Byron Kan is the man behind the Shanghai Centre, a complex that serves as a haven for the city’s foreigners and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. As General Manager of the landmark complex for almost a decade, Kan has seen Shanghai transform into one of the world’s most exciting cities. TALK sat down with Kan to find out how this Old China Hand sees the city from the Centre.

It’s a bad China day when… you’re walking ankle-high in water in the middle of downtown after yet another freak rainstorm.

I’d rather be… doing exactly what I’m doing right now.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be… an astronomer – that is, until I found out that a professional baseball player gets paid much better for doing the same job of standing in a field, staring at the sky and looking for tiny white objects.

The phrase I use the most in Chinese is… to the taxi driver – “Qing qu Bo-Te-Man” (“Please go to The Portman”), which is what everyone calls our property.

The one thing Shanghai is missing…a real park where you can walk on the grass with your dog without being scurried away by hollering security guards.

The meaning of life is… never looking forward to retirement but continue turning the pages of life with bated breath.

The perfect night out in Shanghai… a friendly game of poker with my buddies, pizza and wine at the ready. Okay, maybe not so friendly.

The one thing all Shanghai residents should know is... we are representatives of the fastest-growing city in the world. There are many tourists and newcomers, so put on a happy face and be courteous and friendly when asked for directions.

The most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen on the streets of Shanghai is… while waiting at a red light, the taxi driver in front of me got out and relieved himself on the road in plain view of everyone, including his customers sitting at the back. I guess he really had to go.

If I could change one thing about Shanghai, it would be to… place STOP signs at street intersections where there are no traffic lights and then enforce these signs.

The most common misconception about China is... that the cities are cold and over-crowded. Have you ever walked down one of the streets in the French Concession at night?

The best way to celebrate Shanghai Centre’s 20th anniversary is... to spend an entire day here – there’s so much to do, I promise you won’t want to leave!

Web: www.shanghaicentre.com