Like any final chapter it is hard to put into words how one feels about moving on. All that I can say at this point is that I am not leaving sad or glad but just leaving with a good life ahead just like the good life I am leaving behind. Of course there are things I will not miss about living here in China but equally there will be things I will miss. When I think about living freely and moving about and going where I want I feel that this is as much about life here as normal life would be in retirement. Waking up each day with the day ahead, planned or unplanned, but with your own agenda. Having breakfast where and when you want and basically the other meals as well. Sometimes feeling like it is time to eat out and other times like it is time to cook a meal and spend the time preparing it. That is not to say that there are no responsibilities still to family and friends but obviously a freedom when not having to get ready for work and live the day to day grind. I also recognize that as anyone moves from work life to retirement life there is a transition period where you want to feel needed still and contribute yet want the freedom as well so finding the balance is key. How does one feel useful to society yet not carry the burden of work and responsibility on their shoulders in a workplace? How does one fulfill what they want to accomplish each day and perhaps delve into hobbies that they haven’t had time for before but not let it take over their life? Again, balance is key.
During my time in China, starting back to when I first came in the fall of 2019 to live with John in Beijing, I had been afforded the opportunity to explore not only China but also to figure out what I wanted to explore for myself in retirement. One thing I was faced with when living in China was limited access to supplies that I would normally use to take up my time. I was unable to find material or a sewing machine. I was unable to find wool or knitting needles and I was not working anywhere on a regular basis so I volunteered a little bit at John’s school and I got into replacing sewing and knitting with photography experiences I had never had before. Amid going to some wonderful sites like Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, Solana, Dongcheng, Wangfujing, Taoranting Park, Huairou, Dongzhimen in Beijing as well as going to Seoul, Korea and Xian, China all in just the fall of 2019 I was able to start new skills in drawing, painting and writing. This led me to creating the character of Felicity Mouse based on my childhood back home and led to three books with her as the main character. Perhaps having the time to create this series of books was a comfort to me as I held onto the memories of living in Ontario as a child for quite some time and finally I had the time to put them down on paper. I’m sure it also helped me escape the day to day loneliness while John worked each day and although I did do day trips on my own and got comfortable with the idea, I also had to have my downtime routine and projects to complete.
Summing up a period of time leads to so many thoughts it is hard to stay on track but living in Tianjin brought us another fresh start and definitely a positive one. We were happy to explore a new city, a new neighborhood and a new staff and school for John. Definitely a more prestigious position for John to end his career with Maple Leaf International Schools. Although it is not leading to the original pathway to Brockville and the school they purchased there, we would never want this opportunity taken away from us. After a long two weeks of quarantine in Zhengzhou, we hit the road exploring and immediately went to see the Tianjin Eye, the Italian district and explored our own neighborhood of Binhai New Area. We did a practical run to Beijing to our old apartment to pick up various items, mainly my bike and enjoyed going to restaurants which we frequented during our time there. Wonderful, traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were enjoyed with John’s new staff and even cat sitting was on the agenda for me as we welcomed Tino for 10 days into our apartment. We took a fast train to an Italian Style shopping district and also attended the local arts centre for a performance of Academy Award winning songs brought to life by the orchestra and screen shots of the movies behind. We took in a couple of local museums and Eco City during some cold winter days in January. For my birthday we stayed in the upscale Shangri La Hotel which was such a lovely luxury to experience and get through the dull winter. Here at the hotel it was so quiet as there was no one able to travel in from foreign countries that they knew our names within the hour and catered to us whenever we needed something. Life became rather routine after this visit and I once again took to drawing, painting and writing and created my book about Pickles and Parker, the two stray dogs from the corner park. I enjoyed writing this book as much as I did the Felicity Mouse books as I was able to explore a little more about Tianjin and the chinese culture even though it was only in the slightest way.
February we had the whole month off together as John had his winter break to end the second semester of school. We mostly stayed in our own area and discovered the area of Tanguu a couple of subway stops away from us and here John enjoyed bartering for his tobacco supplies and seeking out deals with the vendors for other products. We went downtown again and this time stayed at the Holiday Inn Riverside with a view of the Tianjin Eye and went out in the evening and took a ride on it in a gondola. I took some beautiful night time pictures of Tianjin, so worth the ride. We happened upon food street and antique street which were lively enough for this time of year. Again, two foreigners walking around, we get a lot of attention and eventually we like to retreat to our own quarters after awhile so we spent most of the rest of February in our neighborhood.
Spring arrived and it was time for a last trip to The Great Wall. I did write of it earlier and so suffice it to say that the wall never disappoints. We had a great blue sky day after a night of rain. Lucky for sure! And then the blooms came out on all the cherry, apple and lilac trees and the picture taking has been non stop. What a wonderful time to experience China especially after a full season of winter. The sights and smells seem to come overnight and now with the trees in full form the area looks prepped for the summer. The next two weeks promise double digit temperatures and what a nice way to end my experience. Not too far into the heat of the summer and returning to Ontario to experience their spring in a new house. An exciting time for me to get to see my mom and my boys once again and get my new life underway with John following in early July.
During our time here it was important for us to share our adventure with others and I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who supported us on Facebook by liking our posts as it meant more to us than you think. We had consistent chats with some of you by messenger, We Chat and Zoom and we thank you for taking the time to chat with us live and be updated on your lives at home in Ontario and for listening to us when we needed to hear a voice from home. It will be great to catch up in real time and perhaps even face to face at some point though time will tell when that will be. I am signing off from Tianjin posts for now…it’s up to John to finish the blog in style.
Bye for now from Wendy, a Canadian in Tianjin, China.