Len T

My friend Patrick McGrath had been living and working in Shanghai, Population 20 million, and myself, my partner Gillian and my Daughter Sarah travelled there to visit him, staying at his modest flat in a Stalinist era walled appartment complex about 20 k from the CBD towards Pudong airport but still massively populated (The place was truly exotic and we were very impressed with the sights and surrounds of a megopolis such as Shanghai). On one occasion we travelled by double decker bus to the Shanghai CBD (4 Yuan for an air-conditioned bus or 2 yuan for a non air-conditioned one) we chose the 4 Yuan option of course, We walked up the Shanghai mall which takes the visitor through the heart of this massive cities CBD, through what would have been the main street, There was a sea of asian people like a carpet (I am tall so I could see over everyone else) stretching up the mall for about 1 kilometer. A caucasian was approaching visible every now and then as the pedestrians jostled and dodged each other, As we grew closer there was a sense of disbelief, We all noticed him (and he us) because he was one caucasian face amongst thousands and he was bearded as well, very rare. We all cried out in unison"No way, Thats Bill!!). He was an ex teaching colleague of Patrick and myself and a good friend and mentor of my daughter, Sarah. To meet him in Shanghai, in a mall seething with asians, possibly 20 thousand in the immediate vicinity was astonishing for us but for him it was surreal. He had been in China for a few years, not knowing that Patrick live 20k away and to meet him AND myself AND Sarah really spun him out. It actually took him ages to get over it. He kept on shaking his head and acting quite peculiar as if it was too much to take in!