Robert Wong Based in Edmonton , Robert Wong is a retired mathematics teacher . Unlike Ted , he never considered himself to be especially crafty during his career . But during retirement , he embraced the opportunity to learn new skills , teaching himself to make miniature models , soapstone carvings , and most recently , pottery .
“ The year before I retired , I led a student trip to China and Hong Kong ,” Robert says . “ In Hong Kong , there is a famous street of toy shops . I was amazed at all the different miniature models on display , and I ended up spending quite a bit .”
After retiring , Robert wanted to continue collecting miniatures but found the Canadian prices prohibitive . “ I looked at the different sets that were for sale , and I thought I could probably make that myself ,” he says .
Robert began experimenting and learning from YouTube tutorials . Then , he started building shops and whole streets as he remembered them from his childhood in Hong Kong .
From there , he realized he had time to learn just about any skill that caught his interest . When he saw a display of beautiful soapstone carvings for sale in Jasper , instead of buying the finished products , he invested in a soapstone carving kit . Now , he ’ s started teaching himself the basics of pottery — the only challenge is finding enough space to store and display all his creations .
news & views AUTUMN 2022 | 25