My background and influences? I am Canadian, born in Victoria, BC. After completing an MA in modern Chinese politics (from UBC, Vancouver) I travelled to Chinese Asia for the first time: January 1985. My plan was to study language and culture for 18 months, then go the US for a Ph.D.
After six months I realized that what I was learning on 'the street' about the Chinese was different from what I'd learned from textbooks and professors. Not that the books/profs were wrong, just that the first-hand experience was different. As my goal was to learn enough to act as bridge between more...
