Foreword to Forty Years of an Ordinary Chinese: My Story and China’s Changes | by szhx | Sep, 2025
To all my dear readers,
I never imagined that I would one day sit down to write a book in English. This project was born from two simple yet powerful sources: curiosity and connection. Maybe this project will be failed, but I want try it first.
As I’m working in Singapore, I’ve been fortunate to meet people from all over the world. My Singapore’s friends and collegaues are interested in my background. “What’s it really like in China?” they would ask with genuine interest. “I’ve always wanted to visit Beijing,” or “Can you recommend any good books to understand modern China?” Their questions spanned from history and culture to food, travel, and everyday life. I found myself not just answering questions, but sharing stories — stories of my childhood, my family, and the incredible changes I’ve witnessed.
It was through these conversations that I realized something. I also found lots of videoes about China are not truely in Tiktok、Youtube and so on.
I am not a historian, a politician, or an academic. I am simply someone who grew up in China during the most transformative period of its modern history. I decided that perhaps my story — the story of an ordinary person — could be a window into an extraordinary time. I want describe a truely China to everyone.
There is a second, more personal reason for this book. Like many of my generation in China, I learned English in school but truly began to use it through my work. Writing these stories is my way of practicing, learning, and improving my English. I have done my best to express myself clearly, but this is a journey I am still on. If you find occasional errors or awkward phrases, I ask for your patience and understanding. This book is a labor of both memory and language learning.
I want to make one promise to you, my reader: every story I share in this book is true, based on my own memories and experiences. This is not a political commentary or a historical thesis. It is a personal narrative. My only goal is to share with you the China I have lived in — its small joys, its rapid development, and the fascinating quirks of daily life that my foreign friends always find so intriguing.
Thank you for your interest, your time, and your curiosity.
Warmly,
Bob 07, Sep, 2025
