THE ENVIRONMENT

In Tianjin however, people view it as their right to set fireworks off.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem likely that at any time soon the pollution problems will be resolved. What I don't understand is the attitude to fireworks. In Beijing and Hong Kong there are strict rules about letting fireworks off and private displays are largely banned. In Tianjin however, people view it as their right to set fireworks off. If you speak to your neighbours they will tell you they know it is bad but they will say "but they make the place lively". Deaths, marriages, or scaring off of ghosts are all excuses for a good explosion. If you haven't spent the Spring Festival here yet, boy are you in for a surprise. You will think the sky is alight.

One positive development is the amount of trees and flowers that are planted every year. If you look closely you will see that some trees are wearing "clothes", that is the bottom of the trunks are bound with some kind of fabric to protect them from the cold. In some places they are actually covered with a tarpaulin. My friend says she knows that spring has definitely come because the trees are not wearing clothes any more. Some trees are taken away and brought back in spring. I don't know if they take the dead ones away and bring back living ones, or whether it is just to protect that particular species from the cold.

The parks are something that I will really want to praise. Whether your favourite is the famous Water Park, or the People's Park, or Nan Cui Ping Park, (for those of you who don't know, this used to be a rubbish heap and it was transformed into small but very beautiful park), you will have to agree that they are all going from strength to strength. A lot of money has been ploughed into them and this year the flower displays were spectacular. The roses were particularly beautiful. Somebody pointed out to me that it is Tianjin's native flower.

This year I saw an amazing sight, I saw what looked like humming birds in the beds of flowers. I was baffled as they looked exactly like the birds complete with the proboscis, but they were too small. I checked and discovered that they were humming bird moths. Since I have been here I have seen some birds and insects that I have never ever seen before.

I love the fact that all the parks seem to have beautiful pagodas and pavilions. These pavilions are meeting places where people commonly gather to play music and sing and dance. If you want to hear traditional Chinese music, these pavilions are the places to go to. So although the pollution is something that will be here for some time, a lot is being done to make the quality of life for locals and expats better. Make sure you take full advantage of what is on offer here.

THE PEOPLE

By far the Tianjin's most valuable asset is the people. Tianjiners pride themselves on loving their city, and whereas Chinese people in other cities are quite happy, should the opportunity arise, to go abroad to live, most Tianjiners do not have this wish. In London there is a huge Chinese population, but I have rarely met someone from Tianjin. The fact that they love their home and do not want to leave it has a good and a bad side. The good side is that most people here are locals, (unlike in Beijing where most people have come from other places), which definitely has an impact on the dynamics of the city. That is why we say that Tianjin is a big city with a small town mentality. It is very comfortable to live here, it has most of the conveniences of Beijing, but the pace of life is slower and it is a much safer city. This also means that some people can be quite narrow-minded and stubborn in their ideas, as they have never travelled and just believe what their friends tell them. One man told me his family lives in Canada but he can only live there part time with them as he cannot get used to it and spends much of the year here. When I told him "When in Rome…" he replied "I am a Tianjiner, we cannot change" (我是天津人我们改不了)

Actually people's attitudes are changing slowly. When I first heard of the new no smoking laws, I was really sceptical. I really didn't see how this law was going to be enforced. Indeed there are still people that smoke and the restaurants allow them to, despite the fact that they are facing a fine if they get reported. However it is also true to say that many people are becoming quite vocal in their condemnation of those that do break the rules. It is also true to say that some smokers have started to go outside restaurants to smoke.

How about the spitting? Yes many people do spit, but there are more people that do not spit and they are also becoming quite vocal about how it is a disgusting habit. I honestly do not know anyone that spits, I would be quick to tell them if they did, but everyone I know thinks the same as we do. Queue jumping? Yes it is still a problem, but as many of you may have noticed, people are starting to queue in the right place to get on the train in the metro. As stated before, the wheels of change turn slowly, but they are turning.

If you are fortunate enough to have close friends that are Tianjiners, you will find them to be warm and hospitable to the point that it will almost drive you crazy. They are humorous and love to joke. They enjoy the simple pleasures in life like eating and drinking with friends and family. They are generous to the point that they often inconvenience themselves in order to help someone. Loyalty is a highly prized characteristic and Tianjiners have it in abundance. They will stick by their friends no matter what. To quote one of my friends "It does not matter if my friends are right or wrong, I will still support them".

Having Tianjiners as friends is what adds colour to my life here. Through their eyes I have been able to see Tianjin for what it is, a city that is trying hard to improve and is actually succeeding. Tianjin is far from perfect, but let's face it, where we come from is not perfect either. Tianjin is an amazing city and my hope is that it will go from strength to strength. Is Tianjin a first class city? Not yet, but it will be. Thank you Tianjin, we love you.