Back to Shanghai
April 9, 2012 2 Comments
Shanghai holds a very special spot in my heart. There are just too many good memories residing in Shanghai. It has been almost 4 years since I have relocated my life to Hong Kong. This is one overdue trip which I have postponed far too many times. I am glad to be back this Easter.
So many things have changed since my last visit in April 2010. Wider roads, cleaner walkways, taller skyscrapers, bigger malls, newer cabs, larger subway network, longer bund and 2 new Apple Shrines. Huai Hai Road and Pudong underwent a big facelift. Standard of living has certainly gone up a little. Food and shopping are not as “attractively priced” as before. Even the westerners at the bars are different now – the boys are speaking fluent Mandarin to their local “宝贝”. I was pretty impressed.
There is no special itinerary planned for this visit. Simply rest and relax. Weather was terrific, it was sunny and cooling. This trip, I spent a lot of time with my cousin Yei and managed to catch up with some of my old Shanghai friends (Echo, Francis, Johnny, Ming, Andy, Yang Jun and Calvin). Almost everyone popped me the same question “When are you coming back to Shanghai to settle down?” I guessed they know how much I love this city. Yei and I spent 4 good days chatting and chilling out at the cafes. (Yei was the first and last person I met this trip. Together, we discovered a new chill-out place “老码头” next to the bund. This place is going to be the next 新天地.)
Tracy and I visited some of our favorite haunts – We strolled at 复兴公园 and ate brunch at 田之坊. We even brought Harshad to our previous residence at 海月花园. There were times when I could not recall the street names. I had to guide the taxi drivers to the spot. Slowly, the memory came back to my mind. I snapped photos of these places and whatsapped Felicia. She too, misses all these places.
This is a great rejuvenating holiday for me. Short but very refreshing. I really don’t mind flying back to Shanghai for another short weekend. Hopefully this time I get to eat at my favorite restaurants.
12 years away from home - Singapore. Writing my stories here for my lovely mum & dad, friends and most importantly, for my wife & son back home. A self-confessed gadget freak, a spontaneous prankster on the outside and a warm loving heart inside. Enjoying a happy life with loving families, friends plus a dream job. Realising mum’s motto – “Exceed Yourself Every Day”. Always believing that “Simplicity is Beauty”.
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come next round and give ample notice period.
Well, thought of giving you a nice surprise. Guess no fate with your sofa-bed. 😦