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Name: Mable Chan / 陳美寶

Hometown: Hong Kong, China

Birthday: July 18

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University, New York University, Syracuse University, The Juilliard School

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Job: President/Founder of Mable Chan & Company and One in a Billion Productions (501c3)

Asia connection: Born in Hong Kong

China story: Covered stories about China as a Hong Kong-based TV journalist, Studied Chinese history at Harvard, Speaks fluent Cantonese & Mandarin.

China Travel: Beijing, Guangzhou, Macau, Nanchang, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Zuhai

International Travel: Canada, Mexico, England, France, Monaco, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Cambodia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand

Hobbies: Piano, Tennis, Yoga, Chinese Calligraphy

Heroes: Aung San Suu Kyi

Blog Beats: #Lifestyle, #Language, #Communication, #Relationship, #“Face”

Contact: MableChan@oneinabillionvoices.org


Name: Jesse Appell

Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts

Birthday: July 19, 1990

University Attended: Brandeis University B.A ’12, Minzu University 中央民族大学 Affiliation for Fulbright Project

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Job: Comedian, Actor, Teacher

Asia connection: I’ve studied Chinese at college and studied abroad at several programs, including HBA, CET, and this fall at IUP.

China story: I’ve tried to learn as much about China as I can, which means that I try to meet and talk to lao beijingren and lawyers, businessmen and bus drivers, traders and tea farmers… China is a place where I can commit every ounce of my energy and afterward still find more worth exploring.

China Travel: I’ve lived in Beijing for 7 months or so, but have traveled to many places, like Kunming, Jinghong, Menghai, Xi’an, Chengdu, Mt. Emei, Leshan, Luoyang, Hangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, as well as the countryside of Hebei province.

International Travel: I’ve been to Canada and Spain on vacation, and to Israel to visit in-laws.

Hobbies: Improv comedy, filming funny videos, writing, photography, entrepreneurship, journalism… and of course, Chinese!

Heroes: Probably the closest I have to a hero would be my favorite author, Jorge Luis Borges.

Blog Beats: #comedy, #thefunnyside

Contact: ja.appell@gmail.com


Name: Hannah Bae / 배한나

Hometown: Fairfax County, Virginia

 

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Job: Writer and freelance journalist; currently a fellow at Asian American Writers’ Workshop


Asia connection: Lived in South Korea from 2007-2013 and developed an interest in Northeast Asian affairs

China story: I once went to a restaurant operated by the North Korean regime in Beijing. The food was mediocre.

China Travel: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, Beijing, Dalian

International Travel: I have to check my passport for the full list, but off the top of my head, my destinations in Asia have included South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, maybe more…

Hobbies: illustration, cooking, eating, volunteering/community service, reading, caring for my black Labrador named Ramona 

Heroes: Jean Lee, Kyung Yoon, M. Evelina Galang, Alexander Chee

Blog Beats: #MentalHealth, #Feminism, #Activism, #HumanRights, #Food, #CommunityService

Contact: hannahbae.comtwitter.com/hanbaeinstagram.com/hannahbaefb.com/thehannahbae


Name: Andrea Blinkhorn

Hometown: Albany, New York

Birthday: December 22nd

University Attended/Affiliated: Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, The Ohio State University

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Job: Graduate Student

Asia connection: Lived in China from July 2012-July 2013 teaching, eating, and experiencing Chinese culture and history.

China Travel: Kunming, Lincang, Dali, Lijiang, Shantou, Nan’ao Dao, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Yangshuo, Nanjing

International Travel: France, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Greece

Hobbies: Reading about foreign affairs, running, playing basketball, and hiking!

Heroes: Samantha Power, Rana Husseini

Blog Beat: On Point, Out of Sync, On the Town, On the Move

Contact: blinkhorn.3@gmail.com


Name: Xian Bu / 步宪

Hometown: Harbin, China

Birthday: November 24

University Attended/Affiliated: Columbia University, Boston College

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Job: Producer & Presenter, “Bubu Travels The World”

Asia connection: independent video team & studio based in China, family and friends in China

China story: Born and raised in China

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Dalian, Shenyang, etc.

International Travel: U.K., Mexico, Canada, Japan, Russia, Tanzania, Kenya, South Korea, Israel, Palestine, Thailand, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Zambia, India

Hobbies: piano, singing, snowboarding

Heroes: Leehom Wang

Blog Beats: #On the Move, #Relationship, #Lifestyle, #On Success

Contact: xian.bu.1@gmail.com


Name: Anita Chary

Hometown: Savoy, IL

Birthday: January 27

University Attended/Affiliated: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Washington University in St. Louis, Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency

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Job: Chief Resident, Emergency Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Asia connection: I haven’t traveled to China yet, but met Mable Chan through Harvard University and connected to the One in a Billion podcast/site

China story: Covered stories about China as a Hong Kong-based TV journalist, Studied Chinese history at Harvard, Speaks fluent Cantonese & Mandarin.

China Travel: Haven’t been yet, but it’s on the list!

International Travel: India, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Turkey, Greece, Italy, England, Egypt, Australia

Hobbies: Yoga

Heroes: Michelle Obama

Blog Beats:#culture

Contact: anita.chary@mgh.harvard.edu 


Name: Kalos Chu

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Birthday: November 29

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard College; English Major

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Asia connection: First Generation Chinese-American

Hobbies: Writing, Musical Theater, Biking

Heroes: Alan Yang, Jon Chu

Contact: solak.chu@gmail.com


Name: Rebecca Chao / 赵国妤

Hometown: Palo Alto, CA

Birthday: November 16

University Attended/Affiliated: Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University

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Job: Digital Content Producer at China Personified

Asia connection:Heritage; Work

China story: China is my where my grandparents were born and raised but they were torn from their country after the civil war and so rebuilt their lives in Taiwan.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo

International Travel: U.K., France, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Bhutan, Mexico

Hobbies: guitar, piano, writing, running

Heroes: J.M. Coetzee, Joel and Ethan Coen, John Steinbeck…changes often…

Blog Beats: #On the Move, #On the Town #Lifestyle #On Success #Out of Sync

Contact: rebecca.chao@162.144.26.251/~chinaper


franklin_chen

Name: Franklin Chen / 陳方旭

Hometown: Xiamen 廈門, China

Birthday: October 29

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University Ed.M. 16’; China Foreign Affairs University 外交學院B.A. 15’

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Job: Production Intern of China Personified LLC 華人格化; Educator

Asia connection: Family and friends in China

China Story: Born and raised in Xiamen, China. Speaks fluent Mandarin & Hokkien.

China Travel: Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Jiaxing, Jinan, Hong Kong, Xi’an, Fuzhou

International Travel: United States, United Kingdom, Bali

Hobbies: Music, piano, singing, pop culture, foodie, breaking stereotypes

Heroes: Tori Kelly, Grace Helbig, Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Dubner, Megan Tan

Blog Beats: #Education, #Mental Health, #Lifestyle, #Language, #Culture, #Gaysian

Contact: franklin_chen@alumni.harvard.edu


Name: Siyi Chen

Hometown: Zhejiang, China

Birthday: Jan 11, 1992

University Attended: Peking University, New York University

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Job: Documentary Filmmaker, Writer, Journalist

Asia connection: Born and raised in China!

China story: Studied Chinese literature as a dual degree at Peking University. Reported on China while working for Quartz (qz.com) in 2016 and 2017.

