adjacent to Hollywood Walk of Fame, surrounded by four boutique hotels, Tao restaurant, Beauty & Essex and other high-end and well-known restaurants in the United States, PH-D bars, and Avenue Star nightclubs. These will be a large-scale catering dining, entertainment and accommodation complex in Hollywood, Los Angeles. At present, the first phase of Hollywood Star World has been approved by the I-829 permanent green card, phases 2-6 have been approved by I-526 conditional green card, and phase 7 has been approved for an I-924 exemplar project.

★ Tao Restaurant

It is worth mentioning that Tao Group, the restaurant group that swept the world and the most popular restaurant in the United States, has already entered. The celebrities' favourite Tao restaurant, which won three seats in the top ten most profitable single restaurants in the United States in 2015 is a miracle. What's more, the Highlight bar exclusive rooftop performances, dinner party, press conference, red carpet, and other LA city events are also in the Dream Hotel one after another. It’s extraordinarily bustling. Grammy private party, Revolve’s first live award ceremony, BET Awards weekend event, Dash Radio interview event, Lincoln's celebration of the launch of the 2019 new car model, Tao Group Halloween party, etc. There are a lot of celebrities, tourists and the party scene is full of revelry and hubbub. Even the "most handsome governor", Gavin Newsom, chose to hold his campaign reception at the Hollywood Dream Hotel when he was elected governor of California in November 2018. Los Angeles is about to host the 2028 Olympic Games, and Hollywood Star World will become a new landmark of Hollywood in the future.

Through this micro film journey, I feel that the literary circle is not accessible to ordinary people. Making a movie requires not only good creativity and technology, but also good health. Secretly give you a teaser here; we are now planning our next even better movie. If it wasn't for the epidemic, maybe I'd already been "gesticulating" in front of the camera now! Arte House will continue to present a better visual experience for you. Please look forward to our global blockbuster next year. Not long ago, my video “Angela’s 12-Hour in Shanghai” was praised by many clients and friends, so I thought of rereading "Dear Catherine". Maybe, with the growth of each year's experience, each of us will interpret the film differently. We are looking forward to seeing your new understanding. Welcome to leave a comment, you will get a special gift from us if your comment receives the most likes.

More info about the film:

Motive Title：《Dear Catherine》

Duration：10:47

Genre: Short film, Story

Plot Outline: Mr. Huang, who lives in Shanghai, China, has a successful career. He has invested in real estate and art and accumulated family wealth. His daughter, Catherine, is educated and lived in Los Angeles. In the spring of 2019, Mrs. Huang visited her daughter Catherine in Los Angeles and brought Mr. Huang's entrustment from Shanghai. How would young Catherine choose her future? This film uses an open-minded way to explain the values, love and understanding of the two generations. Father's love is like a mountain. Family inheritance and self-worth can coexist.

Cast Members:

Director: Svetlana Cvetko, David Scott Smith

Photography: Svetlana Cvetko

Editor: David Scott Smith

Production Design: Candi Guterres

Music: Simone Giuliani, “Ye Lai Xiang" by Li Xianglan

Main Cast:

Lee Chen --- Mrs. Huang 黄太太

Tom Chung --- Mr. Huang 黄先生

Rose Han --- Catherine 凯瑟琳

Daniel Joo --- Jack 杰克

Other Actors:

Cristina Rambaldi --- Vera 维拉

Neyssan Falahi --- Art Dealer 艺术品经济人

Angela Bi --- As Herself 本人

Mattia Minasi --- Bell Boy 行李员

Oliver Gruber --- Developer 开发商

Sarah Davallou --- Assistant 艺术经纪人助理

Itzik Rapaport --- Coach 教练

Dubbing:

Jay Yu --- Mr. Huang 黄先生

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on June 18, 2020

Chinese Version 中文版

Greece, the Inexhaustible Fireworks of the Aegean Sea

“Tell me, how long does tomorrow last?”
“Eternity or a day”

- Theo Angelopoulos “Eternity and a Day”

Watching again the classic epic blockbuster "Troy" in a lazy afternoon, the speed, strategy, power, anger and love make people unable to get tired of. Brad Pitt's strong physique and deep blue eyes make people impossible to not fall in love with him again. Yes, it's the pair of blue eyes, like the brilliant blue of the Aegean Sea, which lingers in my heart.

When I first lay by the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean sun kissed my skin and soul without restraint. The first thought came to my mind is wow! I finally found the key to happiness. If I feel depressed and negative in Shanghai next time, the easiest way is to buy a ticket to Greece. Before God's generous sunshine and crystal clear water, no matter how depressed your heart is, it will not sink.

Greece never disappoints. There are fascinating relics, newly salvaged fishing line, charming elegant music and soft beach like brown sugar. All of which make people immersed and unable to extricate themselves. Let’s play back the wonderful moment in Greece with Angela. Here are a hundred reasons why you are reluctant to leave.

The elegant Acropolis of Athens which stands on the top of the mountain is a classic landmark of Western civilization. You can see people at the foot of the mountain enjoying their dinner under the brilliant light terrace.

Dionysos Zonar's Restaurant

The first newest five-star hotel in Athens, the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel, is a 30 minute drive from the world historical center.

Let’s first nourish your stomach. You can choose from a variety of foods freely, drink a glass of ice Rosé, and fill your eyes with the Aegean blue.

Mercato Italian Restaurant

(The same brand restaurant on the 6th floor of No. 3 Bund, SH)

Matsuhisa Athens

(The Japanese restaurant of the famous Nobu Group. Next time introducing LA, I will talk about the famous Malibu Nobu)

Then watch a performance under the stars in a theater of the third century B.C.

Theater at Epidaurus

It's inevitable to visit the eye-catching ancient city of Olympia and the birthplace of the Olympic Games;    

Lingering in the ancient town of Rhode, and fantasizing about the bravery of the former knights; 

Eating olives and goat cheese on the slow sailing deck; 

Swimming in the deep blue Aegean Sea until the salt crumbs is all over my body; 

Meeting the celebrities during sunbathing; 

Learning how to dance like a Greek in the joyous atmosphere of the restaurant; 

Drinking Ouzo with the locals who became familiar at first sight; 

Finally, watching the sunset in the breathtaking Santorini, the afterglow of the setting sun reflected on the house, together with the orange and red light on the cliff forms a truly magnificent picture.  

Canaves Oia Epitome, No. 1 Resort Hotel in Europe

I like to buy the new released handbags at the Louis Vuitton boutique in white brick walls;

Louis Vuitton Mykonos

In the steak house on the mountain, Salt Bae will salt and cut your 24K gold wrapped steak;

Nusr-Et Mykonos Restaurant

Purchase the original Kismet by Milka jewelry loved by celebrities.

Kismet by Milka

Here, you can experience the real night life of Mykonos, huddled on a bench with your favourite superstar in Astra bar (of course, you have to stay excited until 2:00A.M, the night has just begun)

Astra Bar Mykonos

Experience the warm hospitality of Greeks and the world's healthiest Mediterranean diet. Awake your taste buds by natural olive oil, green vegetables and protein.

Fish, fish, and all kinds of fish, olives and the best tomatoes I've ever eaten… 

Music, music, music, beach, beach, interesting crowd, beautiful sunset.  

Fill your eyes with blue sky, white cloud and volcanic rock; 

Listen to the tinkling bells in the distant valley; 

Deeply inhale the aromas of oregano, thyme, marjoram and other wild plants; 

Watch the world's most contented cat nap in the shade; 

Gaze at the Aegean Sea from the shade of the olive tree; 

Time stood still, and began to dance again and again.

