Chapter 1
Getting Oriented
(1988)

1 Detour From Australia 2
2 “Jade Islands” 6
3 China Our Matchmaker 11
4 Slow Boat to Amoy 17

Chapter 2
Xiamen University Holiday Village
(09/1988 to 01/1989)

5 Student Life at Holiday Inn 26
6 Iceboxer Rebellion 31
7 Cafeteria Wars 35
8 TVs and Toast 39
9 Half the Sky 45
10 Room Service 49
11 Wheels in Amoy 52
12 Vanilla in the Paint Store 55
13 Going Postal 61
14 Beauty and the Beach 64
15 Well Seasoned Greetings 66


Chapter 3
MBA & XMU Foreign Experts Guesthouse
(01/1989 to 03/1990)

16 China’s First MBA! 70
17 Good Morning, China! 76
18 Payday 79
19 Chinese New Year – Live Long and Prosper 85
20 My Chinese New Year Prisoner 91
21 No Books, No Class! 94
22 Body Spaces 99
23 Amoy’s Most Festive Holiday 102
24 Talking Turkey (Chinese Thanksgiving) 106
25 Merry Amoy Christmas 109

Chapter 4
Lingfeng – Little House on the Hilltop
(03/1990 to 12/1993)

26 Lingfeng – Little House on the Hilltop 116
27 Turning the Tea Table 120
28 These Are the Magi – Gift-giving in China 123
29 Flowers on Horseback 128
30 Happy Holidays 132
31 The Tao of Tea 136
32 Gulangyu – Richest Square Mile on Earth 139
33 Amoy Taboos 143
34 When Silence Is Not Golden 146
35 Fujian’s 1st Foreign Green Card 152
36 I Voted ! (Mountains High, Emperor Far Away) 156
37 Friendship Award 160
38 Foreign Devils and Friends 164

Chapter 5
Exploring China and Amoy People
(10/1994 to Present)

39 Around China in 80 Days (Ⅰ) 170
40 Around China in 80 Days (Ⅱ) 176
41 Millionaire Maid 182
42 Amoy Captures the Dutch! 190
43 Y2K End of the Road? 195
44 Our Made in China Marriage : 20 years! 201
45 Xiamen Wins the “Green Oscar” 204
46 Robin Fei Fei – The Best Student I Never Had 207
47 Flowers on Horseback, Dismounting the Tiger 210

Epilogue 214