Our Role in Deteriorating US-China Relations

According to recent surveys, 66% of Americans have an unfavorable view of China while 61% of Chinese have an unfavorable view of the U.S.A. As someone who loves China and loves to build friendships between China and the U.S., this grieves me. Many of my friends are global citizens and share my grief. As relations.. read more →

Twenty Seven Americans Went to China in November. Why?

Twenty seven Americans participated in a “voluntourism” trip with Ascend International and her partners (TBL Leadership Partners, Chrysalis Asia) during the month of November.  AI refers to these trips as “l2L” trips. We are serving emerging leaders in China to help them transform from “small l” leaders to “big L leaders.” How did they serve.. read more →

Fighting- It Is What So Many Chinese Do

When a Chinese friend is struggling or needs a little encouragement, often another Chinese friend will come along and either say “fighting” or put a well-placed emoticon of an arm flexing to symbolize and encourage the same thing: “keep fighting.”I wondered where this came from.  My Chinese friend told me it actually originated in Korea,.. read more →

Don’t Try This in America!! (Chinese and American Differences)

Don’t Try This in America! If you are an American who has traveled in China or Chinese who has traveled in the USA, you will notice a big difference in driving habits in these different cultures.  The list of “driving differences” is too many to mention here, but let me note one you may keenly.. read more →

A Bumper Sticker You Won’t See in China (Americans in China blog series)

“Proud Parent of Honor Student at Jixi Middle School.”  You’ll never see that bumper sticker on a car driven in China.  But, each and every day I drive in North Carolina I see bumper stickers like this: “Proud Parent of Honor Student at (whatever school in wherever USA).  Why? Americans are individualistic and independent. We.. read more →