Don't miss a stroll among the mysterious Minos sites; feel grateful for the precipitation of history.

Palace at Knossos Crete

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Here used to be the capital of Crete during the Minoan period. The relic of the palace of Knossos is the place where the king of Minos used to keep Minotaurus. The first palace of Knossos was built around 1900 B.C. and was destroyed in an earthquake. Later, it was built more magnificent and exquisite than before. 

The palace of Knossos is indeed a "labyrinth". Although it has been damaged and rebuilt several times, its internal space still shows its mystery. The corridors and stairs in the palace are zigzag and circuitous. People are really dazzled by the staggering height of the upper and lower floors. The first time people enter the palace, it's like entering a maze. People turn back to the place they just passed for several times since it's hard to follow the same path. No wonder the mythical Princess Ariadne will worry about Theseus getting lost. Hence, she gave him a ball of thread, asked him to tie one end of the thread to the entrance before going deep into the "maze". 

It can be seen that the relic of the palace of Knossos may be the political and cultural center of the whole civilization.

A Taste of Greece

The traditional Mediterranean diet is regarded as the most healthy and balanced diet model in the world. As a gourmet country, Greece is one of the important representatives of Mediterranean diet. What is a Mediterranean diet? Let's learn from the Greek food culture. 

Cereals, beans, fruits, honey and vegetables are a daily must-have for Greeks. Every ton of food is matched with high-quality of dairy products. For meat intake, people often eat fish, and there are thousands of ways of cooking them. They rarely eat meat with heavy fat. Olive oil is the main part of Mediterranean cuisine. All dishes can be paired with delicious wine. These form a light and healthy diet. 

Greek food culture tradition is not only reflected in the cooking of dishes, but also in the customs they value - cooking at home, enjoying with family and friends, or sharing delicious food in pubs. A Greek word "Symposium" can vividly illustrate this tradition, which literally means "drinking with friends". This kind of dining atmosphere is simple, relaxed, casual and easy to increase people's appetite.  

Recommended：Scorpios Mykonos

This is an "experimental" restaurant by the Aegean Sea. There are not only exquisite food, but also other clothes and ornaments for sale. The most important thing is that they have also started a new party lifestyle for the young people in Greek, and gathered a group of like-minded friends. They learn yoga, party together, invent new dishes together, and provide creative ideas for the design of the shop, which is beyond envy.

Scorpios Mykonos advocates the healthy eating concept of "WE ARE WHAT WE EAT ". All the ingredients in the store are the freshest seafood and vegetables in the local area, cooked by top chefs. I believe that eating delicious food made by Scorpios Mykonos and drinking the specially prepared cocktails on the sunset island of Mykonos, whether it's going to a party with them or reading a book quietly with the sea breeze is an unparalleled enjoyment.

The travelers who have been to Greece will never forget its romantic charm, and how am I not! Seeing this, you can't help but ask if such a life is only for people who have achieved financial freedom.

The answer is obviously “NO!”

Let's look beyond a few popular islands to Crete. Located in the eastern Mediterranean, it is the largest island of Greece, known as the "crown of the Aegean Sea". It is the birthplace of many Greek myths, the cradle of Greek culture and Western civilization in the past, and now it is a beautiful resort. Therefore, she enjoys a lot of "mistress aura" such as: 3rd place of "top 10 best travel destinations in continental Europe" of American Time magazine in 2018, 5th place in the list of top 10 destinations in 2018, five-star tourist destination for Australian tourists, 1st place of top ten best tourist destinations in Greece, and the reputation of "garden on the sea" and “longevity island". It is the world's top olive oil producer, especially Koroneiki, the most precious "king oil among the nobles", is also produced here.

The main archaeological sites on the island are Knossos Palace, the Faistos Palace, and the remains of Gortyn. Although there are not many written records left by the Minoan civilization, it left a large number of exquisite palaces, houses, murals and sculptures which shine the light of civilization. The island has the tenderness of the Mediterranean Sea, and the ancient mythological remains add a bit of mystery to the island. Knossos Palace, originated from Homer's epic “Odyssey”, attracts more than 95,000 global tourists to visit the European center of civilization, politics and culture every year. The Pink Beach of Elafonisi also makes me linger. Tourists will not want to miss this healthy journey with natural landscape at the Europe's longest natural and miraculous Samaria Canyon.

Because Greece also has a huge tourism market, with the support of the country’s “The Belt and Road” policy, many investors have targeted the property in Greece.  

Since the introduction of Greek immigration by investment programs in 2013, the immigration policy has been continuously relaxed. After several revisions and improvements, the ultra-low threshold of 250,000 Euros for Greece real estate immigrants has become one of the investment immigration destinations with the highest cost-effective, the lowest threshold and the fastest process in Europe. 

★ Requirements for Citizenship by Real Estate Investment in Greece:

1. Principal applicant is at least 18 years old and has no criminal record;

2. Spouses, parents of the principal applicant and children under the age of 21 may be included in the application;

3. An investment of 250,000 Euros or more in real estate in Greece;

4. Principal applicant and his accompanying family members meet the physical examination requirements;

5. No language, education, business background, and minimum stay requirement; obtain residency permit in just one step. 

★ Benefits:

1. Cost-effective: Only 250,000 Euros for real estate investment; obtain residency permit in just one step;

2. No immigration supervision, no residence requirements after obtaining residency permit;

3. No double taxation, consumption level is lower than other European countries;

4. Obtain full ownership of the purchased real estate; able to live or rent out the property with stable income;

5. Low tax rate in Europe: only 3% transaction tax, 0.1-0.7% property tax per year, low house purchase tax in Europe;

6. Low house prices: the market value is 30% lower than before the economic crisis. The economy is recovering, and there is much room for house prices to rise;

7. Quick and simple application: no requirement on education, language, management experience and capital source;

8. Visa-free travel within 26 Schengen countries.

We have carefully selected the following great projects for you: 

Filia Estate Project

Higher Positioning--The Hermès of European immigrants

Joint venture with rich families in Europe and America, build by a team of British developers professionals with expertise in designing and planning internationalize architectural. 

Higher Quality

- Five star luxury holiday villa, German electrical appliances, Italian furniture and stone materials

- Enjoy luxurious private swimming pool with sea view and rural scenery

- Huge garden, an oasis of serenity amid chaos 

Better Location

- Greece's largest island, the birthplace of European Civilization

- Heraklion, capital of Crete

- Only 15 minutes drive from Heraklion International Airport and Aegean Blue Flag beach

Cost-Effective

- A one-time investment of 250,000 Euros on a holiday villas and obtain European green cards for entire three generations

- 5-year lease agreement, expected 5.2% annual return, huge appreciation potential

- Get full ownership of the property, hand down from generation to generation 

Luxury Reception

- Owners join the Filia Club automatically

- Free accommodation for 14 days per year

- Dozens of services such as private winery / plantation / yacht / concierge car 

I list some practical information for all of you. If you follow the professional, you can’t go wrong.

1. China COSCO Group acquired 67% stake of Piraeus port terminal, the largest port in Greece, with a contract scale of more than 400 million US dollars;

2. China Fosun Group invested 7.9 billion Euros to transform the old airport in Athens, which will become "Las Vegas in Europe" after completion;

3. State Grid Corp of China acquired 24% stake in Greece’s power grid;

4. China’s Shenhua Group acquired 75% stake in four wind farms of Copelouzos Group, one of the largest investment groups in Greece;

5. The Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China signed an agreement of 199 million Euros with the Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator;

6. Alipay integrated into the new payment system of National Bank of Greece;

7. Sinovel Wind Energy Group, Tianhua Sunshine group, China Energy Conservation Investment Corp., Hanergy Holding Group and other Chinese enterprises also invested in Greece. 