China Travel: I grew up in a town next to Hangzhou and went to school in Hangzhou and Beijing. Traveled to pretty much all the provinces in China except Tibet and Guangxi.

International Travel: I’ve been to the Netherlands, UK for work. South Korea and Morocco for school programs and have been to France, Norway, Japan, Peru, Bolivia, Thailand and so on for vacation. 

Hobbies: writing, photography, watching indie movies, especially dark dystopian comedies.

Heroes: My mom and my grandma.  

Blog Beats: Cultural differences. Quirky stuff.

Contact: Siyi.chen.pku@gmail.com 


Name:Siyi Chu / 褚司怡

Hometown: Hangzhou, China

Birthday: June 10

University Attended: Tufts University Class of 2017

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Job:Currently excitedly unemployed, exploring life and seeking the next adventures with creativity

Asia connection: Born and raised in China until college

China story: 1) Currently trying to pick up writing in Chinese again. 2) 23andme says I’m 99.5% Chinese

China Travel: All around

International Travel: Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia, Portugal, Peru, Tanzania, cross Europe from Turkey to UK, Dominican Republic

Hobbies: Travel, photography, documentaries, language learning. Through-and-through foodie and aspiring chef.

Heroes: Werner Herzog, Patricio Guzmán, Vivian Meier, Oliver Sacks,

Contact: siyichu00@gmail.com


Name: Lauren Dai / 戴成欣

Hometown: Kendall Park, NJ, USA

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University

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Job: Investment Research Analyst

Asia connection: Parents born in China

China story: Visit China frequently, Speak fluent Mandarin, CCTV Summer Internship sparked interests in media and in US-China relations

China Travel: Beijing, Fuzhou, Gulangyu, Hainan Dao, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai, Suzhou, Xi’an, Xiamen, Yanan

International Travel: Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, France

Hobbies: Dance, Swim, Model UN, Entrepreneurship

Hero: Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

Blog Beats: #Success, #Lifestyle, #Trends

Contact: LaurenDai@162.144.26.251/~chinaper


 

Name: Yifu Dong 董一夫 (our first teen blogger)

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: August 16

School Attended/Affiliated: Beijing No. 4 High School, Yale University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born and raised in Beijing

China story: The experience of living abroad and cultural exchange has given me a new perspective

China Travel: Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Fushun, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang, Hangzhou, Jinan, Hong Kong

International Travel: United States, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Ecuador

Hobbies: The game of go (weiqi), baseball, accordion, ukulele, reading history, basketball, ping pong

Heroes: Jackie Robinson

Blog Beats: #out of sync, #face, #outrageous phenomenon, #lifestyle

Contact: dongyifu@gmail.com


Name: Rayn Fan

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Job: Baltimore City special ed teacher

Contact: ryanfan17@gmail.com


Name: Jamie Fleishman

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York

Birthday: October 27

University Attended/Affiliated: Brandeis University

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Job: Senior Educational Consultant, Elite Scholars of China

Asia connection: I started studying Chinese in college, studied abroad in China in 2010, onand have returned for work in 2012.

China story: I officially caught the China bug after spending six months in China studying abroaina language intensive program. China and Chinese language have featured prominently in my life since then.

China Travel: I’ve lived in Beijing for a total of 6 months. I have been fortunate to travel across China with my study abroad program, friends, and family. With my program we went to Pingyao and Taiyuan. With friends, I traveled to Yunnan and Guangxi. With family, I have been to Datong, Xi’an, Guilin, Chongqing, and Shanghai.

International Travel: My first international travel was to Israel with family at age 8. Since then I have visited my sister in Costa Rica, went to France, Italy, and Switzerland on a high school trip, and visited a friend in Cape Town and Namibia.

Hobbies: Tennis, table tennis, video editing, saxophone, cooking, political satire, technology, and Chinese.

Heroes: Jon Stewart, David Pogue, and Steve Jobs

Blog Beat: On Point, Out of Sync, On the Town, On the Move

Contact: jmef89@gmail.com


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Name: Bobby Franklin

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Birthday: December 13

University Attended/Affiliated: Drexel University (Undergrad), University of South Carolina (MBA)

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Job: International Marketing at Giti Tire in Shanghai

Asia connection: Spent 1.5 years in Beijing with MBA program (studying and internship), now working full-time in Shanghai

China story: I’ve always had an interest in Asian culture and travel, and have been lucky to have spent time living in China. Also, I’ve been involved with Global China Connection (GCC) for around three years, including as Media Director for the 2012-13 school year.

China Travel: Beijing, Changchun, Qingdao, Taishan, Datong, Qinhuangdao, Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guilin, Yangshuo, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, HK/Taiwan, Hebei countryside, etc.

International Travel: Various places in North America, Europe, Asia, and Caribbean

Hobbies: Music, sports, travel, current events, business topics Blog Beats: business, lifestyle, travel

Blog Beats: business, lifestyle, travel

Contact: robert.t.franklin@gmail.com


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Name: Xiao Fu

Hometown: Shanghai, China / Pittsburgh, PA

Birthday: January 14

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University

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Job: Freelance writer

Asia connection: Born in China

China story: Write Chinese fiction novels and poetry, interested in Chinese literature, painting, history, and pop culture

China Travel: Xinjiang region (Urumqi, Aksu, Hotan, Turpan, Qiemo, etc.), Xi’an, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Xining, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Changsha, Yueyang, Wuhan, Shaoxing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Huzhou, Jinan, Taiyuan

International Travel: Japan, Singapore, Caribbeans, Canada

Hobbies: Dance, Arts, Design, Poetry, Fictions, Languages, Blogging, Basketball, Ice Skating, Cooking

Hero: Han Han, Eileen Chang, Mom

Blog Beats: #On Lifestyle, #On Relationships, #Out of Sync

Contact: xiaofu@post.harvard.edu


Rony

Name: Rony Gao / 高嵘

Hometown: Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China

University Attended/Affiliated: Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada), HEC Paris School of Management (France)

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Job: education entrepreneur

Asia connection: Born and bred.  Travels frequently between North America and China

China story: Like your iPhone and socks, I’m made in China. 🙂

China Travel: Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Beijing, Shandong, Liaoning, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Yunnan, Hong Kong, Macau, etc.

International Travel: U.S.A, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia.

Hobbies: volleyball, tennis, traveling, blogging, history, reading, stand-up comedy, all-you-can-eat food.

Heroes: I don’t really have a hero but I’ve looked at  Salman Khan (the educator), founder of Khan Academy, as someone changing the world the way I’d like to.

Contact: rony.gao@gmail.com


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Name: Sally Ruge Gao / 高如歌

Hometown: Beijing, China

University Attended/Affiliated: Cornell University (current)

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Job: Student/History and Literature major/Administrative assistant at university office/Editor

Asia connection: Born in Beijing and lived there for 14 years

China story: Moving around every now and then made me appreciate how great it is to have Beijing as my ultimate home. I moved to London when I was 8 and came back to Beijing a year and a half later, only to leave Beijing again as a sophomore in high school for New York City. I go back every summer to Beijing and the breakfast food – pork buns and wontons for me – is just sublime.

China Travel: Beijing, Dalian, Tianjin, Weihai, Yantai, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Hebei Province, Beidaihe

International Travel: United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria

Hobbies: Writing, Tumblr, listening to Brit rock and jazz

Hero: Anyone kind and intelligent.

