Chris Merritt spent nearly two years teaching parasitology to international students in the Medical School at Soochow University, Suzhou. The Chinese told her she was the first westerner ever to teach in a medical school in mainland China. She was also the only foreign faculty member on campus. This opportunity provided her with an inside look at daily life for Chinese students, their thinking, hopes and dreams, social issues, family life, the Communist Party and much more. She traveled in search of ancient China and her travels took her to Miao villages in the mountains, eco-museums in Guizhou, Confucius's birthplace and people living in caves. She found the Chinese to be a warm, generous hearted people with a great sense of humour who invited her to stay with their families in their hometowns. Merritt lived, shopped and ate with the Chinese and they shared their family histories, sexual orientation, love life and the wonderful myths and legends of China.