Settling down in Shekou

　　Shao WeixianVENA MA joined her husband, Tuan, in Shenzhen after he had been living here alone for four months, dining at McDonald’s almost every day.From Vietnam, Vena left for the United States for college at the age of 18. She met Tuan, also from Vietnam, at the university. They later married and settled down in the United States. That was 23 years ago.Tuan’s assignment in Shenzhen was quite sudden and unexpected, so Vena stayed behind taking care of packing and disposing of furniture and home appliances.As soon as she arrived at Shekou, she began to like the place. Shekou was quiet, a good place to be home. “It feels like living in a suburban area of a big city in the U.S., where you can enjoy peace and quiet and at the same time, return to the bustling world with merely half an hour’s ride.”Now an American citizen, Vena sees herself as a combination of American and Vietnamese culture.She missed the convenience of living in the U.S., with pharmacy and grocery stores opening 24 hours each day. But there is one thing she is afraid of there. That is, people can get guns easily, generally, within three days. Vena doesn’t believe possessing a gun gives people the protection they want.She spent over 10 years in Alaska, “a place close to nature, where you can take pictures of squirrels and bears in your own yard.” Her house was on the hill, where it was possible to view the whole city as well as the mountain range. “There were times when clouds rose up to the hill, and it would feel like walking in the clouds when taking a walk in the yard,” she said. When the short summer came, Vena’s flower garden would blossom. She would often spend time watching sunrise and sunset, which she never became tired of.Having been in Shekou more than three months, Vena is making herself at home in Jingshan Villa. She is now busy trying to furnish the new home. She did find some furniture at the furniture exhibition last week at the China Hi-Tech Fair Exhibition Center and brought back a bunch of pamphlets. She plans to spend the next few weeks visiting furniture factories.