After Two Decades

I read "Shanghai Refuge: A Memoir of the World War II Jewish Ghetto" by Ernest G. Heppner, I read "Emily Hahn in Shanghai" by Wang-pu, I read books of Eileen Chang and Lu Xun, I saw movies, "Empire of the Sun" 1987, "Suzhou River" 2000, I was eager to see the old Shanghai in the past. But what I saw was a modern Shanghai spiked with thousands of skyscrapers at high density, to my dismay. Shanghai is a huge international city, adorned with signs of KFC, McDonald, Starbucks. I miss the old Shanghai, the Shanghai in "Lust, Caution" directed by Ang Lee in 2007.

Shanghai in the 21st century is woven with overpasses, highways, and subways. The old turn-of-the-century shikumen (stone gate) housing complex blended features of east and west was obsolete. Xintiandi of renovated shikumen lanes was like an empty shell designated for tourists only. When the old residents of shikumen were forced to move to a new skyscraper apartment afar, they took away with them the old memories.

I walked into a Starbucks Cafe' in Xintiandi by myself. After ordering my favorite cup of Frappuccino topped with chocolate chips, I went up the steps, fetched a chair to sit by the window on the second floor, sipped a mouthful morning nectar, jotted down a few lines on my postcard. I began my first morning in Shanghai, but I could as well be at any Starbucks Cafe' in the world, same menu, same interior designs (except the photos on the walls), same international customers. We are in a global village.

I joined the golden ladies to walk into my second Starbucks Cafe' in a row in Yu Garden downtown Shanghai, this time I didn't order anything, firstly, the waiting queue was too long, secondly, I was in a hurry to have myself measured by Chi-pao Master right at the coffeehouse. I was thrilled to have two chi-paos and one jacket made in Shanghai.

After a good Shanghai style lunch, we stopped by St. Ignatius Cathedral for ten minutes to have photos taken before we hit the freeway to Suzhou. I rushed to get into the Cathedral to offer my humble pray for the world peace, even I am not a catholic (有拜有保佑). When I knew that St. Ignatius Cathedral was destroyed during the cultural revolution, I thought of the Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki destroyed by the atomic bomb during the World War II.

Garden of lions was the first place we visited in Suzhou, it was the old home to I. M. Pei, international renown architecture. At age of 90, Master Pei gave Suzhou his master piece "Suzhou Museum" which he treasured as his little daughter. He held a birthday party for her little daughter at Garden of Lions on October the 7th, 2006. Just imagine I.M. Pei held his lovely petit wife's hands to entertain guests from all over the world at his old home. That would be the greatest honor for any Chinese to return to the old home.

The hefty and sophisticated Suzhou Industrial Park aside, I like Suzhou the best among five major cities in Jiang-nan. The serenity and tranquility of Suzhou reminded me of Kyoto in Japan. Like Venice, Suzhou was also built on water. At night, the boat ride on the ancient water routes meandering through the quiet old small town was cool. It would be a plus if the punter could sing a piece of Suzhou serenade.

Su-zhou is not only an old town of 2500 years, there are also many romantic and heroic stories to cherish. People in Suzhou enjoy Ping-tang, a entertainment form of the story-telling by two musicians, the woman plays Pi-pa and the man plays Shamisen.

PS: By the Golden Rooster Lake in the Suzhou Industrial Park, I ran into a young lady fortune teller. I sat on the rickshaw listening to my fortune told by a young woman. She told me her master taught her the skills to read the face and palm. I believe in her about my fortune. I have a dream and I shall have it realized in this life. Then I shall head for the nirvana!