Charles Kirtley

MY body clock woke me up at 4:30 a.m. this morning. I got up, made coffee, and fired up the computer where I checked email, read the news, and did a few other things, including a little online research for something I’m writing. I posted a few pictures and a story to my private blog. Later I took a shower.

A few minutes past noon, I went for a walk in the beautiful Lianhua Hill Park. After two and a half hours of walking around, I bought the day’s newspapers and went to a cafe to read it. I ordered an ice cold beer and a small snack.

In my neighborhood, there are few Westerners, so I stick out when I walk around. Small children and old people seem to find my presence especially interesting. When I pass a group of children in their school uniforms, at least one or two will call out, “Hello.” Old people will smile and nod as we pass each other.

It’s easy to meet people in Futian. Most Chinese are very friendly and the foreigners who live here are quite outgoing. I met a young Chinese student at the cafe where I was reading today. He is a student at McGill University in Canada studying for his Ph.D. He is visiting his parents while on summer vacation. We talked for a few minutes and exchanged email addresses.

I returned home around 4 p.m., took another shower and put on clean clothes. My wife and I took a taxi to CoCo Park where we met some friends for dinner.

After dinner, we walked to La Casa to see who was there and say hello to David, the bar and restaurant’s owner.

Returning home for the evening at about 10 p.m., we watched a little TV before going to bed. This is a typical day in my life in Futian.

In addition to the many days similar to the one described above, my wife and I have an active social life. We have many friends and acquaintances, both foreign and Chinese. We get together with our friends and family for a meal or a party once or twice a week.

We usually make it to the symphony at least once a month. I play international chess at CoCo Park once or twice a week.

Many Sundays we listen to live music at open mic night at La Casa. Occasionally we’ll go to the Futian Library and spend a few air-conditioned hours reading periodicals.

We see nearly all the new museum exhibits. We attend many of the trade fairs and exhibitions that are staged in Shenzhen. Once we went to a Chinese basketball game at a sports venue. Occasionally we’ll watch a movie in a theater.

Another of my favorite activities is to accompany my wife to the market. I never get tired of seeing all the fresh fruits and veggies on display, and the live fish and fowl in their tanks and cages.

I don’t own a car because the Shenzhen public transportation system is excellent.

There is a vibrant online community here which is another way to make new friends and acquaintances.

One of the best things about living in Futian is the hundreds of restaurants and cafes that are everywhere. We enjoy taking an evening stroll to find new ones. We’ve seldom been disappointed with the food.

We live in a nice middle-class apartment across the street from Lianhua Hill Park, and coincidentally, just a five minutes’ walk from the Shenzhen Daily offices. The rent is quite reasonable.

It sounds like a quiet and simple life, and it is. But I find it endlessly fascinating. Every day brings small new adventures and experiences. Life is what you make of it.

(Charles Kirtley, from North Carolina, the United States, is a retired professional numismatist. He lives in Shenzhen with his Chinese wife, whom he married in 2012. )