Living alone is the lifestyle of many Chinese intellectuals in their later years living in Vancouver.

Recently, I watched a Japanese drama that tells the story of a Japanese woman living alone. The female lead is a hardworking professional who rewards herself with delicious food, which is her greatest joy. Every evening after work, she carefully prepares her meals, from selecting ingredients to plating, with a strong sense of ritual. She enjoys her little drinking time alone, undisturbed and without conversation, yet she finds joy in it.

As the saying goes: one person doesn’t drink, two people don’t play cards. But the female lead enjoys a sip of chilled beer and a bite of her dish, relishing a happiness that others may not understand.

I occasionally scroll through Douyin and see that this lifestyle of living alone, similar to that of Japanese women, has become prevalent among the post-90s white-collar workers in mainland China. Especially now, with takeout and pre-prepared meals being so popular, and housing prices remaining high, the cost of raising children is extremely high for young professionals. Thus, this way of living alone, where one person eats enough to keep the family from going hungry, has become a trend.

It is well known that Canada is a high-welfare country. I am not very familiar with other cities in Canada, but in Vancouver, where I live, aside from high prices and housing costs, there are many benefits available for having and raising children. The child benefit increases almost every year, which greatly alleviates the economic pressure on young people to create new life. Although young people here do not romanticize the single life of living alone like the Japanese do, it is evident that a significant number of young Canadians are living alone.

Many early Chinese immigrants are now generally over 55 years old, and most are retired intellectuals, with many being divorced, widowed, or single. Although these middle-aged and elderly individuals also long for remarriage and companionship for the rest of their lives, it is difficult for them to achieve this due to various reasons. They reluctantly choose the lifestyle of living alone, and there are also many who have been hurt in love or have seen through the world and actively choose not to enter marriage again, becoming the elderly who live alone.

Living alone not only provides freedom but also avoids disputes arising from property ownership and inheritance rights. Those who live alone do not want to let opportunistic "partners" take away "half of their territory." If they find a compatible companion, they often share a hotel room as travel partners, embracing each other and enjoying life, thus avoiding the dual loss of emotional changes and the transfer of "territory."

Intellectuals are a sensitive group, especially middle-aged and elderly intellectuals who have immigrated from mainland China to Canada. They face many social and personal issues and have many concerns, but fortunately, they have not lost their love for their homeland and have formed many friendships. Although they live alone, their lives are rich and colorful. Taking Vancouver as an example, regardless of the season, various cultural exchange activities such as hometown associations, poetry clubs, and dance fashion shows are constantly happening. Various activities organized by the three levels of government also see a large number of Chinese middle-aged and elderly individuals participating.

After a long period of dormancy, it is natural for people to want to take action. In the beautiful mountains and waters of Vancouver, there are Chinese middle-aged and elderly individuals hiking; on the lush green lawns, there are small groups of golf enthusiasts; on the snow-capped mountains, there are seniors in their sixties reliving the skiing dreams of their youth...

On the Ghost Festival, the blue moonlight permeates the quiet night sky of Vancouver, and the autumn streets are alive with the sound of light raindrops. The autumn wind sweeps up every fallen leaf returning to its roots, dispersing the haze settled from the forest fires. The moonlight becomes clearer, and those who live alone await the beautiful mid-autumn festival!