Saturday, May 10, 2008

NRA wants to shoot things in National Parks

One of the things I miss most, living in China, are America's wonderful National Parks. China has parks but they are more tourist attraction than pristine wilderness. People with access to quiet, natural wilderness need to appreciate it - because much of the world doesn't have this.

Unfortunately, a US senator and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have teemed up to try to open America's National Parks to sportshunting. Sure, it's beyond asinine to open National Parks to hunting but wouldn't you know that it was Senator Goober of Peavine that introduced this crazy idea? It's not enough that hunters have loads of private land, state parks, and Public Land Management land to hunt on. They also want to be able to tackle the last retreat Americans have from guns - the National Parks. If the NRA is successful in opening National Parks to hunting families that want to get away for awhile will no longer be safe.

If you think this is a really stupid idea go to this site and send a message to the Administration.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Bus Fire

There was a bus fire in Shanghai today that killed 3 people and injured several others. Early reports were that it was an explosion but later the Chinese media referred to it as an accidental fire.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Iron Man and Lost Temples


Yesterday we were walking around Xintiandi (new heaven on Earth) and G-man noticed that the new movie, Iron Man, was playing at the theatre. I was surprised to see that this new Marvel-funded Hollywood superhero release was showing in China because I had only just recently started hearing about it in the US media. If I'm not mistaken, the movie hasn't been released in the US yet. If that's correct, maybe this is Hollywood's strategy for denying the movie and DVD pirates some of the take in China. I plucked down the RMB 160 for two tickets and we enjoyed the first bit of big screen Hollywood we'd seen in about a year.

The theatres in China let you pick your seats when you buy your tickets but it was not as if there was a mad rush to see the movie at noon on Saturday. We were among only ten people in a theatre for hundreds. Of course the theatre assigned all of us to sit bunched up in the middle of the giant theatre. Maybe this is because Shanghainese feel more comfortable in a crowd. Maybe it was to give us the illusion of being part of the action - I don't know. But we didn't get up and move away from the other 8 people - we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

By the way, we enjoyed the movie.

This morning some friends and I struck out at 7 am for another walking tour of the People's Park to Yuyuan Garden portion of old Shanghai. We started out at a McDonalds on Nanjing Pedestrian Street where we found three ragged people sleeping in the restaurant and a staff that allowed beggars to go from table to table hitting diners up for money. As we started to walk it began to rain and it continued to rain for the next three hours of the walk that took us south on Xizang (Tibet) Road past the old New World Amusement Center (closed), the old YMCA Hotel (closed for renovation) and the old Daoist Temple. The temple had been moved from its old location - in fact I think it had been moved twice. Oddly enough, Shanghai has moved its temples around so much that they actually misplaced one. Either no one knows where it is or someone is hiding it. But how can you lose a temple?

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Elvis spotted in Shanghai

We're in the middle of a four-day weekend thanks to the Chinese May Day holiday. Thursday and Friday were spent on walking tours of Shanghai. Thursday we explored an area near Jiangsu Road that used to lie just outside the International Concession and where the well-to-do built country estates in the early decades of the 20th century. Now these country estates are surrounded by a mishmash of buildings and storefronts. To get to them you have to wind your way through alleys and doorways and slip through gates. Most of these former mansions are now occupied by several families and tenants and are being encroached upon by skyscrapers. Many are already gone because Shanghai has done such a lousy job of preserving their history.

On Friday we revisited the area north of Suzhou Creek where American missionaries concentrated in the late 19th century. What struck me on this walk were how many lovely old buildings there are in this area close to Shanghai's heartland but what terrible shape they are in. A casual visitor would hardly notice the buildings as they walk along the streets because the ground floors have been covered in ugly cladding or turned into shops of unspeakable ugliness. If one steps back, looks up, and mentally removes all of the air-conditioners, clothes wires, electric wires, plastic signage and other detritus that hangs on these buildings like an infestation of barnacles, one can almost imagine their grandness in the 1930s and earlier.

Anti-foreigner feelings are on the rise in China as a result of the protests that dogged the Olympic torch relays around the world. On May 1st there was an anti-French demonstration outside the local French-owned Carrfour Supermarket. While most Shanghainese continue to go about their business and act friendly towards foreigners, yesterday was the first time a local passerby looked at me and said "go home" in English.

On a lighter note, we ate at Papa John's Pizza today and brought part of the pizza home. When we opened the pizza box later we discovered this image of Elvis Presley left by the grease of the pizza. I'll see what I can get for it on e-Bay.