Copy/Paste job

Hello there! So A lot has happened and is happening. I'm going to start this one with a copy and paste job that covers a lot of the Club info. You may have received parts of these, so if it all looks familiar just skip it... (Also I'm editing little bits for blogging reasons!)
Ahem:,
PART 1
Firstly, 'Chinatown Shanghai' received it's business license and Norman and I are now official residents and business operators in The People's Republic of China! (Not an easy task considering the current restrictions and conditions due to the Olympics! )

The rest of the news deserves a slight diversion into the stressful back-story of the event!

We now have an investor working with us who has been here 20 some years and is dealing with the government side of things, making us legal, lending his incredible guanxi (meaning 'influence'), and time and effort to our project.

His people discovered the sentence written in some document somewhere that says one cannot have entertainment in a heritage building (as ours is). Though it gives no explanation why, it has to do with fear of raising evil/dead spirits! There are obvious exceptions to this rule, but we needed to get word from the people who give the word that we are indeed an exception, because no one wants to sign a lease and then find out the project can't happen, right?!

The government department that holds the lease to building gave us a warning on Friday that if we didn't sign a lease today (Monday) they had someone else who would sign the lease, and we will have missed our chance (even though the building has been vacant for 6 years and the only reason it is now available is because We pushed for it...sigh)

...and the government guy that our investor knows very well and could give us the good word is in the hospital and can't be reached, plus our investor leaves for vacation with his wife Monday night at 6pm, and now we are beginning to fear the worst...

Amazingly, He pulled his incredible guanxi and many many strings to get us a last minute meeting Monday afternoon in front of the Governor of Hongkau, the Head of Commerce and Foreign Investment, the Head of Culture, and the Head of Parks and Recreation for a meeting! That is a feat in itself to get all the most powerful men in Shanghai in one room together! So, had the meeting. Gave them a description of the future of nightlife in Shanghai, a description of the show, showed them carefully chosen pictures, and.... We got an all around thumbs up from every last one of them! They love it! Showed their full support, and have said they all want seats for the opening night! Hallelujah! All is a go!!

We then went and signed the lease, and are now proud possessors of the most beautiful building for a Norman/Amelia club in this weird and wonderful city!

PART 2
This is just a snip-it of my fan club newsletter I sent out, Norman wrote a lot of it, I edited, just nicely worded, thought I'd share:


1) Our Statement:
Shanghai in the Thirties enjoyed a reputation as the great Pleasure city of the Orient, and Hollywood seared unforgettable images of an urbane, stylish, and elegant world of sultry nightclubs and the beautiful people that filled them into our collective mind.
With the opening of ‘Gosney and Kallman’s CHINATOWN’, that vanished world once again lives! Plush, Old World decor, vivacious, sophisticated entertainment, and exceptional service, all presented with panache in our unique venue. We will fulfill the dreams of those who look for the 'Something different,' rather than the same old disco and lounge scene, and reward the adventurous who seek the very best.
Gosney and Kallman passionately believe that Shanghai, and it’s growing number of visitors seeking the best in nightlife and entertainment, are ready for this kind of exceptional venue, a place that all who attend will remember and recommend, and that will join the short list of truly memorable nightspots worldwide. Our goal is not to open another passable establishment, but to create an outstanding, world class, and highly successful benchmark for Shanghai, Asia, and the world!

2) The Premises:
We have finally signed the lease on our dream come true and are now the proud owners of one of the loveliest buildings in Shanghai! Our remarkable premises, built in 1931 as a Buddhist temple, is located in the rapidly developing Hongkau district. It is truly one-of-a-kind; A unique architectural edifice that seems to have waited for just exactly our purpose! With a capacity on two floors of around 150 people, the
site is large enough for our extravagant stage productions, but intimate and exclusive enough for the ambience and atmosphere that our elite and up-scale clientele will demand.

3) The Show:
The show itself features original performers, extravagant costuming, and timeless routines with a fresh face, all carefully blended into a heady mix of Vaudeville, Burlesque, Broadway, and exuberant good fun! Our live pit band of talented musicians, our chorus line of international showgirls, and our knowingly chosen speciality acts from all over the world, are presented at timely intervals throughout an evening, and patrons feel they are in that nightclub they saw in an old movie: Glittering, sexy, and totally enthralling!

I go on to talk about auditions! This is the first time ever having to specify 'Speak English!' Kind of funny!