Local flavors, local friends

Whenever I'm in a new city, I like to walk as much as I can, particularly off the beaten track - first to get my bearings, then to stumble on unexpected treasures that aren't part of the regular tourist trails. But most importantly I want to see how the people live, and maybe even have a chat.

I recall the first time I visited Shanghai, exactly 30 years ago. It was a very different place than modern Shanghai. I managed to get completely lost on one of my peregrinations, but an old woman, recognizing my dilemma, motioned for me to follow her, and sure enough, after about 15 minutes, I was back on a road I could recognize, one leading directly to my hotel. I thanked her as best as I could, and she smiled, satisfied that she had helped a foreigner.

I didn't visit Beijing on that occasion. In fact, I didn't hit the capital until 20 years later, and China had certainly changed.