Hi all,
43yr old male, married with a 3.5yr old son, working in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. I'm not an english teacher and not planning on going the expat route anytime soon. I do however have an interest in getting at least a basic grasp of putonghua and Chinese culture for a couple of reasons. I am studying traditional Chinese martial arts and am interacting fairly frequently with guests my teacher brings over from China. Also, I manage several Chinese expats that are now US Citizens. In both cases it's very wierd when I'm outside of the conversations and can't participate.
As part of my hobby, I've picked up a couple of close Chinese friends. Frankly, I've been lurking here to just try and get an idea of how you expats are dealing with the cultural differences so I can better understand my friends.
p.s. No, I don't wear the silk PJs, but I have been known to don a kilt.