What's more, Greece is the first country to resume tourism after the epidemic and has returned to the international capital market after eight years of economic assistance. The Greek people's life is nothing to do with bankruptcy, unemployment, poverty and busy life. According to what I have seen and heard and my personal experience, the Greeks still live their own fairy days leisurely and fully enjoy the gifts of heaven.

At this moment, I can't suppress my desire to fly to Mykonos right now and look forward to the unexpected encounter with Brad Pitt!  

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on June 11, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版

A Glimpse of the New Global Lifestyle in Post-epidemic Era

In “The Art of Life”, Lin Yutang wrote that human beings are the only animals hard working actively. We face the feast of life, but we do not know how much our appetite is. The most difficult thing for everyone to understand is the contradiction between his concepts of work; the work he wants to do and the work that the society needs him to do.

Everything in the world is at leisure, only human beings work to live. Because we have to work, we are becoming more and more complicated in the progression of civilization. We are controlled by all kinds of obligations, responsibilities, fears, obstacles and ambitions at anytime and anywhere. These are not born, but produced by human society.

Many of us believe that this mortal world is the only paradise. Enjoying leisure and life are not only the cognition of respecting life, but also a good remedy for regulating urban diseases. However, the real life in front of us is full of responsibilities and obligations, pressure and fear. How can we balance reality and dreams, and live an ideal life with poetry and far land? What Angela would recommend to you today is Business + Investment + Leisure, the long-term life investment leisure balanced lifestyle. This is a global trend, a Bleisure lifestyle. It is a combination of business activities and personal leisure, a Business + Leisure short-term life and leisure balance. In my opinion, the most ideal way to live is “while picking asters beneath the Eastern fence, gazing upon the world leisurely”.

We are living in the era of mass consumption. People are increasingly dependent on online shopping. Luxury goods that were out of reach in the past are increasingly entering the families of ordinary people. Similarly, the overseas life that had nothing to do with me in the past has become increasingly common. The epidemic has brought the world to a standstill, but the internet and social media have always allowed us to share our lives around the world. The evolution of human history is originally a history of population movement and the penetration of different civilizations. After the outbreak, there is an urgent need to popularize scientific global identity and immigration knowledge, so that we can better balance work, investment and lifestyle.

I recently read an interesting book called “Half-Hour World History Comics” and I would like to share it with you. Let’s understand the five thousand years of world history through comic interpretation, and review the essence of history! When a few historical terms could be randomly uttered at the next dinner appointment, you will definitely impress everyone at the table.

Europe is an important area in the history of human civilization. In order to facilitate our memory, we can focus on the following three classic movies.

Blockbuster 1: Greece & Rome

Reference movie: The 300 Spartans

Greece is the birthplace of European civilization. Great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc. were born here. Crete is the birthplace of Greek civilization, which is also the source of opening the world view of business + investment + leisure. Current immigration index ***** (see below for details)

After the changes of Rome Empire, with the decline of the divided Western Roman Empire, it gradually evolved into the France, Italy and Germany in modern Europe. However, it is not a popular country for immigrants. Current immigration index: 0

Blockbuster 2:  The Dark Ages

Reference film: Kingdom of Heaven

The so-called Middle Ages were the millennium from the demise of the Western Roman Empire to the Renaissance. During this period, we have to mention the great Knights.

In 1291, after the fall of the Knights in Aka, the last capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, they gave up Palestine and went to Cyprus where they did not stay long. In 1309, they withdrew to Rhode Island. In Rhode Island, the Knights' Navy prevented the expansion of Muslims to the Eastern Mediterranean. When Constantinople fell into hands of Turkish in 1453, the Knights of St. John of Rhode Island were the only Christian force in the Mediterranean. In the Battle of Rhode Island in 1480, the Knights of St. John defeated the attack of the Ottoman Empire. After that, the Knights of St. John moved multiple times, lived in no fixed place. Finally, they came to Malta and evolved into the Knights of Malta.

The Mediterranean civilization is as gorgeous and colourful as its coastline. Investing in life and leisure in the Mediterranean is also one of the life goals. At present, countries in the Mediterranean region also have immigration policies, which are as follows:

Cyprus **** (see below for details)

Malta **** (see below for details)

Turkey **** (see below for details)

Blockbuster 3: The Age of Navigation

Reference film: Pirates of the Caribbean

Epidemics change world history. The Black Death in 14th century had an extremely significant impact on European history and objectively became the driving force and catalyst of the Renaissance. Europe bid farewell to the era of ignorance, a great creativity broke out, and it suddenly became a world leader. It accidentally ran into someone else’s territory.

The first to start is Portugal and Spain. They make money all over the world in a high-key way. It is like a nouveau rich’s style. The entire Europe is filled with jealousy, especially the British. They come to steal when they have nothing to do. Queen Elizabeth once acquiesced to her Pirates (i.e. rogues with business licenses) to rob Spanish ships. In the end, everyone finally tore their face, and European countries came to rob the colonies. Spain and Portugal both declined, and Britain became the last hegemon in Europe and became an empire that never fell. Its territory also constitutes the main immigrant importing countries in today's society.

Canada***

Australia**

New Zealand*

Caribbean Commonwealth countries Antigua, Saint Kitts*****

Singapore**

Malaysia**

Europe is the era of classic blockbusters, and the rise of America is well known. The United States is a young country, and it is also a country that relies on immigration. Current immigration index ***

After talking about Europe and the United States, our Asian neighbours Japan and South Korea are also suitable for short-distance leisure travel. Immigration index: 0

SHOP THE WORLD

The world is wonderful, life is beautiful and there are many choices. The summary is as follows:

1. Traditional blue chip classic program, the largest education investment for children, suitable for overseas education and life investment families. Reference index ***

US Immigrant Investor Program

Investing US$900,000 or US$1.8 million

Canadian Quebec
Immigrant Investor Program

Investment amount CAD350, 000 (financing)
Or CAD1.2 million (full investment)

UK Immigrant Investor Program

Investing £ 2 million

Ireland

Investing 1 million Euros

Australia

Investing $1.5 million AUD

New Zealand

Investing $3 million NZD

2. Blue chip dark horse stock, immigrate without moving passport program, different concepts, different solutions, suitable for high net worth people's international tax bank asset planning. Reference index****

Cyprus Citizenship by Investment Program

Investing 2.15 million Euros

Malta Citizenship by Investment Program

Investment amount from 1.15 million Euros

Caribbean Commonwealth
Antigua Citizenship by Investment Program

Real estate investment from USD200,000
Or donation from USD 100,000

Saint Kitts Citizenship by Investment Program

Real estate investment from USD200,000
Or donation from USD150,000

Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program

USD250, 000 real estate investment

3. Pursue hot stocks, the Hermès of European immigrants. This is suitable for business talents and successful people with unique insight and would like to enjoy life. Reference index*****

Filia Estate Project, Crete, Greece

Investment starting from 250, 000 Euros

Investing in 5-star hotel luxury holiday villa.
European green cards for three generations, invested by the wealthy families in Europe and America. A team of professionals with expertise in designing and planning internationalize architectural. Enjoying both sea view and unique natural environment. Love at first sight with the large garden, enjoy private swimming pool Enjoy private wineries, plantations, yachts, concierge cars, etc.