Blog Beats: #Lifestyle

Contact: rg387@cornell.edu


fang - CopyName: Fang Guo/ 郭芳

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: March 31

School Attended: Brown University, Beijing No. 4 High School; Brown University Fall of 2013

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born and raised in Beijing

China story: Mandarin is my mother tongue, I’ve been living in Beijing for 18 years and it has always been my home– I owe much to China for my various experiences.

China Travel: Liaoning, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangxi, Anhui, Shanghai, Sichuan, Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macao.

International Travel: United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Cambodia.

Hobbies: Photography, Reading, Writing, Singing, and Skating.

Heroes: Mahatma Gandhi

Blog Beats: On Point, On Relationship, Out of Sync

Contact: fangguo331@gmail.com


fang - CopyName: Guo Quanzhi 郭铨之

Hometown: Hefei, China

Birthday: March 21

School Attended: River Valley High School Singapore, Colgate University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born and raised in China until the age of 15

China story: I lived in Hefei, a small city in the middle region of China, until the age of fifteen. Then I took up a scholarship in Singapore, survived summer-all-year-long, made friends of many nationalities, and volunteered with NGOs on migrant workers’ issues for three years. To me, China is what I would always call home dearly.

China Travel: Shanghai, Beijing, Kunming, Lijiang, Hangzhou, Wuzhen, Xiamen, Chongqing and Dalian.

International Travel: Singapore, United States, and will be traveling to Japan next summer with the school 🙂

Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Cooking, Jogging, Meditation

Heroes: None 🙂

Blog Beats: #Success, #On Relationships, #Out of Sync, #On Point

Contact: guoquanzhi321@gmail.com


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Name: Meghan Hussey

Hometown: Windsor Locks, Connecticut, USA

Birthday: July 4

University Attended/Affiliated: University of Pennsylvania BA ’12, Beijing Normal University 北京师范大学 Affiliation for Fulbright Project

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Job: Fulbright Scholar, Fulbright Commission, US Department of State

Asia connection: Studied Chinese in college, then studied abroad in Beijing in 2011, then returned here as a Fulbright scholar in 2012

China story: I first came to China when I was 15 to visit my school’s sister school in Shandong. I continued learning Chinese and chose to study abroad in Beijing my junior year. During that time I made a personal connection to autism and disability issues in China, as I have a sister with autism myself, and interned at a disability rights NGO. I returned in 2012 as a Fulbright scholar to do further research on autism and disability in China.

China Travel: Beijing, Weifeng, Qufu, Taishan, Jinan, Yangshuo, Kunming, Dali, Xi’an, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Leshan, Emei Shan, Huangshan, Guangzhou, Nanchang, Xining, Tongren, Xiahe, Linxia, Harbin, Nanjing, Tianjin, Shanghai

International Travel: Australia, New Zealand, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Ecuador, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore

Hobbies: Reading, piano, photography, cooking, working out, people-watching in Chinese parks

Heroes: My mother

Blog Beats: #On Point, #On the Move, #Education, #Society

Contact: mhussey7490@gmail.com


Name: Irena Fischer-Hwang / 黄竫雅

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

University Attended: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University

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Job: Graduate student at Stanford University

Asia connection: My parents grew up under martial law in Taiwan, and currently spend a great deal of time in China

China Travel: Shanghai, Anhui, Suzhou

International Travel: Canada, Spain, France, Germany, India, Taiwan, Japan, Iceland

Hobbies: Reading, cooking, gardening, knitting, trying new food

Heroes: Terry Gross

Contact: irenatfh@gmail.com


Name: Laura Jaramillo-Bernal

Hometown: Pereira, Colombia

Birthday: October 16, 1987

University Attended: Harvard College

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Job: Michael Rockefeller Fellow

Asia connection: Living in Beijing since last February

China story: I showed up in Beijing not speaking a word of Mandarin and with very little plans. I take Chinese classes every day and study painting and calligraphy under a master with whom I communicate mostly through the sheer force of my body language.

China Travel: Qingdao and Beijing. Soon to be expanded, I hope.

International Travel: US, Colombia, Peru, South Africa, France, Spain, China

Hobbies: Blogging, overusing parentheses, ordering dishes in which I recognize at least one of the characters, painting, reading way past my bedtime.

Heroes: Hadn’t thought of this since I wrote my college essays. My mom?

Blog Beats: #out of sync, #trends, #outrageous phenomenon

Contact: jaramillo.laura1@gmail.com


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Name: Leah Yen Jarrett / 颜丽亚

Hometown: At the moment, Shanghai and New York City

Birthday: December 18

University Attended/ Affiliated: Cornell University, College of Arts & Sciences

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Job: Content and Digital Strategist at Universum Global

Asia connection: Grew up living in major cities across Asia such as Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. My mother is Shanghai-nese.

China Travel: Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Macau, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hainan, Hangzhou, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Ürümqi, Guilin, Yangshuo, Xi’an, Suzhou, Nanjing, Harbin… the list goes on!

International Travel: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Tibet, India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Austria, Budapest, Belgium, U.K., Sweden, Finland, Canada, Morocco

Hobbies: Teaching and practicing yoga, running, swimming in the ocean, drawing, journaling, listening to podcasts obsessively

Heroes: Ma, Ba (dad), my sister

Blog beats: #Communication, #Identity, #On the Move


Name: Kimberly Jung: 張瑩瑩

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Birthday: August 16

University Attended/Affiliated: US Military Academy at West Point, Harvard Business School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Job: Graduate Student

Asia connection: Parents are immigrants from Hong Kong

China story: Born and raised in China

China Travel: Shanghai

International Travel: Afghanistan, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, S. Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, Netherlands, Romania, Peru, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK

Hobbies: Beach Volleyball, Cooking, Sports, Hiking, Outdoors, Robots, Ocean, Space

Heroes: Mary Oliver, Rumi, Alexander the Great, Vern Unsworth, James Madison

Contact:  jungk@mit.edu


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Name: Jonathan Kaufman

Hometown: Armonk, New York

Birthday: June 5

University Attended: Harvard University

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Job: Fulbright Scholar, US Department of State

Asia connection: Caught the China bug at a young age and have not been able to shake it

China story: Completed the five-year Mandarin curriculum at Harvard, studying interactions between Chinese Muslims and foreign Muslim across urban and rural contexts on a Fulbright fellowship

China Travel: Beijing, Hohhot, Dongsheng, Kaifeng, Dandong, Tianjin, Xi’an, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Yiwu, Zhoushan, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Yongding, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Chengdu, Songpan, Jiuzhaigou, Lanzhou, Linxia, Xiahe, Tongren, Xining, Dunhuang, Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, Guilin, Nanning, Beihai, Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian, Ruili

International Travel: Brazil, Canada, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize, Costa Rica, UK, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, India, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan

Hobbies: Romance languages, LGBT activism, aviation, Silk Road and Islamic history, dim sum

Heroes: Zheng He, Harvey Milk, Kemal Ataturk

Blog beats: #spirituality, #minorities, #Islam, #anthropologicalangst

Contact: jonathan.m.kaufman@gmail.com


Profile_KYKName: Karen Kim /金槿容

Hometown: Seoul, Korea

Birthday: Dec 8

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University

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Job: Product Development, The Economist

