SHANGHAI, CHINA DAY II (3/5/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg(biggiroot)
Date: Mar 5, 2007 11:07 AM
Subject: Monday, March 05, 2007

Monday, March 05, 2007

SHANGHAI, CHINA DAY II

This place is cold. Far too cold for me. They really ought to do something about it. The smog is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You cannot see very far and even when the sun poked its head out, it looked as if it were being seen in a cloud of smoke. Obviously the whole country must be that way.

We saw a travel movie on TV. In the movie, they visited almost every part of China. Not just cities but the countryside and rural areas also. Anytime there was a photo of an area, more then a block or so from the camera, there was smog in the background. Mountains, trees, buildings or anything in the distance would look like it was Smokey. It was pretty much the same for every place on this side of the globe. This place looks about the worst but other places have been harder to breathe in. Perhaps it depends upon the weather. It has been windy here. I wonder if it gets worse when the wind dies. Everywhere on this side of the world it looks like they burn garbage and burn coal and wood for energy and heat. Their autos do not look as if they have any pollution control like ours do. They have many small motor scooters burning oil with gasoline.

I don’t understand this stuff they keep feeding us about it being the fault of the US that there is so much pollutant in the atmosphere. I do not see this kind of smog in the US except for a few cities and then just at certain times. If we were to do things to cut our burning of fossil fuels it would cost millions of jobs in our country. I can’t believe we are creating, even a small fraction, of the pollution I see here. All these billions of people may not be driving cars or enjoying air conditioning and other electrical items, but they are all burning something far more polluting, like coal and wood, for cooking, heating, and their electrical plants and their vehicles have no emission controls. Even if they wanted to cut down on pollution, I don’t think they could. These scientists better come up with an answer better then causing us to go back to the stone age. It wouldn’t help a bit even if the US did.

This morning we got on a Jewish Heritage tour at about 8:30 this morning. We went by some of the same areas we had seen by night, last night. This place is nothing like you would expect in China. While there are signs in Chinese, there are almost as many in English. Almost none of the buildings we see are built by Chinese. There is block after block of beautiful ornate stone buildings. These were built by different European companies and countries. This city was called the Paris of the East. These beautiful buildings from the 1920s and 1930s are every bit as nice, and maybe even more so, then those in Paris. They are lit up far better at night and kept up at least as well.

When the Nazis took over in Europe, about 20,000 Jewish people were allowed to come to Shanghai. We went to an area where the poor lived and the places where the rich Jews lived. The Jewish community was dominated by the Sassoon family. The same was true of the Jewish community in Bombay, India. In both places their business was in drugs. Here it was mostly the opium trade. It was perfectly legal at the time. The guide tells us there was never anti Semitism in China and the Jews lived here in peace until 1948 when they were invited to come to Israel.

I am not sure of anything he tells us. There had been a section in Shanghai where knock off goods of all kinds were sold. Naturally there have been complaints from the real manufacturers for years. Now there is going to be Olympics here in 2010. The land where these venders were located was needed for Olympic buildings. The Chinese government closed them all and then claimed they did it because those knock offs are not allowed under Chinese law. Bull feathers. They just moved those stores and stands to another location and the government keeps a blind eye. Our guide claimed they didn’t exist any longer. It is against the law and they would be arrested. More bull feathers. Several of the cruise staff has been there as have many passengers. Just ask any taxi driver and he will take you right there.

If things were really so wonderful, at least some of the Jewish people would have stayed. They did in India. In Bombay the Sassoon family left endowments to pay for a temple, a school and supplies when they did leave. They left nothing here. The Jewish cemeteries have been desecrated and bulldozed under. The people we have come into contact with have all been friendly and helpful. Who knows how many really are nice. Again, there is no crime here but be sure to leave all jewelry at home and never leave your wallet in your back pocket.

We went into an old very large house that was now a museum and a place where they are now selling jewelry and many other art objects. Next we went for a walk in the area of an old Jewish community for the poorer people. The doors on apartment buildings still had wrought iron Stars of David on them. They still had no indoor plumbing. It cost $3.00 dollars per week or maybe month to have a service come in to empty and clean your chamber pot.

We went to an old temple that was claimed to be in the process of being restored. There had been living quarters in it and there were still some of the old Mezuzahs on the door frames. We drive by a huge house owned by Jews from the 20s and 30s.

This evening we went on another tour at about 6:00. We drove through parts of the city and stopped at the third highest building in the world. We went up worlds fastest elevator to the 88th floor. That takes 45 seconds. It does not make a sound and there is no feel of motion. The views at night are unmatched anywhere.

After another touring ride we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. We have seen menus at Chinese restaurants in China. Much of what they serve is not for Americans. This place was not entirely for Americans either. Among the dishes served was pork balls, fish with head still on and Giant prawns unshelled and with the head still on. Many of the people would not touch some of the dishes. Bobbi and I thought everything was great.

After dinner we walked a block to Nanjing street. It is a three mile long street of fashionable local stores and boutiques. About a mile of it is a closed walking only mall. The signage is Las Vegas. Most of the city is lit with fantastic signs like Las Vegas, but this area is one outrageous sign and electrical display after another. It was far too cold to stay long, so we looked and quickly walked back to the restaurant where our buses were waiting.

That was one very interesting day. I can see that we need at least another three weeks to see all this city has to offer. There are 1,200 high rise buildings presently under construction, that will be ready for the 2010 Olympics. One that is supposed to be finished in a year is going to be China’s tallest. Almost all are foreign owned and built. In a year or two I will not recognize this city.