Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 183

My Adventure In Old Shanghai
Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, Bee, Kylie – 10
M
y grandfather was born in Shanghai. He migrated to Hong Kong in his 30s with his family. He is very fond
of his good memories in old Shanghai and keeps telling me stories about it - "The Paris of the East". I always
listen to these stories with amazement and wonder what did old Shanghai actually look like when my grandfather
was young.
One morning, when I woke up from my bed, I was puzzled. The room looked a bit different with the calendar
hanging on the wall saying it was "1st January,1940". Then I realised that the bed was softer than usual and I could
hear someone chanting Shanghainese songs and chatting in Shanghainese loudly outside the room. I got up from the
bed and saw a copy of Chinese newspaper on the table with the date being "1st January 1940". I peeked through the
window and saw people riding in rickshaws and tricycles, and women wearing qipaos on the street.
While I was thinking what had happened, a boy suddenly rushed into my room. He looked at me with his mouth
wide-opened and asked, "What are you doing in my room?” I was frightened and said, "Who are you? Why are you
here?" The boy answered impatiently, “You are in my house!” I continued to confront him, “Where is this place?”
The boy getting annoyed and said, “This is San Ma Lu (now known as Hankou Lu), Shanghai. Today is the first day
of 1940 and everyone is celebrating. What are you doing here?"
I was very confused and asked, "Do you mean today is 1st January, 1940?" The boy nodded. I tried to stay calm but
I was too shocked. I told the boy that I came from 2017 and I was having a trip in Shanghai but was separated from
my parents accidentally. I urged him to help me to find my parents and send me back to 2017. The boy thought that
I was kidding and said if I were from 2017, he would be from Mars!
While I was puzzling how I could convince him, I realised I had a mobile phone in my bag. I immediately took it
out and showed it to him. I told thim that I could