Asia connection: Nowadays, the streets of Gangnam are teeming with Chinese cram schools left and right, but learning Chinese was nearly unheard of in Seoul when I started back in 2003. I was 13 when one place opened up down the street. I thought it would be cool to learn, and my parents were encouraging. I’d taken lessons in calligraphy, tennis, taek-won-do, swimming — and it was clear I had no foreseeable talent. Chinese was their last attempt. The teachers drilled us with passages Soviet-style until we could recite passages on demand. I found fascinating the elegant characters and the rich language that shared much heritage with Korean. I’ve since visited China on many occasions and studied Chinese history & politics in college. While I’m making do with what is available in NYC Chinatown at the moment, I do hope to return soon to the remotes part of China that I fell in love with as a teen.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Chang’an, Li Jiang, Dali, Shangri-la, Xishuangbanna, Taishan

Hobbies: Political cartooning, Twitter, basketball

Contact: karenkykim@gmail.com


Name: Victoria Kung / 贡爱玲

Birthdate: December 31st

Hometown: Sydney, Australia

University Attended/Affiliated: University of Sydney, currently at Tsinghua University

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Job: U.S Specialist at Department of International Affairs, New Oriental Education Group, Beijing

Asia connection: Lived in Shanghai at a young age; studied Chinese in undergrad which aroused interest in China’s rise

China story: Moved to Beijing to pursue a Masters degree in International Relations at Tsinghua University

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong

International Travel: Japan, New Caledonia, New Zealand

Hobbies: Reading, foreign films, traveling, jazz music

Heroes: Geoffrey Chaucer, Peter Singer, Germaine Greer, Sheryl Sandberg, Frida Kahlo

Blog Beats: #Success, #Lifestyle, #Onthemove, #Culture

Contact: victoria.kung1289@hotmail.com

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Wendy.Lee.ProfileName: Wendy Lee / 李紋齡

Hometown: Taichung, Taiwan

Birthday: September 9

University Attended/Affiliated: Columbia University, London School of Economics, Saint Louis University

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Job: Financial Analyst, Freelance Writer

Asia connection: Befriended a Chinese family in Cameroon as a Peace Corps Volunteer

China story: After spending childhood in Taiwan, I had never lived in Asia as an adult. I moved to Shanghai in an attempt to reclaim my roots, only to realize China is much different from Taiwan. Fluency in Mandarin and Taiwanese helps with this process.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai

International Travel: Austria, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Curaçao, England, France, Germany, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, Philippines, Spain, Tunisia,

Hobbies: Yoga, Reading, Design, Travel

Blog Beats: #Out of Sync, #On the Town, #On the Move

Contact: wendylee86@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/wendylee | wanderlustwendy.com


Name: Rachel Leng / 凌惠颖

Hometown: Singapore, Singapore

Birthday: February 6

University Attended/Affiliated: Duke University (B.A.), Harvard University (M.A.)

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Job: COO & Co-Founder of SeiRogai, Inc., Tokyo-based business consultancy and media production company; Head of Business Development at a Japanese private equity fund.

Asia connection: Born in Singapore, raised in China from the age of 6 until university (primarily in Shanghai)

China story: Lived in China for 13 years; Studied East Asian Studies with a specialization in Chinese cultures, politics, ethnic identity, and literature at university in the US; Speaks fluent Mandarin.

China Travel: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Suzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Sichuan, Shenzhen, Guilin, Harbin, Zhuhai, Chongqing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Dalian, Urumqi, Shenyang, Changsha, Dongguan, Fuzhou, Foshan, Kunming, etc. (All over the country.)

International Travel: Lived >1 year in Singapore, China, U.S., Italy, South Korea, Japan. Traveled to many countries around the world, including Namibia, South Africa, the U.K. (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales), Austria, France, Italy, Monaco, Germany, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Turkey, the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico), Colombia, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Indonesia, Sri Lanka. 

Hobbies: Pilates, Yoga, Reading, Writing, Travel

Heroes: Sheryl Sandberg, Michelle Obama, Cleopatra

Blog Beats: #Travel, #Identity, #International, #Lifestyle, #Language, #Communication, #Culture, #Business in Asia

Contact:

Blog/Website: https://scholar.harvard.edu/rachel_leng/blog/
Linkedn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-leng/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LengRachel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rchlleng/


Name: Hannah Leung

Hometown: New Jersey

Birthday: January 9

School Attended/Affiliated: Smith College

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Job: Freelance Writer lifestyleasia.com

Asia connection: Chinese-American

China story: Discovered Chinese pop star Jay Chou in middle school and developed an instant obsession. Attribute 60% of my Mandarin skills to him. Decided at age of 13 to relocate to China after completing studies.

Contact: hannahwleung@gmail.com


Name: Alice Li

Hometown: San Francisco

Birthday: December 12th

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Parents were born in China

China story: Traveled to China frequently, speaks a dialect of Cantonese, taught citizenship courses for newly immigrated Chinese.

China Travel: Beijing, Hong Kong, Toushan, Guangzhou, Xi’an.

International Travel: China, Japan, South Korea, Canada.

Hobbies: Theater, writing, photography, drawing, reading, Bridge

Heroes: My grandmother

Blog Beat: Relationships, Personal Success, Lifestyle, and Face

Contact: aliceli@fas.harvard.edu


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Name: Jiang Li / 李江

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: July 19

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University

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Job: Student in Harvard Class of 2017

Asia connection: Born and raised in Beijing for 17 years

China story: Born and raised in a Chinese family, lived in Beijing, Studied Chinese erhu, did charity project on Chinese Black Lung Patients

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Shangrao, Guiyang, Taiyuan, Hong Kong

International Travel: South Korea, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic

Hobbies: Piano, Erhu, Film, Tennis

Heroes: Fei Hsiao-Tung

Blog Beats: #Education, #Society, #Language, #Relationship, #Art

Contact: eveylijiang@gmail.com


Name: Eric Liao / 廖安捷

Hometown: Taipei and San Jose

Birthday: July 21

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University

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Job: Store Communications Lead at Clover Food Lab

Asia connection: Grandma was from Dalian

China story: Covered stories about China as a Hong Kong-based TV journalist, Studied Chinese history at Harvard, Speaks fluent Cantonese & Mandarin.Chinese language classes and political science courses on Sino-U.S. relations at Harvard; Mandarin speaker.

China Travel: Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai

International Travel: Taiwan, Peru, Guatemala, Montreal, Japan, Germany, Vienna, Zurich, Prague, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Switzerland

Hobbies: Swimming, video making, backpacking

Heroes: Stephen Colbert, Ali Wong

Blog Beats: #Language, ##Understanding, #HumorMe, #InTransition, #Health, #Wellness

Contact: liaoee@gmail.com


shiqilinName: Shiqi Lin / 林诗琦

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: February 1

University Attended/Affiliated: Vassar College

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born in Haikou, raised in Haikou, Chongqing, and Beijing

China story: Born and raised in China, read Chinese history, study Chinese politics and philosophy in college, love Mandopop and Chinese hard-nib calligraphy

China Travel: Beijing, Chongqing, Hainan, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yunnan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Hong Kong, Macao

International Travel: United States, Canada, Thailand, Singapore, Haiti

Hobbies: Reading, Ping Pong, food, music, Chinese hard-nib calligraphy

Heroes: Fei Xiaotong, Frantz Fanon, Nelson Mandela

Blog Beats: #lifestyle, #On Point, #Language, #Society

Contact: linshiqi2017@gmail.com


shako

Name: Shako Liu

Hometown: Southern China

School Attended/Affiliated: University of Southern California

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Job: Producer

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai

International Travel: Canada, USA

Hobbies: Reading

In transition, lifestyle, language, and understanding, relationship
Contact: Contact Me


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Name: Sichun Liu / 刘思纯

Hometown: Qinhuangdao, China

Birthday: April 25, 1995

School Attended/Affiliated: Beijing No.4 High School; Cornell University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born in Qinhuangdao, raised in Beijing

China story: I have lived in Qinhuangdao(Hebei Province) for the first 4 years, and then in Beijing for the rest. Mandarin is my mother tongue, and I have audio recorded for Hong Kong mandarin curriculum for nine years. I love Chinese arts, history, and culture.

