Table tennis makes Shanghai feel like home for Russian expat

The 41st episode of "Shanghai Through Our Eyes" features Russian expat Alexander Filippov, principal tuba player in the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Filippov joined the symphony orchestra 22 years ago.

"A lot of changes have taken place in Shanghai over the past 22 years,” he said. "This place (Shanghai Symphony Hall) was a swimming pool at first and then a tennis court."

Filippov recalled that when he was a child, almost every school in Russia had a table tennis room, and he likes to play table tennis game with his colleagues in Shanghai.

"China and Russia are close to each other," he said. "It's important to be good friends. Some old people in Shanghai still remember many words in Russian."