Mandy had lived in a small house on Huáihǎi Lù her entire life until November 2009 when her house was demolished. Mandy had contacted me after hearing about the Growing Up With Shanghai project on TV and thought it would be interesting to document her memories in the area around her now demolished home. She had mentioned her Grandfather was very knowledgeable about the history of this area of Huáihǎi Lù but he was unavailable for the walk- there only in spirit by some scribbled notes on a folded piece of paper.
Mandy was a bit nervous in the beginning, relying mostly on her notes to guide her dialog. However, when we finally reached her old house she became more candid, emotional, and spontaneous. Walking down the narrow alleyway that was the entrance to her old neighborhood, it seemed as if we walked into another world. Just beyond the flashy street facades, lay a wasteland of demolished and half-demolished buildings. The few that were left standing still had residents.