4. Alternative unexpected stocks, suitable for person with alternative solution needs. Reference index**

Singapore

Investing $2.5 million

Malaysia

Malaysia My Second Home

Striking a balance between life, business and leisure is the new global high-quality lifestyle we advocate. Investment plus identity is security plus status. If you only need "love" and don't demand status, you can shop all over the world without any restrain. If you pay attention to status, you may wish to take a closer look at our five thousand years of world history and the choice of international identity today. Welcome to leave a message, we have plenty of time to talk about it.

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on June 4, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版

Wealth Restricts Imagination. Understand Rich People Problems!

“My mom taught me how to play mah-jong. She told me mah-jong would teach me important life skills: Negotiation, Strategy, and Cooperation”

– Rachel Chu, “Crazy Rich Asians”

Some time ago, I watched "Crazy Rich Asians", which was popular in North America, and read the follow-up "China Rich Girlfriend" and "Rich People Problems" all at once. The lives of the rich Asians are really interesting.

Twenty years ago, my personal banking friend sincerely told me, "Angela, when you don't have money, you just have to do one thing, and that is to make money desperately. When you have money, there are so many things to do... ". In the past 20 years, I have worked hard and accumulated wealth like many people. It is true that many customers and friends who have accumulated a lot of wealth are facing many problems.

Let's first look at the rich man’s new wife from the book; she is a third-rate celebrity who wants to be promoted to the upper class. She bought a Chinese ancient painting at the auction house at a record price, and thought she was in a good position to enter the upper class but the door of the upper class was not opened to her. It seems that men making money is only the first thing. Many things in the future still depend on your own awareness and action. What impressed me the most was the list of jewellery wore on the new wife’s transformation.

★ Jewellery List:

1. Tiffany

2. Mikkimoto

3. K SSze

4. Eastern Jewellery and Cartier

5. Pomellato

6. Edward Chiu

7. JAR

www.ks-sze.com

Although I have not had a chance to feast my eyes on the famous JAR of Paris, K.S. Sze is my unwavering choice.

Love of Jewellery since 1923

Mr. K. S. Sze started his own jewellery journey in Shanghai in the early 1920s and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. With a long history, "K.S. Sze & Sons" remains one of the most respected and renowned jewellery stores in Hong Kong, offering excellent products and service packages ranging from carefully planned works to detailed custom designs. Since its opening in 1963, the retail boutiques have been located at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Exquisite craftsmanship, high quality gemstones and the consistency of quality are the hallmarks of their work.

©K.S. Sze & Sons

That's why many customer relationships can be traced back to more than half a century. Mr. K. S. Sze believes that the charm and immortality of jewellery can link a family together. It can be passed down from generation to generation among its members.

©K.S. Sze & Sons

Today, K.S. Sze & Sons continues to open a franchise store at Mandarin Oriental and has another store in Landmark Prince's in Hong Kong. Excellent craftsmanship, high-quality gemstones and consistent quality are the company's hallmarks. K.S. Sze & Sons is a collection of custom designs, antique and vintage cultural jewellery and international designers.

Mrs. Sze told me that diamonds could be stored from a very young age. Choose a 1 carat diamond for your child’s birthday or Christmas each year. When the child is 18 years old, you can make a necklace with these diamonds.

It seems that diamond is not only a woman's best friend, but also a link of family inheritance.

©K.S. Sze & Sons

Shanghai, known as Oriental Paris in the 1930s, is a paradise for adventurers. At the same time, Lao Feng Xiang jewellery still stands on the bustling pedestrian street of Nanjing East Road, and has developed into A-share listed company with branches all over China. There are also branches in New York and Vancouver. However, what makes people feel is that, with the changes in the world, many brilliant brands in those years no longer exist. Every time I wear K.S. Sze & Sons’s jewellery, I feel more about the urban changes from Shanghai to Hong Kong and the changes in the number of families. Wonderful brands still exist and remain strong.

©K.S. Sze & Sons

This is an antique earring I bought at K.S. Sze last year. Not only is the workmanship exquisite, the price is much more reasonable than many famous brands. In my opinion, spending money is not about how generous you are, but about buying rare and good products at reasonable prices. The K.S. Sze jewellery store in Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental Hotel is where I go every time when I visit Hong Kong. Chatting with old friends not only can feast my eyes on many beautiful designs. I can also feel the changes of the times in Shanghai and Hong Kong, many people and matters.

Jewellery is art, wearable history, an excellent investment!

There is a Chinese saying: it is hard to carry family wealth over three generations. It means that the wealth created by the first generation of a family is difficult to extend beyond the third generation. But looking closer to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, it is not uncommon for families to be rich for more than three generations. A further look at Europe and the United States, there are many families that have been rich for five or six generations or more. With the rise of China's economy, the number of wealthy families has increased sharply. We need to see how the wealthy Europeans and Americans can alleviate their anxiety and enjoy a successful life.

Princess Diana wearing the earings from ©K.S. Sze & Sons

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airline, is an idol whom I admire. Flying from New York to London on his Virgin Atlantic Airlines was the best flight experience I have ever remembered. As Britain’s most legendary billionaire, he is known for his maverick, flying a hot air balloon across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. He never thinks that work is work and entertainment is entertainment. In 1979, he bought the small island of Necker Island in the Caribbean for 180,000 pounds. He could lie on a hammock with this small notebook on his knee and jot down his inspiration for work.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Group

Richard Branson at his luxury private island - Necker Island

My young New Yorker girlfriend, Jasmine Shim, shared her experience of being invited to Necker Island in early 2019. Talking about this wonderful experience, Jasmine couldn't hide her excitement. “15 of us rented the entire Necker Island for 10 days. More importantly, Richard and his wife, Joan, were also there. They treat us like a family, and everyone who works here seems to be very happy. Among my friends are CEOs of famous enterprises, Olympic medalists, athletes, supermodels, entrepreneurs, etc.”

We kite Surfing together everyday. A Kite Surfing champion was arranged on the island to accompany us in this sport. Richard himself loves this sport.

©Necker Island

Every evening we had a themed dinner, and we talked about topics ranging from space to artificial intelligence to Impossible Burger to Kite Surfer. What impressed me was the White Party. All the people wore white clothes and everything in front of them was white. There was also a Pirates of the Caribbean dinner. 

©Necker Island

The next morning, everyone got up early and played tennis. Richard himself is a super tennis fan and plays tennis every morning at 6 a.m. Anna Wintour also needs to get up at 5 o'clock and practice tennis in the morning.

©Necker Island

We also did a yacht day trip to the neighboring island of Jost Van Dyke, where we could feel the atmosphere of tourists and youngsters.

BBQ for lunch.

Japanese cuisine served in the pool. The Kayak Boat in the center of one of the large pools was full of sushi on board. It was a wonderful dining experience.

It was truly an unforgettable experience. Everything is possible here, so free, bountiful and limitless. The memories and feelings from that trip became like a vitamin to my daily life, giving me a positive and happy energy.

My friend Swizz Beatz once said, "The sky is not my limit, it's just the view along my way." “We create our own world in our head and mind. My trip to Necker Island also made me mindful of every moment of my life. I am grateful for the beauty of everything around me. I love traveling because travelling makes me realize my true self and my current focus. I want to live my life every day just like travelling with a few suitcases – no worries, hassles or show-off.”  - Jasmine

Princess Diana at Necker Island ©Getty Images

I also consulted my fashionable New Yorker girlfriend about the dress code on the island. It can be saved as favourite post the next time I go to the Caribbean.