China Travel: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Neimenggu, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Guangdong, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia, Hong Kong

International Travel: United States, Japan, Egypt, Singapore, Russia

Hobbies: Chinese Calligraphy, Swimming, Track and field, Singing, Tennis, Piano, Emcee, Recital

Heroes: Leehom Wang

Blog Beats: #lifestyle

Contact: sl2473@cornell.edu


Name: Jennifer Luong /梁慧恩 / Lương Huệ Ân

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Birthday: November 20

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University

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Job: Ad Hoc Position with the Narrative Initiative

Asia connection: Grandparents born in China, parents born in Vietnam

China story: Family is composed of two generations of war refugees from China and Vietnam. Speaks fluent Cantonese and conversational Vietnamese.

International Travel: Canada, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore.

Hobbies: Running, biking, painting, film and music

Heroes: Weijia Jiang, Ava DuVernay, Roxanne Gay

Contact: jenniferluong20@gmail.com


Name: Sophie Lu 吕天菲

Hometown: Baltimore via Beijing via New York

Birthday: June 2

University Attended: Johns Hopkins University, SAIS

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Job: Fulbright Scholar

Asia connection: My dad is from the mainland (Shandong), mom is from Hong Kong (via Jiangsu). I lived in Beijing from 3-7 years old, and have come back to Beijing often for research/work/play. Most of my dad’s side of the family now live in Beijing, and it’s always felt like a second home for me.

China story: My life could’ve been like one of the workers in Leslie Chang’s Factory Girls. But instead, my dad got his Ph.D. in the US, stayed, and had me, affording me all the opportunities and privileges of being an American. But China has always been present in my life, particularly Beijing. I find myself constantly drawn to this place, both pulled back by the roots of my past, and drawn forward by the possibilities of my future.

China Travel: I’ve been all over the eastern seaboard of China. Also been to Inner Mongolia and Yunnan. Looking to take the opportunity this year to go further West to 西藏 and 新疆。

International Travel: Singapore, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Chile, the Caribbean, and Canada.

Hobbies: biking, cooking, eating, doodling on surfaces that I shouldn’t.

Heroes: Leslie Knope

Contact: sophie.lu.2008@gmail.com


Name: Yuying Luo /罗钰莹

Hometown: New Bedford, MA

Birthday: April 18

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University, New York University

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Job: MD Candidate at NYU School of Medicine

Asia connection: Born in Chengdu, Sichuan

China story: Born and raised in Chengdu and visits China frequently for family

China Travel: Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai

International Travel: Canada (does that count?), UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria

Hobbies: Running, Traveling, Reading

Heroes: Atul Gawande, Bill Gates

Blog Beats: #OutrageousPhenomenon, #Lifestyle

Contact: yuying.luo@gmail.com


Name: Max Meyer

Hometown: Spearfish, South Dakota, USA

Birthday: May 16, 1990

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard

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Job: Management Consultant

Asia connection: Friends, roommates, family of friends

China story: Visited Beijing and rural Yunnan as a high school junior, fell in love with the culture, cuisine, landscape, people — returned to the US and began a rigorous study of Chinese language. Now work as a management consultant in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

China Travel: Most/all major cities, HK, Taiwan, Hebei, Yunnan, Guangdong

International Travel: Europe, Central America, Caribbean, SE Asia

Hobbies: Jazz piano, freestyle skiing, golf, hunting

Heroes: David Gergen, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Bernie Taupin

Blog Beats: #Music, #Fashion, #Business

Contact: maxwelllivingston@gmail.com


Name: Kira Omans

Hometown: Zhongshan, China

Birthday: September 25th

University Attended/Affiliated: George Mason University: B.F.A. with a performance concentration, Communication Minor

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Job: Actor, Model, Audiobook Narrator, Public Relations, Graphic Design

Asia connection: Born and adopted from Zhongshan, China

China story:

China Travel: None yet, but plans to in the future!

International Travel: None yet, but plans to in the future!

Hobbies: Martial Arts (3rd-degree black belt in Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu, Nunchucks, Metal Fans), Chinese Folk Dance and Hip Hop Dance, Piano, Writing, Special Effects Graphic Design

Heroes: Constance Wu, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman

Blog Beats: #Adoption #Culture #Lifestyle #Success #Arts

Contact: kiraomans@gmail.com


Name: Felix Poon

Hometown: Boston, MA

Birthday: January 1st

University Attended/Affiliated: SUNY Albany (Sociology M.A.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Sociology B.A.), 香港中文大學 CUHK (Study Abroad)

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Asia connection: Lived in Hong Kong, travelled in mainland China and Taiwan, and interested in the experiences and hybrid cultures of the Chinese diaspora.

China story: New Year’s Eve 2003—I stood shoulder to shoulder with my brother and hundreds of thousands of others in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong district. We overheard a man next to us speak with an Australian accent, and my brother looked wide-eyed at me, “That’s so weird!” He whisper-shouted into my ear. “That Chinese guy speaks with an Australian accent!” Truth be told, I had the same surprised reaction, but we both quickly realized our folly, and so I said,

“But that’s probably what a lot of people think about us, speaking with American accents!”

What does Chinese identity look like across the world? From seeing the ubiquitousness of 肉骨茶 (bak kut teh) in dim sum in Thailand, to my interactions with Kazakh nomads in their yurts and Uyghur men outside of Kashgar’s mosques in 新疆 (Xinjiang), to my own experiences growing up jook sing in America, I’m interested in all the hybrid forms of Chinese identity, whether Chinesness is something we try to preserve, seek more of, or is something imposed upon us.

China Travel: Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, Dunhuang, Taklamakan Desert, Xi An, Lanzhou, Xining, Kunming, Lijiang, Yangshuo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai

International Travel: Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada, England, France, Italy, India, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan

Hobbies: Capoeira, standup paddleboarding, running, biking

Heroes: Michelle and President Barack Obama, Celeste Ng, Trevor Noah, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee

Contact: fcfpoon@gmail.com


Name: Dillon Powers

Hometown: Honolulu, HI

Birthday: January 26

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University, Peking University

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Job: Research Assistant at Peking University

Asia connection: Loves Mandarin

China story: Studied Mandarin and Chinese/Taiwanese history at Harvard, worked in Nanjing after graduating in 2011 and recently moved to Beijing.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Qingdao, Wuxi, Xi’an, Wuhan, Guilin, Anhui

International Travel: Canada, Mexico, Italy, England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia.

Hobbies: Cello, Running, Singing, Weightlifting

Heroes: T.E. Lawrence, Thomas Jefferson, Ho Chi Minh

Blog Beats: #Outofsync, #OutrageousPhenomenon,#OnBeijing

Contact: dillon.c.powers@gmail.com


Name: Graham Raubvogel / 冉嘉瑞

Hometown: Burlington, Vermont

Birthday: September 24

University Attended/Affiliated: New York University

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Job: Student/ Freelance Filmmaker

Asia connection: Studied Mandarin starting in high school, lived in Guangzhou for one year, pursuing a double major in Film and East Asian Studies.

