I've been in love for years...with China.

It all started out as admiration from afar. I'd been fascinated with much of Chinese culture during my high school years.

Taoism became my adopted religion.

I developed a palate for Chinese cuisine.

At the art museum, I was drawn to Chinese art and calligraphy.

I loved traditional Chinese medicine.

Coming to work or live in China never crossed my mind.

However, I was determined to live the "expat" life after college graduation. I assiduously searched for the opportunity to work in Europe or South America. But nothing terribly inspired me.

Running out of options, I visited the International Office. Oddly, they suggested I go teach in China through their program.

Teach in China? Not only did I long dislike teaching, but I'd never considered living in China. Still, I thought it over.

Finally, in 1999, I agreed to spend a year at Henan College of Education in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.

Why? I was extremely curious about this mysterious giant across the ocean. What was modern China really like? And, in the meantime, I could indulge my secret passion for Chinese culture.

This passion grew while I was in Zhengzhou, China. It grew through my friends and my experiences, both full of joy and sorrow.

Meanwhile, I began studying Chinese. I discovered my pronunciation was pretty good, a must for excellent Chinese. With the help of my tutor, I made rapid progress. After several months, my skill level even surpassed that of a foreign teacher who had been in China for four years!

I returned home to the US after spending a year teaching in China. While I'd planned to study Chinese in Beijing that summer, my plans went awry. So, after three weeks of bumming around Suzhou, I needed to recharge myself.

Also, I was determined to find "meaningful work related to my major" (ha!).

China never left me while in the US. I often dreamt of China, often longed for her streets, and yearned to reunite with my old friends there. Especially, I missed the adventure and stimulation of a foreign and highly fascinating culture.

I even enrolled in a Chinese class at a local community college. It just wasn't the same...

A wonderful friend and career counselor, Jim, sparked my interest one chilly day in March. He said, "why don't you return to China?" From that moment on, I was determined to make my way in China. But, NOT as a mere English teacher.

I searched high and low on the internet for some meaningful opportunities. As it happened, a renewable energy organization in Hangzhou, China called IN-SHP was recruiting volunteers. They invited me to join them.

I realized the pay was low and I would have to sacrifice my privacy. Still, it appealed to my "closet environmentalism"! I agreed, and arrived in Hangzhou in August, 2001.

But, what a fiasco! Disorganization, disregard for employees, poor living conditions, no workplace community...IN-SHP brought me four months of calamitous experiences.

I left IN-SHP, without even a job in hand. I felt certain I could land better opportunities, even if it meant <gasp> teaching English! Well, at least teaching English brings you respect. Four months without respect leaves you starving, believe me!

New opportunities came along with the auspicious year of the horse. On January 2nd, I met the CEO of an excellent Chinese internet company. He needed someone to build his English websites and provide English training for his staff. And there were benefits...and a REAL salary. Oh, joyful day!

I joined the internet company on January 5, 2002, and enjoyed several months of engaging work while learning HTML, Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop. But after a while I found the job stagnating. Top-down management was frustrating and I had little opportunity for advancement.

I'd planned to stick it out for a little while before quitting to study Chinese...but the company beat me to it. After one year of work, they let me go, citing they no longer needed the services of a foreigner.

Hangzhou's job market offered little promise, so I took a leap of faith and moved to Shanghai. Luck wasn't far behind either, because my first job interview hired me on the spot--as a print copywriter.

In July 2004, I hit another milestone in my China career -- I said "I do" to my life partner and now husband John (aka Yu Jun). We hope to get his green card in 2005 and plan to head back to the US where he will continue his psychology studies.

I've never forgotten my passion for China, through all of my experiences. So, I decided to share that passion through this website. From what I saw, many websites failed to capture the spirit of living in China through a unique voice and eclectic stories.

So, come with me to explore China! We'll find the nooks, crannies, and odd corners...and enjoy the surprises and wonders.

And, maybe you'll fall in love too...you never know. :-)