Everyone dress down but still chic while having a vacation on the Caribbean island. Jasmine recommended this lingerie and swimwear brand named Agent Provocateur. These breathtaking swimwear designs are the best Caribbean items.

Swimwear and sun hat - Hermès

Attire for the white party.

★ Jasmine's private island unboxing

* tiger leaf 100 serum by Tamburins (100% tiger leaf - this ingredient is magical)

* ecological compound by Sisley (I use this since teenager - just steady seller)

* never drying ultimate tonic by isoi (Bulgarian rose oil toner)

* C E ferulic by Skin Ceuticals (vitamin c serum)

* creme de la mer by La Mer (best rich cream ever)

* sun cream by Xoul (smart)

* sheet masks by Peach & Lily (this was a gift from the founder at first. Since then I have bought many boxes of this for myself and for my friends)

* gold blade ultrasonic galvanic ion device by Reclar (need a device to let my skin absorb skin care products better and deeper - fingers not enough and I can see big difference)

* precious hair care oil by Sisley (love Sisley’s hair care products and this is my fave)

* tinted balm no. 3 by Olio E Osso (for lips & cheeks - as I love “no make up” look more and more, this is my must have item and it’s mainly made out of organic olive oil so it’s healthy and non-toxic)

* skin caviar essence-in-foundation cushion compact by La Prairie (foundation meets caviar)

* X by Clive Christian (my fave perfume - hesitant to share)

Why did Richard Branson choose Necker Island as his life and work base, balance his life and work, and feast on the world's top guests?

Rich people are born in countries and regions with high tax rates. Such as Richard Branson who was born in the United Kingdom. Rich people plan their inheritance and other family assets in advance during their lifetime.

The British Virgin Island to which Necker Island belongs, like many other islands in the Caribbean, is not only beautiful, but also a famous tax-free sacred land. Rich people can retain the citizenship of their birthplace and become non-tax residents. They have successfully designed and planned the inheritance of their family wealth at low tax rates by becoming tax residents of the Caribbean island.

According to the relevant legal requirements of BVI, offshore companies are exempted from paying all taxes within 20 years from the registration, and only need to pay an annual fee to the BVI government each year. In recent years, individuals or companies from many countries have set up offshore companies to make full use of international tax agreement for asset planning, international investment, trade and other transactions, tax exemptions, will trust, and diversified loss of family fortune, etc. Currently, more than 250,000 overseas offshore companies have registered in BVI, which makes it one of the fastest growing offshore investment centers in the world.

In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc., whether a person stays in the country for more than 183 days in a tax year is the most basic point for determining whether that person is considered to be a tax resident of that country or not (although it is not the only way to determine). The tax advantages of being a non-tax resident is very obvious. For example, if there is no income in the Commonwealth, there is no need to declare and pay the relevant taxes of the country annually, and there is also a double tax credit granted according to tax treaty. Of course, in principle, you can't arbitrarily identify yourself as a non-tax resident. You need to consult a local professional tax consultant.

That's why Richard Branson chose to purchase Necker Island and declare himself as tax resident of BVI to establish a legal family tax planning system

In fact, all the wealthy families have troubles. The trouble of having no money and the trouble of having money are never in one dimension! And all the troubles caused by having more money have something in common. It is the so-called happiness is alike!

★ List of problems of the rich: Division of inheritance, risk of divorce, etc.

But the problems are always solved by people. Let's take a look at the very solutions we recommend!

Caribbean Islands

I flew to this Commonwealth Caribbean island country twice. Antigua is located 2000 kilometers southeast of Miami in the United States. It has a mild climate and an average temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius. It is famous for its luxury hotel resort industry. Five-star Carlisle Bay, four-star Nonsuch Bay Resort, Blue Waters Resort and Spa, St. James's Club Resort are all very good choices. It integrates the diverse food cultures from all over the world. You can find Italian, Spanish, British, American, Korean, Chinese cuisines there. Of course, there are also the most authentic and local specialties restaurants: Dennis Cocktail Bar & Restaurant, Sheer Rocks (the No.1 restaurant on the island), and Big Banana (a local catering brand) are all worth visiting.

Antigua's sea view is so enchanting, my male clients would remain silent and female clients would shed tears when they see this. The 365 beaches of different colors bring unexpected surprises every day, “killing” countless films in minutes. No wonder Robert De Niro, Giorgio Armani, Silvio Berlusconi, Richard Branson, Oprah and other celebrities will not hesitate to purchase a property in the local area, not only because it is the top vacation destination, but also a world-class tax paradise, the latest essential treasure of family inheritance. It is a high-quality Commonwealth passport which has visa free to both U.K and European Union. Antigua is a high-quality program in terms of the processing time, the success rate, the 165 visa-free countries, and the amount of investment. In addition, there will be no global taxes, personal income taxes, capital gains taxes, inheritance taxes and so on, which will also largely protect the security of investors’ asset.

(Antigua's photos are all taken by friends from the same trip)

The epidemic makes me reconsider my life. Although the life in Shanghai is comfortable, it can't stop me from exploring my reverie of the sky. I really want to take my simple luggage and start a journey without worry, comfortably even losing confidence and self. Antigua program not only builds the sky of the family, but also makes people feel confident, having stars in their eyes. People around can feel the energy and gain strength form it. 

★ The Antigua Program

The Half Moon Bay Resort project is the only large-scale development project in Antigua. It is developed by the world's top resort developers, Replay, the first-class architectural design team, OBMI, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, VISAS Consulting Group (Antigua Immigration Bureau authorized promotion agency) and the well-known accounting firm,  Grant Thornton. The development and promotion of the Half Moon Bay Resort project have been fully supported by the Antigua government and endorsed by the Prime Minister of Antigua.

Even if you're still at the stage of struggling to make money, stress and worries are normalized. It's better to work harder to be a wealthy man, and have the troubles of being rich than to worry, until we sincerely congratulate you for stepping into a wealthy family! If you have any questions, please chat with Angela.

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on July 2, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版

People Say That Money Can't Buy Happiness

London is satisfied. Paris is resigned. But New York is always hopeful. Always is believed that something good is about to come off, and must hurry to meet it.  

–Dorothy Parker

Some people always say that money is the source of all evil, but you and I in the top-tier of the TOP cities know that without money you can do nothing. I can't treat money as dung, because my job is to help people with wealth management. To me, money is a number, but it is more like a basic product, a BRICK, which can become a skyscraper after being stacked. If someone tells me that money can't buy happiness! OMG, I think she must have never been to Manhattan, the once considered to be the center of the world for money worship.

Living in Manhattan for a long time and becoming a mother in the Upper East district, what you need is not only a Hermes Birkin handbag. A strong will of Wendy Murdoch, US version of Sister Jiang (a Chinese revolutionary martyr) type, an extraordinary physical strength and continuous financial supply like the oil field are also much needed. Only in this way can you become the life winner envious by everyone on Instagram.

If you are like me, not having such lofty willpower, state of physical agitation can only be maintained for three days, family financial ability reaches a comfortable level, but still having never-ending wonderful dreams, how to find the top happiness of life in the center of the world, and at the same time make reasonable arrangements for the family’s finances affairs, be happy and calm, and buy without guilt. Please consider journey with Angela.

