Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai

Her first landing in Shanghai had been in December 1985. At that time, she was working
with a South African trading company that acted as go-between between Chinese and
Russian companies, before China and Russia were allowed to formally trade. In the
freezing winter, she would head to the Shanghai port, where the ships were laden with
goods and negotiate contracts in Russian.
She landed in Shanghai for good on June 4, 2003 just after SARS had hit the region. Soon
after she arrived, Michelle cemented her commitment to Shanghai by buying two
properties here. One was a flat in the historical 1932 Embankment Building; perhaps she
was drawn to its history, for it once served as a shelter for Jewish refugees. Her other
investment was a lane house in the former French Concession.
Michelle arrived here with an open mind and the will to learn more about the China she
loved. Unlike most international residents, she came here with the intention to make the
city her home. This she did in many ways, primarily through exploring the city on foot.
There isn’t a neighbourhood she didn’t know or appreciate because of a special shop, a
particular delicacy or a poignant memory.
Michelle was then able to use her intimate Shanghai knowledge to promote the city. One of
her favourite ways was through guiding individuals and groups through the city’s historic
sections. She was particularly fond of the Hongkou and Yangpu districts, as well as the
Bund and the Suzhou Creek. In her relatively short time here she shared her love of
Shanghai with literally thousands of people by teaching them how to understand Shanghai.
It took very little time for Michelle to engage her charismatic personality, her loves, desires
and passions, experiences and perspectives in shaping Shanghai's cultural life. For
Michelle, Shanghai was a delightful journey of adventure in time and space expressed in
her voracious appetite to learn, to appreciate both contemporary and historic Shanghai
and to share this within the wider community with enthusiasm and grace. She was an avid
explorer, charting the fringes of her adopted home.
Michelle was a key contributor to the development of Save Shanghai Heritage (later
Explore Shanghai Heritage), an organization devoted to the preservation of Shanghai’s
historic remains, whether architectural or cultural, and educating the wider public about
Shanghai’s historical significance.
Between 2005 and 2008, Michelle worked tirelessly to promote Shanghai’s history.
Then, as she said 'her feet were under her desk' ready to take on the challenge of
developing the events and activities programme of the recently re-convened China branch
of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) in Shanghai.
Michelle had a strong belief in the importance of resurrecting the Society and placing it
back where it once stood as the finest international cultural institution in the city, if not
China. With vision, passion and lots of impromptu mails, calls and meetings at all times of
night and day she built up and developed an unrivalled array of cultural activities for the
Society's members and the public through which she endeared herself to so many.
Michelle organized well over 30 events for RAS each year, they were crafted in her own
inimitable style and covered topics ranging from Confucianism to British imperialism, and
the new rich and youth culture in China to being stateless in Shanghai. She spent hours
devising, planning and hosting highly appreciated weekend walks, talks and visits within
the city and beyond to the Great Wall, Suzhou and Weihai. She also inspired the formation
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