Sam Merry

Dragon Chasing the Sun Sam Merry

Sam Merry records his experiences of mysterious and exciting China between 2002-8, when he taught English in Beijing, Dongguan and Qingdao, before the Olympic Games. He examines the unpopular One-Child policy on family from the point of view of his Chinese wife's family. He looks at the concept of Shangrila, recounts an enjoyable day-trip to the Great Wall of China and re-examines the impact of Tiananmen, 1989 and what it tells us about the Party. He describes a long train through China and examines the "Chinglish" phenomenon, the meaning of Christmas and ubiquitous Chinese sexism in the Year of the Pig. He discusses excellent Chinese cuisine and questionable table manners, filial obedience, a Chinese Hospital in Qingdao and Teaching Expectations in China, as well as Olympic preparations. He meets his future Chinese wife's family for New Year and concludes with a look from 2015 at themes discussed in the book. Readers will find many interesting first-hand observations by a writer who has thought hard about what it means to be Chinese in his second home. With 75 black and white photographs