Two of my favourite things to do in New York are house viewing and restaurant seeking. Take a look at houses in Manhattan, to feast my eyes, and share the latest first-hand market information with girlfriends around the world. There are too many fancy restaurants to take a break, satisfying my enjoyment of bricks and taste buds.

As a result of my work connection, I became a very good friend with Ms. Erika Banach, Director of Extell Development Company, a top developer in New York. Every time I visit New York, she will definitely arrange some real estate for my viewing in order to satisfy my cravings for house viewing. I especially like the apartment in New York, it is not extremely luxurious, but it seems like an oasis in a busy city. I can always do some small things I like in this cozy space, and I can always entertain friends from all over the world to have fun at any time.

 Now let’s focus on these super-luxury mansions and Manhattan apartments that you and I can afford (don’t marvel at the price of such high-quality Manhattan property after reading, you will definitely compare it with the price of the city you live in. It turns out that we can all live a life that we thought was out of reach).

Let’s feast our eyes on the world's top works
(We can arrange online VR viewing for you if necessary)

One57 is the highest and most expensive penthouse suite in New York, with an average unit price of nearly USD 7,000 per square foot. With a height of more than 1,000 feet, it is unprecedented for residents to enjoy the longest panoramic view of Central Park from south to north without leaving their homes, greatly enhancing the living experience of New York. Of course, it also sold for a record high price in 2015, with 10,923 square foot penthouse that sold for USD 100 million. As a veritable "Tower of Rights", it is the first residential building in Midtown Manhattan that truly make this plot a "Billionaire District", allowing buyers of ultra-high net assets to enjoy the prime location and unparalleled luxury.

©One57, Extell

New York has always been considered the playground for American millionaires and billionaires. As soon as these rich people arrive here, they love to crowd into the legendary tall buildings around Central Park. One Central Park is such a veritable building. To me, it’s not just about buying a property; it’s an out-of-print collection. Of course, for the vast majority of people, this is a small goal at afar. Let’s move to another totally affordable property in Upper East Side.

©Central Park Tower, Extell

The Kent occupies the prime location in New York. It is only a 10-minute walk from Central Park, and one step away from East River. It has 30 floors and consists of 83 sets of Kent apartments (The Kent), which are the next legendary building in the new Upper East Side of New York. Its humanization lies in all aspects. Echoing the excellent community atmosphere in the Upper East Side, the world-class educational resources are the first to bear the brunt. The new Upper East Side of New York has become a hot "treasure land" due to its superior geographical location and 20-year tax reduction policy. Living in The Kent apartment, you can experience the luxury and elegance that only belong to the Upper East Side. Experience all the conveniences and enjoy the grace and elegance of New York's Upper East Side.

©The Kent, Extell

You will understand in your heart that when you have seen the good in this world and have seen someone in this world living the life you want, you know that you deserve all the better things, you will be more determined and focused on your effort.

Going for house viewing is an activity that requires physical strength. If you are tired, you have to treat yourself well by eating well. Regarding restaurant recommendations, I only listen to my designer friend Douglas Wittels. He is a typical man in the Upper East Side of New York. He is an elegant man who is also one of the Manhattan elites I have to mention. Every time I listen to his choice of interior design and furniture selection, I can only nod. He once admonished me leisurely:

“Darling, here is Manhattan, anything is possible. We don’t do average stuff. We only do exceptionals.”

Yes, listen to Douglas, will never go wrong.

©Douglas, New York

©Douglas, Scottsdale, Arizona

★ Douglas' Recommendations

• Jacques Bar at The Lowell

• The Club Room at The Lowell

  Majorelle at The Lowell

• Fleming by Le Bilboquet

• Le Bilboquet

• The Polo Bar

• Omar at Vaucluse

• Shun

• The Mark

• Hutong

• La Grenouille

These are his secret list of restaurants. Bar Masa is my first canteen every time I visit New York. Casual Japanese Cuisine is amazing. Lobster foie gras shabu-shabu, when I think of these delicacies, the happiness often brings me endless aftertaste. I think Douglas can be an excellent food blogger even if he doesn't work as a designer.

MAJORELLE AT THE LOWELL
28 E 63rd St, New York

In an elegant five-star hotel, supervised by Charles Masson, the eldest son of La Grenouille, the oldest romantic restaurant in New York, the restaurant focuses on classic French cuisine and Moroccan flavours, and their cheese and egg custard soufflé with sauce is particularly popular. The vaulted interior of the restaurant is decorated with dramatic flowers, each of which is designed by Masson, and their thoughts can be felt in every flower art of the restaurant.

©Majorelle at The Lowell

©Jacques Bar at The Lowell

Le Bernardin
155 W 51st St, New York

In addition to shopping, New York is the city with the most Michelin restaurants in the world. As a boutique in French cuisine, Le Bernardin, who specializes in seafood, can be said to be perfect in seafood processing. Three months after the opening of Le Bernardin in 1986, he was awarded a four-star rating by The New York Times. In 2005, he was awarded three-star in the first edition of Michelin guide in New York, and then kept the honour every year since. The beauty of its taste fully demonstrates the delicacy and ingenuity of French cuisine, the perfect cooking time, the exquisitely presented dishes, the chic dining environment, and the service that makes diners feel at home. As long as you have eaten Le Bernardin’s seafood, you will have an island in your heart, which is left for the best seafood in the world!

©Le Bernardin

Photo: Melissa Hom

©Le Bernardin

Bar Masa
10 Columbus Cir, New York

Michelin-starred restaurants are never short of famous Japanese restaurants, and Masa sits firmly on the Michelin three-star’s rating. It is also one of the most expensive restaurants in the world. Almost all ingredients are air flown from Japan to New York. In order to ensure the freshness of the ingredients, the cost is obvious. It’s not a big store, but the decoration is fresh and refined. Diners can communicate with chef Masa to appreciate the soul of food at any time.

Madison Ralph Lauren’s flagship store is also a must for me to visit every time I visit New York. My best attire (white/black) is purchased from this brand.

©Bar Masa

The Polo Bar
1 E 55th St, New York

Polo Ralph Lauren, a famous American clothing brand, opened its first restaurant in New York, located next to Polo Ralph Lauren’s flagship store in New York. The design inspiration comes from the philosophy of the brand's founder: I hope there is a place for them and friends to get together, integrating the element of retro and modern, coupled with the brand's classic polo sports, The Polo Bar in New York was first born.

©The Polo Bar

Madison Ralph Lauren’s flagship store is also a must for me to visit every time I visit New York. My best attire (white/black) is purchased from this brand.

©Ralph Lauren, New York

70 Charlton
70 Charlton St, New York

©70 Charlton, Extell

One Manhattan Square
225 Cherry St, New York

©One Manhattan Square, Extell

★ Douglas' Recommendations

• Le Coucou

• Pastis

• Cipriani Downtown

• Eleven Madison Park

• Balthazar

• Bouley at Home

I like to dine at Tribeca of Soho Shopping best. Tribeca is one of the most expensive zip codes regions in the United States. It is because of the best restaurants that Hollywood celebrities like to purchase the properties here.

Margaret, who is also a senior real estate professional in New York, is another good friend of mine. I always remember her teaching-"Women needs to learn how to knead a brick in their hands, then they will not have to work hard all her life" My first real estate experience in New York was completed by Margaret. It was March 2012, and the subprime crisis in 2008 caused economic turmoil around the world. 

