17 一桩尴尬事儿

The title of this book incorporates a tribute to the newspaper in which these stories originally appeared. Without China Daily, my life here would be difficult to put it mildly.

Possessing an extremely limited Chinese vocabulary, my eyes and ears have been opened by the pages of China Daily. It has not only informed me about this country and entertained (especially with its roundup of quirky stories from around the regions) but alerted me to places to visit and through its entertainment listings -- concerts and exhibitions to enjoy.

Like my own employer, China Central Television (CCTV), China Daily is an important window on China and the world. In keeping with the growth of this amazing country, the newspaper has developed into a publication that not only looks good, but reads well in this world of modern multimedia.

My special thanks to Li Xing and her colleagues in the features department, and to cartoonist Luo Jie, whose creative wit has enhanced this collection beyond measure. I am also indebted to Zhang Lixin of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press for her tireless work in translating my stories into Chinese.

Please enjoy My China Daily.