Left a part of my heart in Shanghai

I tried calling my Shanghai colleague in the afternoon and couldn't get her on the phone. I thought she might have gone for lunch.

In the late afternoon, I received a Mid-autumn festival greeting email (with dancing mooncakes) from another Shanghai colleague. He just came back from his 3-week holidays in the States and mentioned that he was sad to hear that I am not going Shanghai anymore. In fact, he got me a gift from the States!
(He treated me to steak at where his 20-year old daughter loves to go 'coz he assumed all youngsters love that place. It rained heavily that evening and he drove me back to my hotel, when the restaurant was just a stone throw from his residence.)

I called again and found out that my colleague (mentioned in 1st paragraph) has gone on annual leave.
(She invited me to her house to spend a lovely afternoon chatting with she and her husband! She even bought bak gwa 'coz she knew that is my favourite snack.)

I realised that I miss my colleagues in Shanghai very badly (just like how I miss Im and PX). They had taken good care of me and was my source of joy at work.

We went out for meals after working hours.
I related my (mis)adventures in Shanghai to them - meeting pickpockets, getting my cab snatched...
I shared my weekend outings with them - where I went to have fun and restaurants I visited.
I bought them snacks from Singapore so they know what they have been missing.
I managed to improve my Mandarin and expand my vocabulary, thanks to them.
They would scrutinise my lunch 'coz I love bringing instant food from Singapore.
I had such happy memories.
Thankfully (and coincidentally), I had a dinner gathering with them during my last visit.

There were many promises I made 'coz I thought I would still be visiting Shanghai (for the next few years).
I told them I would bring them snowskin mooncakes (not found in Shanghai).
(Back then, my colleague jokingly said that I never know what might happen when the next Mid-autumn festival is here. He was so right.)
I told them I would bring them Taiwanese snacks and tea bags.

There are just too many broken promises.

I still remember when I first visited Shanghai in 2005 (for leisure). I fell sick 'coz I couldn't get used to the polluted air (main woes), the water, the food, the traffic, the general hygiene...

Perhaps, I will love a place for the friends I know there and not just the place itself. Its heart-warming to know that I have a place in their hearts as well.