Navjot Singh, a British subject who first went to Hong Kong and mainland China in 2002, was so inspired and taken back by the immense beauty of the place and the dizzying pace at which the country is economically progressing that he decided to write a daily diary from the first week that he arrived in Guangzhou. Navjot explains the passion behind his writing: “My main objective was to focus on writing some kind of advice for other expats, such as on the ups and downs of everyday life as an expat in China. It’s all good having a tour guide with you but after a few weeks that becomes meaningless when you have cemented yourself in the place and need to know how to mange everyday life in your new environment. China is not an easy environment to adapt to for foreigners because the culture is totally different to what you would normally be used to in other parts of world- the major obstacle which foreigners face in China is not one of language problems, but of understand the local culture- and hopefully this book can explain the cultural differences and make your stay in this vibrant country, a smooth one.”

In the space of more than 5 years that Navjot has been in China, he has experienced things which he had never encountered even in the U.K. or any of the other 24 countries he has travelled to for business and pleasure., it can be an adventure yet on the other hand it can be a totally frightening experience if, say for example, you end up in a difficult situation such being in hospital or being involved in any business dispute.

Navjot has experience of working for multinationals in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Beijing. Prior to his professional career in the corporate sector, Navjot did a stint as an English teacher at the Guangdong University of Technology in Guangzhou.

When it comes to matters of assistance, Chambers of Commerce’s and Embassies can be useful, however its better to know about the rights and wrongs even before you get to such situations- in most cases than not people get into difficulties in foreign countries because they are not fully aware of the local customs or laws. Navjot took such research into explaining it all in detail that eventually he converted all his ideas, and diary notes into a book which was accepted for publication by one of the world’s most respected relocation book publishers, Firstbooks and InkWater Press, based in Portland, U.S.A.

“China is probably one of most beautiful and romantic countries I have been to – it is a very pleasant place to live in for anyone; and more so, anyone who is privileged come and witness what’s happening in this part of the world will either be left mesmerized at its fast pace or just fall in love with its immense beauty. However it goes without saying that behind all that romance and beauty of the country, with all due fairness, China does present some challenges for foreigners, simply because it’s a totally different culture. My initial thought was like, if you need an International School for your children, you need a lawyer or a doctor in the middle of the night, you need to pay rent to your Chinese landlord or get a landline telephone account set up; what do you do? Who do you speak to about these things in an emergency? Because for me there was no one to ask for assistance in case I required it. Therefore I had to learn and do research myself for the whole book- a whole new adventure full of ups and downs.”