2008-10-12

Posted at 11:18 UT by Tamara

SEGMENT 333
Shanghai, China -
Above the Sea
Part 16 in the 16 part series on China

Produced and Directed by Tamara Lynn Scott

Featuring Wendy, Shanghai Tour Guide for China Spree

http://GreatGetawaysOfTheWorld.blogspot.com

I will be rising early in the morning to take the morning train into Shanghai, where I will be spending the day at the American Embassy for an hour replacing a lost passport, and the remainder of the day at the Chinese consulate waiting in line for 3 hours, then told to get original paperwork from the hotel in Shanghai where I will be staying for the next two days as my temporary home in Shanghai, so will be racing by taxi back and forth to get a Visa replaced before 5 p.m.

I am fortunate to have with me, a former national tour guide who has been through this process before to assist with language, and without which I may not have succeeded in getting replaced in time the documents needed to get me safely back home in two days, when my flight is scheduled to leave China.

We have a successful day, and the Chinese Visa is being granted, but just as the office is closing, and no time to pay for the fee, my newly issued temporary passport is kept overnight, and I return in the morning at 9 a.m. to pay the visa fee and pick up my newly re-issued passport and Visa, with the remainder of the day spent filming the sights of Shanghai.

This last segment on China focuses on the spectacular vistas of endless cityscape of Shanghai, the Walk along the Bund, and the Shanghai Museum with it's great collections of Sculpture, Paintings, Ancient Costumes, and Ceramics.

Down to the wire,
with passport now locked in my room safe,
I enjoy the healing waters of the rounded swimming pool at the Skyview Landis, on my final night in China, ready to return home on the bullet train to the Beijing Pudong Airport, in the morning, documents in hand, safely delivered by our faithful national tour guide, Miss Dong Lin, who will now need a few days of vacation and quiet herself - Thankfully the week following is a national holiday for China, and she will have a few relaxing days visiting with her brother, prior to setting off with another group and another successful trip shepherded back to safe water, and return journey home.

The architecture of Shanghai is striking, but not energy efficient. Large glass structures eat up their weight in air conditioning costs daily.

I create a series teaching the world about energy efficiency,
http://TLS.FromTheGroundUp.blogspot.com
and could help China re-think what is beautiful, by creating architecture that costs almost nothing to heat or cool.
We must, as a world, re-think our way of construction, and rethink how we are currently throwing our resources away.
If we utilize everything well, there will be enough, and none will need to think of war over diminishing energy. Energy is not diminishing, only thought, and will, and way.

Simple roofs that overhang and shade all glass, protecting it from the heat of sun, yet allowing the winter warmth of sun is a good step in this direction. Ancient Pagodas had the form more right.

Rainwater collection systems can both cool, and heat our structures, and provide all drinking and irrigation water. Be like the Buddha! Recycle everything into multiple usages.

All plantings should be useful, medicines, herbs, food. And plantings can also help cool our cities, and green our eyes, hearts, breath, and days.

All materials should be re-cycled. No foods wasted, and this includes the enormous amounts being tossed aside in our stores and restaurants.

Visit the Internet Archives and preview the award winning documentary on the California Grey Bears, to see how simple it is to feed thousands each week on what is being thrown away.

I see great might in Shanghai, and hope great vision and wisdom can help rule here, and assist in saving the world and the environment. We remain all that it takes.

Airing Schedule for
SEGMENT 333
Part 16 in the 16 part series on China

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
5:30 p.m. news primetime
and again at
2:00 a.m.
when all other programming goes off the air.

Friday, February 13th, 2009
5:30 p.m. news primetime
and again at
2:00 a.m.
when all other programming goes off the air.

Labels: CHINA - 16 Part Mini-Series - GREAT GETAWAYS of the WORLD