China story: Last year, I took part in an internship with ORBIS International and directed three PSAs to be screened in rural Guangdong hospitals. In college, I hope to merge my interests in Chinese culture, history, and politics with filmmaking, including via my position as Director of Media for Global China Connection (GCC) NYU.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi’an, Guilin, Hong Kong, Macau, and all over Guangdong, Sichuan, and Shanxi provinces.

International Travel: Canada, Italy, Greece, Turkey

Hobbies: Filmmaking, Photography, Food

Heroes: Ang Lee, Ingmar Bergman, Peter Hessler

Contact: graubvogel@gmail.com


Mojiashen

Name: Mojia Shen / 沈墨佳

Hometown: Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China

Birthday: Nov 24

University Attended/Affiliated: Wellesley College

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Job: Student, Entrepreneur

Asia connection: Born and raised in China until 16.

China story: Compare Chinese traditional education and the International/ US education: how to become a creative thinker, entrepreneur.

China Travel: All major cities

International Travel: Turkey, Mexico, India, Malaysia

Hobbies: Hiking, photography, reading, writing

Heroes: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Malcolm Gladwell

Blog Beats: #entrepreneurship, #growth, #education

Contact: mshen2@wellesley.edu


Name: Maggie Shi

Hometown: Nanjing, China

Birthday: April 25

University Attended/Affiliated: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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Job: Account Executive of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Asia connection: Born and raised in Nanjing, China

China story: Home is always the heaven.

China Travel: Beijing, Chengde, Inner Mongolia, Xi’an, Chengdu, Wuhan, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Suzhou, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau

International Travel: Japan, Thailand, Europe, United States, UK

Hobbies: Reading, watching movies, cooking, drawing, blogging

Heroes: my mom, Yinuo Li

Blog Beats: #travel #lifestyle #culture

Contact: maggie.shiqianqian@gmail.com


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Name: Kevin Slaten / 史凯文

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

University Attended/Affiliated: The Ohio State University; Ocean University of China

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Job: Program coordinator and rights advocate at China Labor Watch

Asia connection: Studied in, conducted research in, travel for work to China

China story: My study and research in China have generally revolved around civil society development and labor rights defense. Throughout, I have made some cherished friends and colleagues.

China Travel: (It’s less complicated to name provinces.) Shandong, Guangdong, Guizhou, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hebei, Fujian, Hunan, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Beijing.

International Travel: Every continent but Africa, Australia, and Antarctica, though I hope to change this in the future.

Hobbies: Reading, poetry, weightlifting (the former is more a habit than a hobby)

Blog beats: #language and understanding, #success

Contact: kevinslaten@gmail.com


Name: Cecilia Springer / 韩西亚

Hometown: Dallas, TX, USA

Birthday: June 27

University Attended/Affiliated: Brown University

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Job: Fulbright Researcher in Tianjin

Asia connection: Half-Chinese, started learning Chinese a few years ago

China story: Fulbright Research Project: Local involvement in the development of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City

China Travel: Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Huangshan, Shanghai, Suzhou, Taishan, Tianjin

International Travel: Central America, Europe, Japan, Taiwan

Hobbies: Running, Viola, Writing, Cooking/Baking

Heroes: Hillary Clinton, Mulan

Blog Beats: #Relationships, #Success


Name: Angela Sun (孙安琪)

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: August 13

University Attended/Affiliated: Tufts University

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Job: International Relations major with aspirations in broadcast journalism

Asia connection: Spent 10+ years growing up in China, attending local Chinese schools for some of elementary and middle school

China story: Born in West Virginia, but moved back and forth between China and N. America…my years in China were formative to my powerful Beijing accent, feisty personality, and love for a good bargain.

China Travel: Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hainan, Hunan, Xi’an, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Tianjin, etc. I’ve been to most provinces.

International Travel: US, Canada, China, Japan (briefly)

Hobbies: Having a good night out dancing on the town, rummaging through sales racks, venturing out into local neighborhoods for the best news stories, and maybe trying out some stand-up comedy

Heroes: In no particular order, Stephen King, Yang Lan, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa

Blog Beats: Pretty much all of them, #lostintranslation, #relationships, #onlyin…, #culture, #lifestyle, #success, #trends

Contact: ange.sun@hotmail.com


danielName: Daniel Tedesco / 譚德馨

Hometown: Newark, DE, USA

Birthday: June 15

University Attended/Affiliated: Chongqing University, Peking University, Drexel University

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Job: Corporate Planning at ASC Fine Wines, Global China Connection (GCC) Chairman, Fulbright Fellow (2011)

Asia connection: Lives in Shanghai, speaks fluent Mandarin

China Story: Originally interested in ancient Chinese philosophy, but quickly realized the growing importance of China’s relationship with the rest of the world. Devoted much of college and early career to building bridges between young leaders in China, U.S., and around the world.

China Travel: Big cities all over

Hobbies: Learning guitar and Spanish; going to rock concerts with my fiancee

Heroes: Abraham Lincoln, Laozi

Contact: dtedesco1@gmail.com


Name: Alexandra Tirado / 武晨曦

Hometown: Clinton, North Carolina

Birthday: January 19, 1990

University Attended/Affiliated: Duke University, Peking University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: In high school, I was a part-time waitress at the only Chinese restaurant in my small southern town in NC. Since then, I’ve been fascinated with Chinese language, culture, and history. Next year, I plan to attend law school and study both US and Chinese law.

China story: studied abroad in both Kunming and Beijing, recently completed a one-year JP Morgan
teaching fellowship in a rural city in Sichuan. Now, studying at Peking University to attain a professional fluency in Chinese.

China Travel: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Bazhong, Chengdu, Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai

International Travel: Uganda, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, China
Italy, Greece, South Korea, Rwanda, Belize, Puerto Rico, Dubai

Hobbies: kickboxing, tennis, basketball, paragliding

Heroes: Margaret Thatcher

Blog Beats: #personal success, #relationships, #trends, #lifestyle

Contact: tirado85@gmail.com


Name: Vidya Viswanathan (万姗)

Hometown: New Hyde Park, NY

Birthday: September 3

University Attended: Harvard University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Studied Mandarin, wrote for newspapers and taught English in China at various times over the last 4 years. Grew up in a school district in Long Island that was 50 percent Asian–lots of 华人朋友!

