Shanghai Memories : What I Imagine about Shanghai was Never Exist

Why did I chosen Shanghai? Why not isn't it? I have a high expectation about Shanghai. Here ini Indonesia the name itself is used for many sweet, sophisticated, and nice things . I end up, found nothing to be associated between, Shanghainese food and the name of Shanghai+ Food in Indonesia. My favourite dishes like es shanghai ( Indonesian icy dessert), sate Shanghai ( pork satay complete with pork fat and pork liver, put into the bun), ayam shanghai ( chicken with sweet sauce) can never be found in Shanghai!

The old cigarette poster, this is how people went to Shanghai and dressed like it!

The satay was so good, looking for 50 years in Shanghai you never found it unless you go to Bandung

Because it red and sweet, doesn't mean it was Shanghai. It just another es campur

How about the food in Shanghai, can never be as good as our Indonesian imagination about it. Although in the end  I also found a delightful dishes, usually the dish are from the other part of China. And, Yes Shanghai has a lot of great international food with free taxes. And here the story about, what is Shanghai atmosphere.

I remember when I was a child, Indiana Jones also went to Shanghai. The scene where we saw, the girl wearing red qibao were singing a high pitch note music. The music was jazz, the China style of jazz and the man wearing European suit on the art deco building full with Chinese word. Many people pass by using a rickshaw, I loves all of the images.

Gives good misdirection about Shanghai

Sometimes we attatched the word to something that never existed. Yes, whole year in Shanghai I never found such a thing. The street of Nanjing Lu was not that romantic. The starbuck, McDonald, Forever21 changed the scene. And yes, it wasn't what i Imagine.

Welcome to 21th century of Shanghai

Do I dissapointed? Not really, I do enjoy the European part of French Conncension, the skycraper on Pudong, the classic Chinese Garden on Yuyuan, Shikumen style of building in Tianzifang. Yes, the part of I imagine is only left on the Shanghai Movie Park. And I would told the story about a great life of real Shanghai later.

But once, I do enjoy a piece of my imagination about Shanghai. Once on the rainy day on spring, I met a friend from Taiwan China and USA. I knew them by my brother. We sat together on the nice old house near Xujiahui, the mansion was belong to historical person. The mansion fit perfectly into how Shanghai supposed to be, nice ambience, old piano, red couch, with Victorian of setting. Drink a cocktail and play that Chinese jazz song. It is funny isn't it, that I found the nostalgic feeling of Shanghai that I never been to.

What Shanghai should be

Do all of us feel that way? We trapped to the concept that never exists yet we always chase it. When I was a high school boy, I imagine what would university life would be. Next when I was single, I imangine how was to be when we had a girlfriend. Many things that we imagined, not belong the truth. But we keep on doing it.