Finger Painting By Grace (Potted flower)

Grace

I have always enjoyed art. I like making things with my hands. I always have.

I now volunteer and make things here, at The Core, and also at Arts Cafe.

In Hong Kong I taught in community centres to different groups, old and young. I taught lessons from painting and crafts to making traditional Chinese desserts. When I was young, my dream was to be a teacher, like Ricky, and I’ve carried that part of myself through every stage of life. Teaching has always been important to me.

After moving to the UK, painting became a way for me to stay connected to myself. It helps me to feel calm.

Acrylic Painting By Ricky (Face)

Ricky

I don’t paint, this is just practice. I painted this face and… It’s not good.

It turns out, painting a face is not easy.

In Hong-Kong I worked as a secondary school teacher, not in Art, in English and Mathematics. Teaching suited me well because I do like structure, and learning, and helping people to understand things clearly. I like teaching students that it might not be good’ at first, but there is always room for progress.

I like to learn too. Even after moving to the UK, I kept studying. I did courses like TESOL [Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages] and I continued looking for ways to work in education again.

In early 2024 I started working as a Learning Support Assistant in adult education.

Mini Moon Cakes And Moulds

Ricky and Grace

The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, where the moon is believed to be at its brightest. People gather together and eat a rich, sweet, Chinese pastry called ‘mooncakes’.

We’ve had these mooncake moulds for about ten years and they were one of the things we brought with us from Hong Kong. We usually make mini moon cakes to share, to give to friends because it’s one of those small ways you can stay connected to people. These moulds have personal significance to us.

They might just look like baking tools. And, yes you can buy them on Amazon here, but we kept these in our cases because they’re not just ‘equipment’. These are our connection to Hong-Kong, to other people, and to keeping our culture going even if 6,000 miles away.

Seasonal Clothing

We didn’t seriously consider the weather before moving to the UK. People always talk about it, but it’s different when you actually live it.

In Hong Kong, summer can be over 30 degrees. Winter is cold sometimes, especially when the wind comes down from Siberia through mainland China, but it’s not the same kind of cold as here. It could get to just below 10 degrees in Hong Kong, but I had never seen snow before coming to the UK. When we arrived here we quickly realised that we were not dressed for this.

But even if we had thought about the weather properly, we still would have come. We didn’t overthink everything. We just knew we had to leave. And we’re glad that we did. Solihull is home now.

Handmade Items From The Heart

Ricky

When we moved to Solihull, we didn’t just want to live here. We wanted to be a part of it, and to create a community.

Volunteering became one of the ways we did that. It helped us interact with people, build community, and feel connected to the place we now call home. It also helped us keep learning, especially improving our English, without pressure. We’ve volunteered in different ways: litter picking, community activities, creativity and making things with others.

Sometimes Grace helps with the creative sessions. Once, there weren’t enough materials, so she decided to make something simple and then give her own materials away so that everyone could take part. There were around 48 people that day, more than usual, but it mattered to her that no one was left out.

Traditional Chinese Lanterns And Ink Drawing

Grace

Chinese New Year brings out traditions. We hang out lights and lanterns every year here, but even in Hong Kong now you see it less and less. People are busy, the world has changed, and a lot of the old traditions don’t get passed on.

I still love Chinese tradition. I love how much meaning can be packed into something so simple. I’ve volunteered and participated in Chinese lanterns making classes here. It’s not complicated work, but people enjoy it.

It feels familiar. It’s something I did before life dramatically changed, just in a different place. And when people take them home, it feels like they’ve taken a small piece of that time, and my culture, with them.

Items that connect Grace with her Family

Grace

In Hong Kong my relationship with my younger brother wasn’t very close. We were both busy with work, always rushing, always trying to keep up with life. Even though we lived in the same place, we didn’t always have time for each other. There were so many people wanting our attention.

At the same time that we were moving to the UK, my brother, his wife and their daughter were too. Now they are the only family we have here and our relationship has changed.

We see each other more. They come to our house just to chat and we have dinner together. Nothing formal. Just family time.

Sometimes we even go to the supermarket together, like COSTCO, to do a big shop!

Wedding Photo 1981

Grace

Ricky and I got married in 1981, which still surprises people when they hear it. That’s 45 years. We’ve always lived a simple life, not really celebrating anniversaries. We certainly never expected to have our own museum. We’re just ordinary people.

Ricky was born in Hong Kong and I was born in mainland China, moving to Hong-Kong when I was five. We met in our twenties or early thirties, where we built our life and where we raised our child who is 36 now. We never thought we would leave, but at the beginning of 2021, something shifted. Hong Kong didn’t feel optimistic, and the decision for Ricky and I was sudden.

We knew we just had to get out and that was the very first time we stepped onto UK soil. We have been here since and have made this home.

Ricky’s English Teaching Book from Hong Kong

Ricky

Teaching is one of the few things in my life that has always made sense to me.

I’ve always been drawn to subjects that are clear and structured. Chinese. Maths. English. They’re subjects where you have to be patient and precise. See, you build understanding step by step, and don’t move forward until you understand.

That’s how I think, and that’s how I teach. It’s about helping someone else feel like they can do it. Helping them believe they can figure it out. Watching their confidence grow as they learn always makes me happy.

This is always a challenge, and the joy is embedded in that challenge. Challenge is what makes the eventual success so rewarding.

Items of Ricky and Grace’s Shared Moments

Ricky

Grace and I spent quite a lot of time studying and working in Hong Kong, so it was difficult to find time together. When we did have free time, we would go walking. We love walking in Solihull’s countryside and have now found more time for us.

Sometimes we meet friends and relatives, just to chat. We spend time together over food and small routines like shopping. It’s part of how we’ve built community here, alongside our volunteering and work.

We also like visiting places together like London, Oxford and Manchester. We’re still exploring the UK, but we’re enjoying walking through it together.

Little by little. Step by step.