China story: Ever since I sat in on a Mandarin class freshman year of college, and then studied abroad in Beijing the following summer (during the 2008 Olympic games), I have been fascinated by Chinese language, culture, politics, and history. I love bargaining in Chinese, singing in Chinese, and living part of my life in Chinese.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Chongqing, Suzhou, Anhui, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan

International Travel: India, China, Australia, Kenya, South Africa, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand

Hobbies: Writing, Nightmarket Shopping, Running, Reading, Being tall, Traveling, Learning Chinese, People-watching, Texting funny quotes from my parents to my brothers

Heroes: Nicholas Kristof, J.K. Rowling

Blog Beats:#OutOfSync, #OnTheTown, #Trends


Name: Angela Wang /王安琪

Hometown: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Birthday: February 12

University Attended/Affiliated: Columbia University

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Job: Financial Analyst on Wall Street

Asia connection: Chinese (born in Beijing), studied abroad 2004-2005 at the Yew Chung Int’l School of Beijing, studied abroad in Fall 2010 at Tsinghua University

China story: Study abroad experience sparked interest in China’s foreign policy and international relations

China Travel: Major cities

International Travel: Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea

Hobbies: Traveling, Movies, International Affairs, Reading memoirs

Heroes: Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson of Gilt Groupe, Condoleeza Rice

Blog Beats: #Lifestyle, #Travel

Contact: angelawang816@gmail.com


Name: Jinzhao Wang /王今朝

Hometown: Nanjing/Boston

Birthday: August 11

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard College

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Job: Investment Strategist

Asia connection: Born and raised in China from 1992 to 2015; lover of homemade Chinese food and ancient Chinese poetry

China story: Study abroad experience sparked interest in China’s foreign policy and international relations

China Travel: Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Da Lian, He Fei, Hang Zhou, Shen Zhen

International Travel: Canada, most countries in Europe, Australia, Chile, South Korea, Kenya

Hobbies: jazz, experimental theatre, modern dance

Heroes: morning coffee

Blog Beats: stream of consciousness

Contact: wjz0811@gmail.com


santi_wong

Name: Santi Wong

Hometown: Fuzhou, China / Baldwin, New York

Birthday: February 13

University Attended/Affiliated: Fordham University

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Job: Private Banker

Asia connection: Born in China

China Story: Spent my early childhood in China. Worked in Hong Kong.  Speaks Fujian dialect, Mandarin, and Cantonese

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Suzhou, Xian, and Xiamen

International Travel: France, U.K., Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan Caribbeans, and Canada

Hobbies: Martial Arts, Cooking, Painting, Photography, Music, Reading, Tennis, Volleyball, Ping-Pong, and Karaoke

Hero: Ellen DeGeneres

Blog Beats: #mentoring #philanthropy #diversity #leadership #travel #love

Contact: santi.wong@gmail.com


Name: Tiffany Wong / 黄慧涵

Hometown: Los Altos, CA

Birthday: June 10

University Attended/Affiliated: University of California Berkeley, Peking University, Fudan University, Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Job: content developer at harvardx on Chinax, a Chinese history course from the Neolithic to the contemporary.

Asia connection: Loves Chinese history and culture. Passionate about improving China’s rural education. Considers herself Chinese and American.

China story: Started teaching in rural China during my 11th-grade summer and kept on going back, igniting my passion to improve rural education in China. Studied at Fudan University and Peking University for a semester each. Majored in Asian Studies with a concentration in China and History with a concentration on Sino-US. Went on to teach in rural Sichuan and then on to study international education policy at HGSE. Am now helping to create a massive open online course on Chinese history that spans across four thousand years of history.

China Travel: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Henan, Hebei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Fujian, Guangdong

International Travel: Canada, Mexico, Italy, England, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Bahamas, Sri Lanka

Hobbies: Drawing/Painting, Art History, History, Reading, Traveling, Tennis, Confu, Yoga, Horse back riding, Baking

Heroes: Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr, Helen Keller, Du Fu, Mulan

Blog Beats: #Outofsync, #OutrageousPhenomenon, #On the Town, #Language, #Communication

Contact: tiffanyw07@gmail.com


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Name: Alice Xia / 夏婷

Hometown: Hefei, Anhui Province, China

Birthday: July 8

University Attended/Affiliated: University of California, Irvine; Tsinghua University

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Job: MA Student/Asian Development Bank Translator

Asia connection: Born in China

China story: Sporadic periods of living and studying in Hefei and Beijing

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Nanchang, Dalian, Taiyuan, Xinjiang, Guilin, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia

International Travel: China, U.S.

Hobbies: Writing, Academia, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology/Neuroscience, Running

Heroes: My undergraduate professor, Dorothy Solinger, and my four-year-old baby brother

Blog Beats: #onthemove

Contact: axia90@gmail.com


Name: Jean Xu/徐秋静

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: October 13

University Attended: Peking University, Cornell University

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Job: In-house counsel at a U.S. based multinational company

Asia connection: Born and raised in Beijing

China story:  Recently relocated to Shanghai after spending ten years living in the US

China Travel: Inner Mongolia, Heibei, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shandong, Jiangsu, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Xinjiang Uygur, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Taiwan

International Travel: Canada, Mexico, England, France, Italy, Panama, Costa Rica, Australia, Vietnam and Thailand

Hobbies: Fitness, Music, Photography, Reading, Writing, and Cooking

Heroes: I can’t think of anyone who fits this definition in my mind

Blog Beats: #Lifeinchina, #Travel

Contact: jeanxu1013@gmail.com


Name: Kevin Yang / 杨令开

Hometown: Beijing, China

Birthday: February 29

University Attended/Affiliated: Columbia University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born in Tianjin, Parents born in Beijing

China Story: International school experience in Beijing sparked interest in international relations and China’s relations with the world

China Travel: Beijing, Dali, Dalian, Fuzhou, Kunming, Lijiang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin, Yantai, Hong Kong

International Travel: United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, France, Japan, South Korea

Hobbies: Tech, Traveling, Reading

Heroes: Li Kai Fu

Blog Beats: #On the Town, #Language, #Communication

Contact: kevinlkyang@gmail.com


Name: Yvette Yu

Hometown: Hunan / Shandong / Maryland

Birthday: September 16

University Attended/Affiliated: University of Maryland / University of Hong Kong

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Job: Full-time consultant, part-time artist

Asia connection: Born and raised in Hunan, China

China story: I lived in China until age thirteen. My family is all over China so growing up I traveled regularly. I love Chinese history and culture (huge historical drama and documentaries fan), and growing up I was trained in calligraphy and ink wash painting. I reconnected with the motherland when I studied abroad at the University of Hong Kong, during which I also picked up some Cantonese.

China Travel: Shanghai, Beijing, Changsha, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guilin, Yangshuo, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuzhen, Xitang, Nanjing, Dalian, Shandong Province (Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai, Penglai), Fujian (Xiamen, Fuzhou), Shaoshan, Pingxiang, Zhuzhou, Hong Kong, Tibet (Lhasa, Nyingchi, Yamdrok Lake).

International Travel: The U.K., Singapore, Caribbeans,

Hobbies: Painting, Drawing, Arts, Reading, Poetry, Languages, Museums, Art Shows, Tennis, Yoga, Movies, Cooking

Heroes: Hayao Miyazaki, Stephen Hawking

Blog Beat: #Art #Fashion #Lifestyle #On the Move

Contact:   Yvetteyu16@gmail.com


Name: Sanyee Yuan

Hometown: San Francisco

Birthday: May 16

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard College (Graduated with a self-designed major in Narrative in Rhetoric & Performance + Citation in Spanish)

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Job: Disney Channel Movie Surfer at Disney, Entertainment News Reporter / Host on CCTV, YouKu, M1905.com, LeTV, Film / Television Actress

Previously worked at: NBCUniversal as a West Coast Page, Story Analyst at Amazon Studios, Disney ABC Development Executive Assistant, Intern at the TV show, White Collar for the USA Network

Asia connection: My mom is from Taipei, Taiwan and my grandparents are from Shanghai.

