This must've been a wild experience. I, too, have many memories of being ambushed for photos with strangers — and yes, especially on the Bund.

As for hair, I love "ramen noodle hair," lol. Such a cute phrase. My hair isn't as curly anymore thanks to a loooong-standing iron deficiency, but it was still curly in China, and a shade that basically hybridized red, gold, and brown. I also have (naturally) very long eyelashes with a natural curl. Chinese people occasionally asked me how much my hair cost and insisted its color and texture couldn't be real; likewise, I was often assumed to be rich for my supposedly "fake" eyelashes, and shopkeepers once argued with each other right in front of me (not realizing I could understand) about whether my eyelashes were real.

China was a fascinating, heart-warming place... :)