Over the Bund to Pudong

The faded glory of the Shangri La hotel, standing dwarfed by new banks and the TV tower, provides a
fixed point marking the incredible rate of change and development in Shangai. SInce 1990 Pudong has become an industrial estate - its growth aided largely by its elevation in status to 'special economic zone'. It is visually spectacular, particulalry at night when the vista draws inevitable comparisons to Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner. Despite the sensory overload anyone surveying Pudong from here could do worse than look behind them to the buildings lining the Bund. After war with the Chinese in the mid 19th century the Treaty of Nanking allowed the British to trade with Shanghai. It was divided into 'concessions' where foreign nationals lived in British, French or American 'ghettos'. The Bund along the Huangpo is still lined with colonial buildings, evidence of an era when Shanghai was the third largest financial centre in the world. In 1949 the Communisits took over and the city was stripped of its grandeur and the economic status that accompanied it.

Brief impressions.

I spent less time looking at Shanghai on this trip than on previous visits. True, the duration of my stay was shorter than the last couple of times I'd been but the workload was more demanding this time too. However, I'm buliding a collection of digital memories with each visit. For the most part they're glimpses of aspects of Shanghai my Chinese hosts have recommended in the same way we'd recommend overseas visitors see the English Lakes or Tower Bridge. Mixed with the imagery are my own impressions. Reflections of what we're looking at and the way we're seeing it. It's difficult to pretend the images go much beyond indulgent travalogue snaps and they're certainly not presented as more than that - but they do offer a perspective on Shanghai.

Star performers

..... For their presentation on media ownership in india that identified andexplained india's constitutional right to free press and concluded that who owns media and publishing matters - complete with examples. Shame they can't see this post!

Feast of Hearts

I'd forgotten how good Chuck Prophets album "feast of Hearts" is - especially the track that' s currently playing, electro acoustic ballad 'longshot Lullaby". Now the coffee's cold and the Costa staff are looking as if i may've used up the credit a large americano buys for a space at one of their tables. I guess it's 20 minutes aimless wandering round the duty free - or another coffee.

Elephant

Meet elephant - that's what he likes to call himself. He's sorting his power point presentation on media and ownership in india.

Media management BA foundation year students

Students on the foundation year now will join us in the department in 2008. By then we're likely to have 150 + international students in journalism. They'll present some challenges and they'll bring an increasingly global perspective to our thinking. And we have a chance to shape theirs. I'd like to be able to Blog from countries like China without having my phone blocked in 10 years time - maybe this is part of that process.

Decent coffee

My mobile phone was barred from uploading to the blog site from china. I'm sat in a cafe at Dubi airport drinking coffee, listening to Paul Buchanan's hauntingly beautiful vocal on Blue Nile's "Happiness". Dubai airport is opulent - and always busy. My connecting flight doesn't board for another hour so there's time to catch up on the posts not possible in shanghai.

Friday class.

After meeting the new recruits to the Media Managment programme and spending yesterday afternoon talking to the China based staff 'til late in the evening I'm looking forward to some input from students today.

They've been briefed to do presentations on media ownership in Candada, India, France and China. This final session provides them with the chance to demostrate they've understood what we've been doing for the last few days - and it gives them the opportunity to practice their spoken English infront of an 'audience'.

I'd like to be able to accompany any postings of them with pictures - but my phone no longer seems to dial out - so it's just text based I'm afraid. Hmmmmm.

Hot metal and long lunches

The art of long lunches is little more than a memory of less 'corporate' times in the minds of most newspaper reporters. Those seeking solace in nostalgia at USST's museum of printing history will find little. The impressive collection of lead characters from the good old days of 'hot metal' are served with a gentle reminder to European guests that they turned up around 1300 years late for the party. A long lunch for even the most dedicated hack.