A snowy street in Tianjin. December, 1994.
As most of you know, Betsy loves snow and has been bitterly disappointed that we haven’t had any so far this winter. We had a problem with black ice Saturday night/Sunday morning here on Plateau, but that’s not the same thing.
So, being the nice husband that I am, I tried to find a picture with snow that Betsy hadn’t seen. In the process I reminded myself of what it means to feel cold.
The picture above was taken outside the main gate to Tianjin Foreign Language University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, in December, 1994. I was teaching English at the university that year. The street scene is very typical of Tianjin at that time — a few motorized vehicles, but lots of bicycles.
We didn’t have a great deal of snow in Tianjin that year, but it sure was cold. Like everyone else, I rode a bicycle when I had to go somewhere beyond walking distance. My apartment had heat, but the classrooms were unheated. I’ll have to admit that I never quite got used to teaching with my winter coat and gloves on!
Fortunately spring did come to Tianjin and we all thawed out. But I do have many happy memories of my year in Tianjin and I hope Betsy appreciates the opportunity to see some snow!
Senior Moments 