Shanghai/2009-apr

My first of many visits to Shanghai was in April 2009, when I flew from Beijing to Hongqiao Airport west of the city. I was picked up by my good friend Anders Kjær, who was working at the Danish Consulate in Shanghai. I stayed for a few days with Anders, Tina, and their young daughter Fie at the Shanghai Racquet Club, an expat compound located about 20-30 km west of the city center.

On my first trip to China, I had brought along my entire golf bag, including all my clubs and irons—something that surprises me today! However, it resulted in a couple of rounds of golf at the Yin-Tao Golf Club, complete with both a golf cart and a caddie. After the round, you could evaluate your caddie by dropping your green fee ticket into one of four boxes, depending on your level of satisfaction. I was very pleased with my caddie's performance.

I took a two-day trip to Hangzhou to visit West Lake before checking into the Jianguo Jin Jiang Hotel in Shanghai, located at the end of Hengshan Road. The hotel had been recommended to me by an amiable fellow passenger from my flight from Copenhagen — Ms. Jing. She also acted as my local guide in Shanghai and even invited me to dinner at her sister's house. It was the best introduction to China and Shanghai that I could have ever wished for.