Shanghai Baby

"Having danced inside the music and soared inside our own euphoria, at one in the morning we returned to our apartment. We didn't wash, just threw off our clothes and lay down on the bed. The air con was on full blast, and even in my dreams I could hear the its buzz, like an insect's cry. My dreams were empty except for that one troubling sound.

Early the next morning, as soon as the first ray of sunlight showed, I opened my eyes and turned to kiss Tian Tian. My hot, hot kiss was imprinted on his cold, cold body, which was glowing white. I shook him hard, called him, kissed him and pulled his hair. Then, I jumped out of bed naked and ran on to the balcony. Through the glass I stared at the bed inside the room, at my lover's body lying there. I stared for a long, long time.

Tears flooded my gace and I bit my fingertips. I cried out: 'You fool!' He didn't react. He was dead, and so was I. "


" 'You devil, you evil spirit, ten years ago you murdered my son, but that wasn't enough. Now you've murdered my grandson too. Your heart is black. I curse you: may you be struck dead by a car the moment you learve your hellish restaurant...'

She began to push the door again, and I hurried towards her and took her by the arm.

'Grandmother,' I called softly. 'I'll take you home. It's about to rain.'

She looked at me suspiciously, and looked at the sky above us covered by thick blanket of clouds, dark red from the city lights.

'Who are you?' she asked in a low voice,

My heart fluttered. A feeling of tenderness and bitterness engulfed me, and for a moment I didn't know how to answer this tired and helpless old woman.

Who am I, indeed? Who am I? "

Shanghai Baby, an extraordinarily heart-touching story, was a journey of self-discovery of a Shanghai girl. I want to remember this book as long as I could, remember every twist and turn of the story, remember how the characters laughed, drifted and cried. It is special to me only becuase it is so straightforward... not trying to hide even the most hideous part of life...

I couldn't say much about Shanghai Baby, except the thumping of my heart whenever I read about Tian Tian's death...