You Know You Grew Up In Shanghai When…
You know you grew up in Shanghai when you have experienced any of the below …
Your Childhood Home is No Longer There
Your old neighborhood is now one of the many plush city shopping centers. You might have grown up downtown, but now you find yourself calling Pudong your home.
Food Shopping with Coupons
Food was rationed at the time, so each family are given coupons to collect food such as meat, noodles, rice. Of course, there are fresh items like eggs, which is sold on a first come-first serve basis.
Babies Eating Cornmeal instead of Milk
If you were born in the 1980s and didn’t have much total income, you could kiss drinking fresh milk good-bye. Most children would eat corn meal instead of fresh milk in their infancy
Transportation Coupons
All bus rides fares were paid for by coupons that you purchased in advance, and there was a ticket collector on each bus to collect the coupons.
You Remember the First KFC
The first KFC in Shanghai opened in 1989 at what is now the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This was the Dong Feng location within the Dong Feng Hotel. And you also remembered the 100th KFC store in China was located in Shanghai
You Remember When McDonalds Opened
The first Shanghai McDonalds opened in 1994 and was located at 588 Huai Hai Lu (now it no longer exists). You remember waiting for a delicious taste of fast American food.
You Were Rich If You Had a Bicycle
Photo source: Global Times
Getting your own personal bicycle was not easy. All that was rationed for, and you needed to have certain amount of coupons (only for elite and connected families) to get a bike. If you owned a Phoenix bicycle, it was considered top notch.
You Remember Police Look Outs
Police had high towers on major intersections; you were watched all the time
You were Rich if Your Family Owned a Sewing Machine, a Refrigerator and a Television
Forget about a house and a car, if you wanted to get married, you wanted a man that had his own sewing machine and a refrigerator.
You Owned or Knew Someone with a Fake Collar
Collared shirts were expensive, so if you couldn’t afford a shirt you would make a fake collar to wear under your sweater.
You Would Go to Red House for a Proper Western Meal
Photo source: East Day
Red House is one of the spots in town that you would get dressed up in a suit for a western-style set meal. It was where you would go for a celebration or a once-in-a-year occasion. This was before any western restaurant was in town.
You Remember Celebrating Over a Ruby’s Cake
Ruby’s Bakery was one of the first western pastry shops and is famous for their fresh cream. People would wait for the bakery to open just to get the fresh cream cakes.
Collect Soy Sauce with Refillable Containers
If you wanted soy sauce, you would take a glass container to the shop at the front of your neighborhood gates and the lady would give you your fill, unlike nowadays where you buy directly from the shop.
How to Get around Town without Highways
You remember when Shanghai had no highways, and the only two roads that functioned like the outer and inner ring roads were Ren Ming Rd and Zhong Shan Rd.
Watching Foreign Movies with Special Tickets
You had to have connections to get the special tickets to watch Western movies
Children’s Park at People’s Square
It was one of the more popular parks in city central where everyone would go to play on the swing sets and socialize
When You Get Gawked At For Being a Foreigner
You could be anywhere and a crowd would form around you, to look at you because you have different color skin, and hair. Sometimes you would even get touched.
The Only 24-7 Store was Xing Huo Ri
Before Lawsons, All Days and Family Mart, this was the place where you could go to pick up necessities at all hours of the night
Hong Qiao was the Only Airport
Pudong didn’t even exist! All local and international flights landed in Hong Qiao
Private Bathing Stalls at Work
Most apartments had bathrooms joined with the kitchen. And, having hot water was a rare luxury. So, for foreign companies setting up in China, offering private bathing stalls was a recruiting tool.
You Remember Shopping at Friendship Stores
Before department stores hit China, most goods could be bought at Friendship Stores. And, you had to always get the receipt and walk to the cashier before collecting your goods.
Hua Ting Lu was a Fake Market
The quiet street behind Southern Cross used to be packed with knock off vendors. And you also remembered when everyone moved to Xiang Yang Market.
You call Shanghai Center Po-Te-Man
Shanghai Center was formerly known as the Portman Hotel, so you find yourself still saying Po-Te-Man when getting into cabs, only to a confused cabbie driver.
Peace Hotel Band is High Entertainment
If you are an expat, Peace Hotel was one of the first spots for Bund entertainment with their Old Jazz Band.
You Remember the First Hard Rock Café, TGI Fridays and Taco Bell Grande
Not only do you remember the first Hard Rock Café, you also had the teddy bear in overalls that had the stitching with “Hard Rock Café Shanghai”
University Campuses were More Defined
Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, Tong Ji University all had separate campuses unlike now where there are district all-university campuses representing all the different universities.
Fuxing Park was a Clubber's Heaven
Photo source: Asia Bars
All the party scene was located in Fuxing Park, so bar hopping to see different friends were always easy: Park 97, Rich Baby, Guandi, Partyworld KTV
Maoming Lu was the First Yong Kang Lu
Photo source: Asia Bars
You remember rolling out of Maoming Lu in the early morning after a night clubbing on the busy club and bar street.
Ya’an Rd Highway Extended to The Bund
When Ya’an Rd extended towards The Bund towards 3 on The Bund and you could look directly inside David Laris' now defunct Laris (RIP martini nights).
Internet Bar
You remember going to internet bars if you didn’t have at home Wifi or Internet. Nowadays, if you want free Wifi you go to any Starbucks.
Photo Sources: Baidu, Sogou, Sina
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