During the spring break in March 2012, I went to New York to hang out and take a look at New York's real estate investment opportunities for clients. On the eve of the economic rebound, Margaret showed me the fully renovated apartment at Battery Park City which she was familiar with. The developer sold at a discount of 30% when the U.S. dollar exchange rate was low. Such a good opportunity is an investment that will not lose. By July 2015, when real estate market was at high, Margaret helped me sell off at a high price. Over the past few years, the cost of my shopping in Manhattan has been settled by the investment of this house. As I said at the beginning, money is brick, and it is also the most important embodiment of security for Chinese.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Kelly Bensimon

This reminds me of Kelly Bensimon, an American female writer with multiple identities. Although Ms. Kelly's words are careless, she is precise and full of courage when purchasing a house. She can be regarded as a role model of professional real estate investors and female investors. From 3b3b New York mansion, to a luxury apartment with a monthly rent of USD 20,000, to a beach villa with a value of 6 million US dollars, what’s more, Kelly's recent favourite is the Ultra-Luxury Landmark Apartment in New York developed by Extell Development Company. At present, there are currently a few room types with discount up to 20%. In addition, the latest data of the U.S. dollar offshore exchange rate has been plummeted; it’s really the time to put your hand to.

The epidemic is about to pass, smart and beautiful you, how about going to Manhattan with me to "move bricks" and enjoy the benefits of money worship happily?

*The developer, Extell Development Company, is one of the top real estate development and investment companies in New York, with an A2 Moody's credit rating. Gary Barnett, the founder and President of Extell, is committed to creating high-quality, high-value, and beautiful aesthetic projects. The word "Extell" comes from two words: Excellence and Intelligence. EXTELL is the most powerful developer in New York with a construction area of more than 25 million square feet. It is the largest land bank holder in Manhattan. Many high-end well-known real estate projects have won many awards.

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on May 21, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版

Angela’s 12 Hours in Shanghai

​Today is an ordinary holiday.

08:30 AM I'm used to taking a brisk walk in the community garden. To me, exercise is a necessity of life. Having an adequate aerobic exercise everyday makes my whole being feel so good!

10:30 A friend from my art circle invited me to his Lisson Gallery. We haven't seen each other in a while. I wonder if I can find my favourite art work today?!

12:00 The weather is particularly good, I decided to stroll around the Bund alone.

14:30 There is also a place where I often miss. The phoenix trees and old houses in the French Concession, streets filled with coffee shops and the atmosphere. This is the most representative place of Shanghai, and one of the reasons why I particularly like Shanghai.

18:30 David came to have family dinner with Catherine and I. Today, I chose a very distinctive New York-style restaurant. The restaurant’s name is called Backstage - it looks interesting. Food and wine are things that I can never resist. Just like this moment, facing the crowded pedestrian street of Nanjing road, no one is lonely. My heart is full and my inner being is calm.

20:30 After finishing a satisfying meal, our family of three returned to our house in Pudong. There is a special sentiment to listening to some old records before bed. These are David's private collections and the spiritual wealth of our family. Life goes in cycles. I am grateful for the gift of life, for every ordinary but beautiful day like today, past, present, and future!

Happiness is the new rich

Inner peace is the new success

Health is the new wealth

Kindness is the new cool

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on May 28, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版
Special Thanks to 里森画廊、Light&Salt

The Correct Way to Unfold Mother’s Day

“Mother’s Day Poem”

Sometimes you get discouraged

Because I am so small

And always leave my fingerprints

On furniture and walls

But every day I’m growing…

I’ll be grown someday.

And all those tiny fingerprints

Will surely fade away

So here’s a little handprint

Just so you can recall

Exactly how my fingers looked

When I was very small.

–Love, Catherine

When I get the new year’s calendar every year, an asterisk is immediately marked on the second Sunday in May. I always look forward to sending greetings to my elderly mother and mother-in-law in the first place. At this time, naturally, the blessings from my two daughters will not be missed. This year's Mother's Day is a little special. Since I am staying in Shanghai, I can certainly unfold this festival very leisurely.

My youngest daughter said that the best way to celebrate Mother's Day is to be with her mother. It's not so much that parents raise their children, it is better to thank our children for taking in our hearts in this boundless universe. Thanks for the time spent with our children, let’s watch the world and grow up together. My memory is also sorting out all the Mother’s Day greeting cards I received every year, hoping to find more fragments of the past in these beautiful pictures.

Thoughts seem to have returned to Vancouver a few years ago. The long summer vacation each year is the most yearning season for children and adults. When the second quarter begins, I will arrange my children’s summer schedule. There are many choices for summer camps. Different communities in different cities have different courses covering learning, sports, creativity, art and culture. All day and half day options are flexible. Parents are relieved of the trouble of doing nothing at home with their children.

Traditional public schools also have various programs, You can refer to the following schools:

1) University Hill Secondary School: Outstanding drama courses and experiential teaching methods.

2) Lord Byng Secondary School: Music and Art Education.

3) Prince of Wales Secondary School: Table tennis, football, hockey and rugby, drama, etc.

4) Point Grey Secondary School: Track and field, tennis court and sports on ice.

5) Magee Secondary School: Music, singing, sports and art activities.

6) Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School: Ideal Mini School focusing on fostering social responsibility, leadership and personal development.

7) Eric Hamber Secondary School: has a reputation for fashion design, music, sports and graphic arts courses.

8) Kitsilano Secondary School: The school will make special arrangement for individual with special talents in sports, music and dance.

    What impresses me is the Pedalheads bike summer camp; young children play games and sing songs on and under the wheel. With the development of skills, they can improve their bicycle handling ability after moving forward to the advanced bicycle level. They also learn how to keep safe, participate in interesting team competitions, etc. With the combination of these tailor-made bicycle courses along with excellent coaches build up children's independence, confidence and team awareness.

©Pedalheads

As we all know, ballet and piano are also an important program in family life. I highly recommend Goh Ballet Academy to everyone. Principal Chan Hon Goh is the former chief dancer of the National Ballet of Canada. He has also worked as an art choreographer director for the winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography, Anna-Marie Holmes. Last year, he was awarded the title of Canadian Honorary Citizen and is one of the well known local celebrities. Goh Ballet's "The Nutcracker" includes both professional dancers and school students. The performance of the show and the beauty of the stage art became the icing on the cake, present a beautiful artistic effect. The gorgeous costumes, extraordinary scenery, passionate dances and dramatic scenes make this play has a style of its own. This classic ballet is a hot event in the city before Christmas every year.

©Goh Ballet

My colleagues are also super parents. Their lives are simply between office and home. Pauline is not only a senior expert in overseas immigration and identity planning, her son Leon is a famous little pianist in Vancouver. She shared with me what she has learned from accompanying her child on the path to music.

Pauline always believes that maternal love is a ray of fresh water that nourished the child's soul, and its highest form is to give children enough freedom. Parents don’t necessarily have to train musicians, but they try to be a musical family. Little Leon's strong interest in music is deeply rooted in the marrow. He listened to the collection of records at home every day since he was a child. He likes the feeling of being surrounded by music. He also likes to play the piano whenever he sees it.

