Email 11-07-02

Dear Shao-Lin,
Greetings from O Mei Shan! We had a nice visit to the Old City Wall in Xian before boarding a flight to Chengdu in Sichuan Province. From there we took a 3 hour bus ride to the base of O Mei Mountain.

At present, some Shao-Lin have headed out to scout the nearby temples for filming. Over dinner we had our strategy meeting on how to best film the temples and sights on the mountain starting early in the morning. At 10:00 am tomorrow we have our interview with the Head Abbot and will begin the filming. We will be staying on the top of O Mei to film both sunrise and sunset. We are told that the temperature will be zero C with no heat. This will be about the same as on the top of Hua Shan.

When we arrived in Chengdu we were joined by our student Jay Bemis who has been living in the city for almost 2 years. He has traveled with us to O Mei to visit our group and to be of assistance with our project. Several years ago, he was also our host and guide on a visit to Taiwan when he lived there! It has been very good to see him again.

The weather has been very nice with lovely fall colors. But, the pollution has been rather thick in places below the mountains. The area where we are now is known for its lack of sunshine and the fog that covers the top of the mountain. We have hopes that the mist will lift as it did on the previous trip to where we can see the sun and have a clear view of the mountain and the temples. The fog that covers the mountain is very beautiful and adds a mystical feel to everything that it covers!

Once again, our best to all...

Sincerely,
Senior Master Sharon