One would think that we should have had this done previous to now but we have been in a pretty good place and routine and quite honestly keep forgetting about the blog only because it was something we did in Beijing and not here in Canada. So basically from our perspective now we are sitting here in Ontario on the Big Rideau waiting for the ‘go ahead’ sign to return to Beijing. To be honest we have been waiting for this for awhile but the day to day news is just starting to show a light as we sit here at the end of April 2020. What started out to be a three week stay packed with visiting and travelling about to various locations has ended up being a three month stay and we have been at our current location since March 14th so a month and a half. Just previous to staying here we were at Phil and Kathrina’s for a bit and now at Paul and Lyse’s so we thank all of them for seeing us through this emergency living situation that we found ourselves in.
Our day to day life has included lots of walks together and thoughts of planning out our next year. We do have some news and that includes a continued time in China as John has secured a principal position at a Maple Leaf School in Tianjin. At this point we are unsure as to the duration of this position. It could be five months or it could be a year and a half, this remains to be seen. In the mean time we will continue to walk, bike, and enjoy the outdoors. John may continue writing songs. I have continued a little bit with my book and the further adventures of Felicity the Mouse but have also sewn made some COVID masks, pot holders, oven mitts, hot pot placemats and aprons. I have also made a paper mache sun and did some paintings through online teaching and some illustrations for the book. My favorite accomplishment has been picking up wood from the side of the road and making rustic frames for some of my photos and also I made a rustic table, trying to remember how to do it from memory from a course taken 7 years ago.
So our hope is to return to China mid May or June 2020 and move apartments from Beijing to Tianjin and continue on our Asian Adventures! An ancient Chinese Proverb comes to mind…A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. We are in a trial period as we wait for the quarantine to be lifted however we hope for the shiny gem at the end of continued travel and the final gem to return home.