Every time Leon participates in the competition is an artistic journey. At the age of 7, he won the second place in the Los Angeles Young Musicians International Competition. The reward is to visit his beloved planetarium, Getty Museum and Getty Manor. After winning the second place in the finals of the Canadian Music Competition, he excitedly visited the Olympic Stadium, Ecological Museum, McGill University, Notre-Dame Basilica and the old artistic street of Montreal. Travel between the grand Jazz music festival and feel deeply about the enthusiasm and love of local people for the music art. When he was invited to attend the award ceremony of the American Musical Talent International Contest in Carnegie, New York, he took his parents to visit Steinway’s headquarters in New York and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). He can freely appreciate Van Gogh’s “starry sky” which he had seen in the book. Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Times Square, Empire State Building, world’s three most beautiful Christmas windows, and the world’s largest Christmas tree in front of the Rockefeller Tower, Broadway Opera, etc., where he can fully enjoy the influence of music art and fashion.

Now, Leon, who has just turned 10 years old, has been shortlisted in the top three of the International and Canadian Piano Competitions for multiple times. Also, he has passed through the Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music exam. He has performed concerto twice with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and participated in many charity performances. This is also the feature of personalized education in North America.

As the children grow up, they are more capable to brand this city’s label on them. Alan, the son of our general manager Lloyd, is a very good example.

Alan has been fond of going in and out with roller skates since he was a child, and he is known for his environmental protection behaviour. He is currently working in the Social Policy Bureau of Vancouver City Hall, which is closely related to the environmental awareness he had since he was a child. Perhaps one of the chores Alan was assigned was to sort out and dispose the garbage, so he became interested in environmental protection.

When he was still studying at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, he had rich experience in environmental protection. At that time, Alan's classmates were all young environmentalists. In middle school, students brought plastic water bottles to school every day, and the school’s trash bins will pile up with plastic bottles after school. In order to change this situation, Alan along with some of his classmates searched for a drinking water purification system from the Internet, contacted the school and the Education Bureau, and gained CAD 5,000 from the government funds and social fundraising. They installed a drinking water purification system for the school, reduced the pollution of plastics bottles and promoted it to other schools in Vancouver.

After graduating from Churchill Secondary School, Alan went to McGill University. In his sophomore year, he began to participate in and set up an environmental model for student dormitories. For this purpose, McGill University specially set up a sustainable project fund of CAD 840,000 on the school tuition bill, which will be paid by each student. He also made it to the McGill’s Honour List, and was nominated to become one of the Canadian top 30 under 30 young talents in 2016 by Knight Magazine, a Canadian Environmental Protection Association.

Speaking of which, I think of many of my female friends who used to be CEOs, doctors, entrepreneurs... In the process of accompanying their children, they turned into an omnipotent, all-round mothers. They are skilled drivers, extensive readers, superb cooks, unique buyers, caring babysitters, of course, are also conscientious workaholics. While cultivating an excellent child, they still not forget to cultivate themselves. They are capable of doing yoga, music and oil paintings. In my view, each one of them is a perfect mother role model, worthy of my learning and reference.

No matter how powerful and savvy a woman is, when she talks about her child, she suddenly becomes gentle, I think this is the aura and power of motherhood! Just a few days ago on this laid-back Mother's Day, I chose to share delicious food together with my mother and daughter, and went to the Wuzhong Market to feel the attractions of the world. The time being with my mother and daughter is always so cosy. Again, I wish my mother and mothers all over the world to be joyful every day. I only hope this inseparable affection will remain in our memory like a precious treasure and will never be wiped out!

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on May 11, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版

Life Can Be Started At Any Time

“Happiness is the new rich.
Inner peace is the new success.
Health is the new wealth.
Kindness is the new cool.”

- Syed Balkhi

The beginning of summer, everything is alive again. During the pause of more than three months, I often ask myself where I want to spend the rest of my life.

No one is perfect; no city can give you all you expect in life. Different cities are like different clothes on hangers.

Shanghai - Business Suit
New York – Jumpsuit
Vancouver – Lululemon Yoga Apparel
Paris - Floral Dress
Greece - Beach Shorts and Straw Hat
Antigua – Bikini
London - Little Black Dress

The city in my mind corresponds to these fashionable clothes. Every one of them is a necessity in life. You deserve to have them all. In fact, in my opinion, such a life does not need to wait too long. Life is short; you just need a little effort, a little brain power, a little creativity and endless curiosity to plan ahead with us.

Today, I asked my daughter, if there is another epidemic, where would you like to spend your days in isolation? She told me that she wanted to swim in the calm Caribbean Sea in Antigua and fall asleep with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. If you have a choice, where would you choose? Given that the epidemic is in the cold days, Antigua is certainly the best place. Even in the winter, it is always maintained at more than 20 degrees all year round, and this is the coldest that it gets.

Antigua has a blue-green and crystal clear Caribbean Sea, 365 beautiful and charming beaches, lush tropical rainforests, pink shell beaches, colourful and magical undersea world, magma spewing steam Crater Volcano, harbour wharf with thousands of sails, natural rock bridge with billowing waves, mottled historical and ancient buildings, bright and romantic Star River night, and delicious rum and lavish seafood. This is simply paradise on earth!

Of course, even in cold places, we both have good choices. I will choose Whistler, a ski resort in Canada. I've always dreamed of owning a ski-in ski-out chalet in a ski resort. A ski resort is the best place to keep social distance. It feels really great to have direct access from the ski slopes into the backyard. Grilling steaks by the creaky charcoal fireplace warms the stomach and soul.

Among many world-class ski resorts in British Columbia, Whistler has always been a “myth”. This land is full of primitive power. Everyone is a dreamer. Whistler is the only place in the world that perfectly integrated mountains with towns. There is more than just skiing here. Snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, helicopter skiing and even ice caves and ice climbing, etc. are also available here. Even in the midst of this epidemic, we can still “seek joy amidst of snow”!

It is estimated that this epidemic will not happen in the summer. Otherwise, the blue color of the Aegean Sea can cure all anxiety. Santorini always has too many American tourists, full of New York and California English. It is similar to Sanya, full of the northeast dialect. I love Mykonos. You must go to Mykonos to daydream at least once in a lifetime. Crete is the choice of hipster and experience tourists. It is located in the middle of Europe, Asia and Africa, and also the birthplace of Western civilization history.

The best-selling book “A Brief History of Europe” wrote, “If we look for the origins of philosophy, art, literature, mathematics, science, medicine and political thought, all of this knowledge will bring us back to ancient Greece. If ancient Greece is the birthplace of European civilization, then Crete is undoubtedly the cradle of ancient Greek civilization.”

The island is always sunny. Evergreen plants, olives, grapes, and oranges are everywhere on the island. If you have a private manor along with a five-star resort, isn't it the ideal place to have an all-inclusive island? Seeking the prosperity of ancient Greek culture in Crete, feeling the ease of Greek islands, blowing the sea breeze of the Aegean Sea, and enjoying the precious parent-child time, it seems that we can forget about the virus that press the pause key in our life.

These past three months in Shanghai, I think more than ever before. I feel that life can be restarted at any time. As long as you have the desire, you can do it. Now, in addition to wishing to have a lot of time talking about the past, the present and the future full of various possibilities with my old friends, I also hope to find a place of true happiness - where is your happy place - inner place:

"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that makes you smile. Drive away from safe boundaries. Open the sails that follow the trend. Explore, dream, discover. "

For most people, there is nothing more important than health after the epidemic. It includes the health of the family, the financial health of the family, the health of the soul and emotion, etc. Mother's Day 2020 is in a few days, I hope you, all my dear friends, will have a good time with your loving parents and lovely children. I’m just here to tell everyone that it's me Angela, who you have always liked, is in Shanghai at this moment. I have decided to have a new start every day. Let's start from here!

Angela Bi 毕颖
TCT Arte House, Founder
angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on May 7, 2020
Chinese Version 中文版