On 24 December 2013, I went on another company trip—this time to Shanghai. I never thought I would ever step into China. I had only been there twice before, to Guangzhou and Shanghai.
This time, my mum joined me. She had been to Shanghai once before on a business trip, but it was mostly work and she didn’t really get to do any sightseeing. When I was younger, I used to watch Hong Kong dramas set in Shanghai in the 1950s and 60s—always full of gangsters and nightclubs. But over the years, Shanghai has transformed into a modern and beautiful city.
My mum was very excited, as this was our first trip together—just the two of us. My dad and sisters didn’t join us this time. She immediately started Googling our hotel location and messaged me on WhatsApp, saying, “Wow! The hotel we are staying in is very beautiful.” I replied, “Yes, it’s a nice hotel. When you arrive, it will make you go ‘wow’ even more,” haha.
We took a midnight flight to Shanghai, and by the time we landed at Pudong Airport, it was already morning. On the coach, my colleagues, my mum, and I were all very tired, so we didn’t really pay much attention to what the tour guide was saying. Only my AMG had the energy to entertain the tour guide—wahaha. The weather was extremely cold.
Our first stop was The Bund, a 1.5-kilometre-long waterfront boulevard along the Huangpu River, stretching from Jinling Road in the south to Waibaidu Bridge in the north. We walked along Zhongshan Road and took photos along the riverside.
The second stop was Wuxi Ting, where we enjoyed xiaolongbao and bought some local peanut candy. The third stop was Xintiandi, a lively area with charming shophouses, where my mum picked up some souvenirs. After that, we headed to our hotel—the Marriott Shanghai City Centre.
I had a slight headache, probably due to the cold weather. One thing I must say about the Marriott Hotel is their excellent service. The staff were friendly, warm, and very helpful. After my mum and I settled into our room, we heard the doorbell chime. I thought it was one of my colleagues, but it turned out to be the chambermaid checking if everything was alright. That’s what I call good hotel service.
My mum began looking around the room, and the first thing that caught her eye was the glass wall between the bathroom and the bedroom. She asked, “Shouldn’t there be a curtain blind?” I turned to her and laughed. “Yes, there is—it’s controlled from the bathroom side.”
She went into the bathroom and said, “How do I pull the blind down? There’s no string.” Still laughing, I walked in and showed her. “Mum, do you see this button on the wall here?” She looked closely and said, “Oh… yes!” I pressed it, and she watched as the curtain slowly moved down. We both laughed.
I told her, “Let’s rest first. The shopping malls aren’t open yet.”
In the evening, we walked to a mall next to the hotel for dinner. After dinner, we strolled along the streets and stopped by Starbucks for a hot drink. The night was even colder, and after finishing our drinks, we headed back to the hotel to rest for the day.
The next day, we had breakfast at the hotel and waited for our coach to take us to China’s No. 1 water town—Zhouzhuang. I believe many people have seen it in Chinese movies or dramas. I even remember a few films being shot there before.
My mum and I felt like we had stepped onto a movie set. Luckily, we had a tour guide who brought us around and shared stories about the two wealthy families who once lived there—the Shen and Zhang families. As we walked through the town and visited the Shen and Zhang residences, it felt like we were going back in time, into the lives of our ancestors in old China.
After a full day tour in Zhouzhuang, we headed back to our hotel. The journey took about an hour, and we rested for a while before heading out again for dinner.
Because the weather was so cold, I invited my colleague and her husband for steamboat. We ordered two types of soup—tomato and herbal. It was so satisfying… hot soup in freezing weather, truly shiok.
After dinner, we went out for some street shopping again. These few days with my mum were truly unforgettable, especially experiencing the cold winter together while travelling through Shanghai.