China story: One of the best classes I took at Harvard came during my senior spring semester, focusing on East Asian Cinema. We watched movies from all time periods in different genres (martial arts action / horror / mystery / romance / historical) and set in Asian countries, from Shanghai to Japan to Korea to Hong Kong. It was inspiring to study and watch how the media industry and world of filmmaking has developed, changed, and flourished in Asia.

Additionally, in September 2013, I began working as the on-the-ground Hollywood reporter for CCTV, covering the entertainment news beat for a show called Culture Express. Whenever there are movie premieres / red carpets, film press junkets, awards shows like the Emmys, Golden Globes, Screen Actor Guild Awards, and Oscars, special events like Comic-Con or Wonder-Con, and fun pop culture events like fashion launches and art exhibits, we are there to cover the story! It’s been a dream of mine to cover entertainment news ever since I was in high school watching other entertainment news reporters on television and I am so happy that I get to share our exciting stories with audiences in China!

China Travel: I’ve actually only visited Taiwan a few times during my childhood to stay with my mother’s side of the family there. When I was a kid, I got a mosquito bite that never faded, leaving a scar on my forearm which I view as a constant reminder to return to Taiwan and also see China!

International Travel: Three years ago, I also studied abroad in Europe for the first time and ventured through Cambridge, London, Paris, Edinburgh, and Lake Como. Happy to cross Italy, France, the UK, and Scotland off my list, I still have more to see! Thankfully, work allows me to travel wherever there are film or TV productions happening. We get to go on set visits and shoot on very exciting projects of large scale!

Hobbies: Reading chick lit and other character-driven narratives, creative writing in the form of screenwriting for my pilots and features, nonfiction short stories, original chick lit novels, & motivational speeches, choreographing contemporary dances with stories, singing along to an array of YouTube videos, eating at food trucks or fusion restaurants with friends and family, and meeting new people!

Heroes: My mom, my older sister, Ryan Seacrest, Reese Witherspoon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and anyone who can wear multiple hats at the same time

Blog Beat: #PathfinderinLA

Contact: sanyee.yuan@post.harvard.edu

A.B. in Rhetoric & Performance, Harvard University

Connect on http://www.linkedin.com/in/sanyeeyuan

Check out my latest hosting reel: http://youtu.be/4wyG98MEGyo

Check out our latest Disney Channel Movie Surfers spot for

Million Dollar Arm: http://youtu.be/pPjpFf2Dr2U


Name: Lee Zhang/ 张力

Hometown: Zhejiang, China

Birthday: August 28

University Attended/Affiliated: New York University, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics

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Job:  PR & Communications Specialist

Asia connection: Born and raised in China before moving to the U.S. in August 2011

China story: Native speaker of Mandarin; Returned to China from the U.S. in December 2014; Currently work and live in Shanghai

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Zhoushan, Ningbo, Macau, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Nanjing

International Travel: UK, Canada, USA, Korea, Switzerland, Australia

Hobbies: Travel, Music, Food, Social Media, Networking

Heroes: Elaine Chao, Jack Ma

Blog Beats: #Lifestyle #Travel #Relationship #Education #Business

Contact: zhangli0828@hotmail.com


Name: Ting Zhang

Hometown: Haikou/San Francisco/Beijing

Birthday: September 8

University Attended: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill/National University of Singapore/University of Hong Kong

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Job: Researcher, writer

Asia connection: I was born in Haikou, Hainan.

China story: China is a place I’ve come in and out of ever since I was little. It is a place I call home though I will probably never feel fully at home.

China Travel: I have lived in Hainan, Xian, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Travel-wise, I’ve explored Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu etc.

International Travel: Travel is a big part of my prerson development and knowledge building process. So far, I have visited over two dozen countries apread across Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, Southeast Asian, and South Asia.

Hobbies: Reading, writing, debating, and exploring new places and cultures.

Heroes: Anyone who speaks up for the underpriviledged and underrepresented has my respect.

Blog Beats: #onthemove #Society

Contact: ting_zhang209hotmail.com


Name: Zara Zhang

Hometown: Changchun, China

Birthday: Oct 18

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard College

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Job: College Student

Asia connection: Lived in China for the first 16 years of my life

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Xi’an

International Travel: Singapore, Bhutan, Israel

Hobbies: Shopping

Heroes: Sheryl Sandberg, Michelle Obama

Contact: zhang08@college.harvard.edu


Name: Yun Zhou (Juliet) / 周韵

Hometown: Nanjing, China

Birthday: August 21

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University, Peking University

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Job: PhD Candidate in Sociology (focus on gender, inequality, and stratification through a comparative and historical lens)

Asia connection: Chinese (born in Nanjing)

China story: Born and raised in Nanjing and went to Peking University; “China” may be a huge country we read about in news stories, but it is also a small place I call home

China Travel: All over

International Travel: Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States of America

Hobbies: Painting, Creative writing

Heroes: Virginia Woolf

Blog Beats: #Relationship

Contact: juliet0821@hotmail.com


chellie

Name: Chellie Zou

Hometown: Elkhart, Ind.

Birthday: February 14

University Attended/Affiliated: Purdue University; Harvard University

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Job: Graduate Student

Asia connection: Chinese father.

China story: With a Chinese dad and American mom, I’ve spent most of my life finding a balance between both cultures. Learning how they intersect and blend has been fascinating. My grandparents live in Beijing and I’ve been visiting every year since I was four years old.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hainan, Hangzhou.

International Travel: Canada, Italy, UK, Ireland, Bahamas, Japan, Macao

Hobbies: Cooking, dancing, knitting, exploring new cities

Heroes: My parents

Blog Beat: Out of Sync

Contact: rochellezou@gmail.com


sara

Name: Sara Zou/ 邹思娃

Hometown: Elkhart, Ind.

Birthday: February 14

University Attended/Affiliated: Harvard University; Purdue University

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Job: One in a Billion Branding and Social Media Producer; Graduate Student

Asia connection: My father is Chinese.

China story: I began traveling to China 23 years ago to visit my grandparents, who still live in Beijing.

China Travel: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hainan, Hangzhou.

International Travel: England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Japan, Macao, Bahamas

Hobbies: Dancing, Baton Twirling, Crafting, Horseback Riding, Golfing

Heroes: Mom and Dad

Blog Beats: On Point, On Lifestyle, On the Town, On the Move

Contact: sarazou1@gmail.com


Name: Will Zou/ 鄒述丞

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Birthday: October 2

University Attended/Affiliated: University of Melbourne, Peking University

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Job: Student

Asia connection: Born in Shanghai.

China Travel: Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan, Hong Kong.

International Travel: Thailand, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, America.

Hobbies: Swimming, back country snowboarding, reading Classical Chinese.

Heroes: John Steinbeck, Lu Xun, 司馬遷

Blog Beats: #Out of Sync, #On the Move, #On Point, #On Lifestyle

Contact: zouwillsc@gmail.com


Name: Anita Zu / 徐婧艾

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Birthday: February 14

University Attended/Affiliated: Syracuse University, Fudan University

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Job: Reporter and writer

Asia connection: Born and raised in Shanghai

China story: Lived in Shanghai for 23 years before embarking on a journalism career in the U.S.; wrote about China and Chinese culture for various media including CNN International, The Post and Courier and The Post-Standard

China Travel: Beijing, Macau, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Nanjing, etc.

International Travel: Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria

Hobbies: TV shows, Cantonese, Spanish, technology, and photography

Blog Beats: #In transition, #Starting out, #Travel

Contact: anitaxu@162.144.26.251/~chinaper | anitaxu.com