"Without a doubt, this is one of the most exciting books I've read in years " Imagine you are on a journey where you discover a secret world that exists inside our very own. What if you could break free from the mundane and go on an adventure to an ancient city that still has city walls? As you step inside, you instantly realize that it's not even close to what you've expected. Accompany Ryan Andrew Peters, as he becomes familiar with the intricate Chinese culture and traditions. He makes his new home in Xi'an, one of the oldest cities in China, and also the capital of the Shaanxi Province. Xi'an marks the starting point of the Silk Road and is home to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Here he works as an ESL English teacher. "Definitely recommended to anyone who has worked, is working, or wants to work teaching English in a foreign country" Wang Yang, a memoir follows the touching and equally gripping story of Ryan, a young man of Indian and African origin who grew up in Apartheid South Africa. He moves to China to escape his alcohol and drug fused days in London, and gets way more than he bargained for In this story, you meet plenty of foreign teachers, Chinese staff as well as several of the students at his school. Becoming an English teacher takes a lot of practice in the beginning, but he ends up having exciting times in the classroom. The language barrier stands firm as he struggles to communicate and almost gets killed Beijing because of a deal that gets lost in translation. After that, he places his focus on learning Mandarin Chinese, which then unlocks new doors to the colorful Chinese culture. As he makes friends, their lives become intertwined, which portrays an insight into the undercurrents of the Chinese culture. "It's raw and honest. Hilarious and heartbreaking." The Chinese food culture is another new challenge because monks are known to be the only vegetarians in the country. He learns about the variations of mushrooms, edible fungus and spends many a night sitting on miniature chairs at street food stalls while sipping on the local beer. He also passes many nights in the underground gay bars. The nightlife in Xi'an is phenomenal and he finds himself spiraling out of control once again as he slips into another destructive lifestyle. Alcoholism gets the better of him and he faces constant calamities that eventually lead to a breakthrough in his life. More traumatic events unravel around him everyday, such as the Sichuan earthquake that kills over 70,000 people, leaving him to wonder what the meaning of life really is. "A portrayal of physical, emotional and spiritual conflict; desire and talent." As he starts singing in a Terracotta Warrior themed bar, he meets a guitarist he falls in love with, allowing him to explore love from an alternative perspective. It won't be easy, but it is guaranteed to be an adventure to remember Follow Ryan Andrew Peters as he barrels through a life of pain, adventure, love and whimsical hope. It's a travel memoir that readers cling to until the very last hypnotizing page