From near-death experiences during a terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka to surviving the great Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami; from closing deals in secret alcohol joints in the Middle East that were reserved for high-powered expatriates and clandestine sheiks to being held hostage in a Beijing office building, my working life has been nothing short of dramatic.
And what better way to take stock of the surprises life throws you than to write a book detailing all its highs and lows?
I loved to write since I was young. I remember publishing my first short essay in the local newspaper at the age of ten, in which I related my travel experiences in Australia. Subsequently, the pressures of high school, army, college and work meant that writing for leisure had to take a backseat.
My first job brought me across the world to meet companies and a wide range of personalities. At least half of my waking hours were either spent on planes or in exotic spots around the world. I thought that I had developed a good handle on managing complex situations.
Then I moved to China. China chastened me.
What happened to me between 2008 and 2013 in China was so extraordinary, challenging and incoherent that I decided to compile them into little short stories about two years ago to try to make sense of the chaos. Over coffee with my friend Grace (who is now my co-author), I mentioned my little book project. The book you’re holding today is the culmination of our efforts which started from this random chat.
As a foreigner living in China during one of the most exciting periods of the country’s growth, I have had the privilege to witness several major events unfold in the global economic and political arena from the eyes of its people. As one of the world’s major superpowers and the rising star of the Pacific Century, China’s over rapid economic development have resulted in irreversible impacts in the country’s people and social structure.
China itself poses so many contradictions. Through this novel, I hope to share my views on why things are done in a certain way in China, as well as what doesn’t work, in an entertaining yet informative way.
I am also extremely interested in human psychology. While there have been many books written on how to navigate this vast and complex nation, few have attempted to feature the personality traits of the Chinese individual and decipher what it means to be truly Chinese.
This book, while by no means complete, makes a bold attempt at capturing the Chinese’s multifaceted behaviors and mentality, as well as their sometimes idiosyncratic ways of dealing with issues.
To those who haven’t been to China, I hope that through this book, you can get a fresh perspective on the country, and find some useful principles and lessons to guide you, should you go to China at some point in your career or life.
