I was recently fortunate enough to win a steemit competition sponsored by @deanliu, who posted a picture of a cafe, with the question, "Which cafe is it!? This one is not a chain store so only one in the world. The first reply to getBOTH its NAME and its LOCATION right (most likely you will get both right if you do find it), will get the $5 SBD prize!!"
The chinese writing was the first sign, and given the European style, I figured it was in Shanghai (and the first clue had already been given out) and then my memory of breadsticks in Shanghai came flooding back; I was there last year on a holiday. I was desperately searching for some shanghai dumplings (which I subsequently found out was not particularly difficult. I was just looking in the wrong places. doh!), and remembered going into a cafe in Shanghai, at the Peace hotel, and finding myself in a little piece of Paris, complete with breadsticks and baguettes! A very different place to the hustle and bustle of East Nanjing road, just off the Bund. The cafe was Victor's - expensive coffee, but hey, it was Shanghai! And it was in the Peace Hotel, Shanghai.
The real reason I had wandered in, was to pick up a lacquered picture of a shanghai lady in an opium den (pictured), measuring about 10 cm by 25 cm. I had seen it a week before, but figured that I could pick up a cheaper version in a market, but no, this seemed to be unique to the hotel gift shop. For those who don't know, the Peace Hotel is an amazing building, designed in an art deco style and built early last century when Shanghai was cool, cosmopolitan and bohemian. It is now back to its former glory, nestled neatly along the bustling Bund, along with the Roosevelt hotel, hosting tourists and guests alike. The whole area assaults the senses (in a good way) with smells, noise, people and movement.
The Picture
Back to the picture: the manager of the store, at first glance, was decked in traditional Chinese dress, complete with whitened make up, and eye shadow. But as I focused, I realised she wasn't Chinese, and in fact, was French, when she greeted me with a, "bon jour", with a fascinating view of Shanghai, having been there for more than several years. She spoke about the rise of Shanghai, the influx of tourists and her love for the city. I commented on the pictures, and she said there were more. I looked around and sure enough, there were over a dozen examples. I was drawn to the elongated figures in the pictures - some dressed, some partially disrobed, some smoking an optimum pipe. All portrayed the time when Shanghai was better known for low buildings under 5 storeys or so, debauchery and opium dens rather than the Pearl Tower, the advent of a new China, and the very modern city that Shanghai is now, with glass and steel skyscrapers.
5 SBD
So, what does a keen eye for breadsticks and a lacquered painting get you? 5 SBD!! Thank you @deanliu. I look forward to the next one.