My return to Shanghai

My return to Shanghai
By Arabella Horsfield

Upon my arrival in Shanghai, nostalgia hit me like a train. Everything around me, from the taxis bustling along the streets to the towering skyscrapers piercing the sky, seemed like a vivid reflection of cherished memories. There are no words in the dictionary to describe how I felt returning to Shanghai, a place that will always hold a fragment of my heart.

I was born in Shanghai and lived there for most of my life. I left for Hong Kong when I was 8, over five years ago and haven’t been back since. When my parents came to Shanghai for work, I joined them. Most importantly I came to see my best friend Fiona whom I have known since birth. She is the eldest daughter of Uncle Manoj, daddy’s best friend and the CEO of naked. We went to nursery, kindergarten and primary school together. We were inseparable. Then I moved to Hong Kong and to the boat. We haven’t seen each other in years due to COVID until she came to visit us on the boat in French Polynesia last year. It can be hard to stay close, when we’re so far apart. But when you do, you get to keep your best friend and I can’t think of what could be better. When we were kids, we did everything together, side by side. When we were kids, we shared everything, heart to heart. When we were kids, we fought against each other, like sister to sister. When I saw her again, it was a mix of joy, warmth and a deep sense of connection. When we finally hugged each other, there was a sense of familiarity and comfort, as if no time has passed at all. Our time together was filled with laughter, shared memories, teasing, and being rude to each other more than we are to anybody else. I think that is what it means to have a best friend.

During my 2 weeks stay in Shanghai, I got an internship at my mom’s naked design studio . I went to the office during the day while Fiona was at school. I was hired by my mom to help find ideas for the kids club for their upcoming resorts. This was also my first time entering their new office. When i stepped inside, the walls were filled with photographs, many of which I have never seen before. There were some of me when i was just a little kid as I spent a lot of time at the resorts and attended many naked events. I was carefree and didn’t care what anybody thought of me. There was photograph of my mom who was so incredibly focused on creating the most breathtaking designs, that not even a meteorite could divert her attention. There was my dad standing amidst an ocean of unfamiliar faces, giving rousing speech to so many people. These photographs adorned the workspace, serving as a reminder of the story of naked and how all that has transpired.

Not only was I tasked with researching for designs, I also had the opportunity to create one of my own, something that I would truly be passionate about. My mom asked me to design a dog park for the new resort in Moganshan. I’ve loved dogs all my life, and to create and design something that a dog would genuinely love to play in just brings me joy. I was allowed to go above and beyond my concept, and my ideas were endless. My mom taught me how to draw plans and sections and it blew my mind. In the end, I was astonished by what I had created and filled me with immense pride. My design was even presented to the government by my parents! This is by far one of my best achievements!

The honking horns and the hectic cityscape of Shanghai evoked a sense of sentimentality, that I didn’t realize I had missed until the very moment. The sights and sounds of the city enveloped me, triggering a flood of nostalgic memories. As I walked along the beautiful sidewalks, sycamore trees lining the streets caught my eyes like they did many years ago. Their branches stretched out as if reaching towards the past and reminiscing, just as I did.

One evening after dinner we drove past my old street and I immediately recognized it – the little convenient store on the corner and the road where we used to bike. How could I forget? I lived in that lanehouse longer than anywhere else (aside from our boat), and in that moment I felt like I was there again walking, biking and running freely down the street. It was as if the boundaries between the past and the present had disappeared. Waiting in the car for the red light to go green, I couldn’t help but feel connected to the past and the memories of my childhood.

I now realize that my nostalgia is not merely a sentimental longing for the past. It was a reminder of the people I had met and the experiences I had shared. Shanghai, with all its familiar sights and sounds, became a vessel for many of those memories, allowing me to relive them in the present. It serves as a gentle reminder of the beauty and significance of the moments we hold dear, and the ways in which they continue to shape us, even as we move forward in time. Shanghai, I will forever hold you close to my heart and I will always miss you.