I take the Shanghai Metro everywhere along with miles of footsteps on the weekends, as do many, many Chinese that I see daily. Formerly having been living in Los Angeles, I think it’s a real step up from LA, where you have to drive a couple miles to take a leak. Downtown Shanghai is just about 8 miles square, so that has been the focus of my adventures, but I can’t say I’m too excited about what appear to be ugly, sprawling mid-rises city-round. But how else to accommodate the masses that head Shanghai-wards for their bread-n-butter?

I’m not sticking to the point. We need more landscape here, before we cover all the bloody land in towers.

As for the the concept of an 100-year international city lease in Africa, I’m very curious about this idea… ! This could be a very interesting idea, but I worry of the actions being done against the best interests of the locals. I grew up in Zambia [yes, yes, I’m quite international] and Chinese industries and businesses play a big role in the Zambian economy. So much so, in fact, that when Hillary Clinton went over to increase trade with Zambia at the expense of the Chinese, the government told her that their governments were very close and there would be no possibly of such a trade off. Truth be told, Zambia is the only African country I know of that trades in Renminbi (Chinese Yuan), but the current government was elected on the primary platform of controlling what Chinese businesses can and cannot do in the country, and what their role should be in the economic betterment of the locals.

As for Hong Kong, that all happened because of the Opium Wars, but the concept of allowing a rich foreign government to be sovereign to a land on a 100-year lease makes me spin with questions. A key factor would be a strategic location/resource that is of long-term value to the foreign government. Zambian copper mines? This would make Zambians incredibly angry, and possibly violent… war? Zambia would lose. — 100-year lease? Sure!

Its origins are as a Norse town. However, prior to Roman occupation the area was associated with the Brythons. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brython ]

As such, culturally perhaps it is different to Scotland as it is usually conceived. The Scots typically are said to have displaced the Picts in order to occupy Scotland. However, the shifting borders would suggest there has probably been much cultural and genetic sharing over the centuries.

Do you know anything of the custom of “specially mentioning Berwick-upon-Tweed after Wales, though abandoned in acts of parliament, is retained in certain proclamations.”?

[ http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Berwick-upon-Tweed ]

I wonder if a little modern day friendly co-operative development might not result in charming and modern and develop a incredible historical legacy?
[ http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/monarchs/johnballiol.html ]

I wonder, what is the existing charm of New York? [ http://paularuisidesign.com/closet.htm ]