One month in… things are falling into place.

One month ago today, I arrived back in China. I now have three jobs and I'm moving into my own apartment this week. Life is easy here. There are so many opportunities and it's simple to get your feet on the ground and to build a life. After spending the past two years in Canada trying to do the same, but with little success, it is such a relief to finally be moving in a positive direction. China is very good to me!

This month I have enjoyed reconnecting with the friends I met when I was here in the spring, and I've also made a handful of new friends, each with their own interesting stories to tell. Shenzhen is a very international city, which is one of the attractions here. There is the old life mixed in too, creating a dynamic environment.

At the beginning of the month I did a lot of walkabouts. One late afternoon I walked along the waterfront where the fish boats come in. It has always been one of my favourite spots. As the sun was going down, the sky turned a beautiful red and the silhouettes of people fishing off the dock was stunning. It felt good to be out and about, mingling with the locals, although keeping to myself. It can be lonely when one first arrives in a place, and it helps just to get out and be amongst others, even without interaction.

Random pictures...

Fish sculptures at Seaworld

Street performance

The longer I'm here, the more inspiring this city becomes. I visited a friend's place the other day and his neighbourhood was a whole new fascination. The building across from him provided the most beautifully symmetrical tower of lives. Life spilled out onto the balconies, with laundry strung about, colourful bowls and bins here and there, women washing clothes or preparing food. It's all so natural and so real. I love the way everyone lives so closely together, in rows and rows of apartments side by side.

I love the geometric style of this building, with the flashes of colourful laundry.

Colourful living.

There are new buildings popping up everywhere in Shenzhen.

All kinds of meat, drying in the street.

I have had the privilege of seeing and experiencing many different places in my life so far, and I am so very happy and excited to be starting this new China chapter of my life. I am in love with the sights and sounds and smells, the people, the personalities, the warm weather, and I love how the streets come alive at night. In the cool evenings people take to the streets to eat together, play instruments together, and to have exercise classes with matching jump suits! There are so many things here that I have never seen anywhere else. It really is a breath of fresh air… and for the record, the air is pretty clean here, and there are plenty of blue sky days!