I arrived in Shanghai three weeks ago and after several mis-steps am finally almost settled.  On Jan. 18 I’ll move into an apartment 2 blocks north of the Jing’an Temple in what is more or less the center of Shanghai.  Earlier this week I bought a phone, taught myself how to use the Shanghai metro (HERE is what the metro will look like in about 10 more years; here is an interactive map of the metro in 2009), and have taken a few excursions out from Xujiahui, the area where I have been staying since I arrived.  Next week I’ll be permanently settled in Jing’an and eager to get to work.  I have not had regular email access, otherwise I would have posted sooner.  Thanks to everyone for emailing me and I hope that I will be able respond to your letters soon. 

Today was the first great day for Cotton Road in Shanghai and I hope many more will follow.  I met with John Ling, Director of the South Carolina Commerce Office at PuFa Tower in Pudong, the Pudong Development Bank building.  It’s located approximately one block from the famous Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai’s World Financial Center, both extraordinary modern skyscrapers.  I spoke with Mr. Ling at length about my film project and explained what I hope to achieve with the story.  He suggested several individuals I should meet and generously offered his assistance over the next 6 months.

We talked about my interest in following Carl Brown’s cotton into a textile mill.  I’ve been wondering if I should prioritize my efforts right away on following Carl Brown’s cotton or if I should focus more broadly on any cotton that arrives from South Carolina—whenever it happens to arrive over the next 6 months—and follow the process multiple times.  This would greatly expand the film’s narrative here and enable all kinds of stories to emerge.  I realized when speaking with Mr. Ling today that I can and should do both—I should film anything and everything possible, at every opportunity, and at the same time continue to arrange with Jordan Lea’s help for a few bales of Carl Brown’s cotton to be sent to a textile mill here.

Mr. Ling explained that many textile mills have closed recently, because of the ecomony.  He also indicated that there are textile mills within a 2 to 3 hour drive from Shanghai.  This might present some logistical problems in filming over time, but each location will undoubtedly present unique limitations and possibilities.  I left his office extremely encouraged and eager for the next step.