In September 2011, Brian and I moved to Hangzhou, China to study Mandarin. After two semesters of language study, we moved to Shanghai in December 2012 for employment. Neither of our jobs existed when we first moved to China, one of many indications of how quickly this country is changing. Though not always with regularity, we post amusing and reflective anecdotes, insights, pictures, videos, and in general our modest observations about daily life in this country.
With over four years under our belts in the Middle Kingdom, we're meeting more and more people who possess a deep familiarity with China: they have lived here for many years, they have Chinese ancestry, and/or they have dedicated much of their lives to exploring the mysteries of this country. We are grateful and humbled that they include us as conversation partners. Their insights have proven to be very informative as we try, in our own little way, to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultures.
The longer we live here, the more realize we don't know. China has a 5000+ year history, and a population of 1.3 billion people. Understandably, it's an incredibly complex country where any conclusion we make based on our observations has just as many counterpoints that would prove us wrong. In short, we offer our ideas loosely, and are open to the questions and critiques of our readers (you! :). Indeed, it is through such questioning and dialoguing that we all learn.