Vincent Hein keeps notes of his daily encounters in Beijing and observes aspects of life that are not necessarily specific to Asia.

"I try to be just and my principle is always this - we are the same. I have more in common with my (Chinese) wife than any French girl."

He lists a number of cultural differences in East of the Clouds. Consider yourself a long-time expatriate, he writes, if you say yes to the following questions: Does Sprite go with wine? Do you have to look before crossing a street? Do you carry an umbrella in sunny weather?

"That's just in jest, just to show how we can make jokes about each other," he says, laughing. "I have an equally strong Chinese version."

There was a brief spell when he was irritated by the city's winter chills and smog-clogged skyline. But he says the problem was less with the city and more with himself.

"The place will always be what it is, the problem is you," he says. "Even at the rate China is growing today, the people remain the same underneath as everywhere else."

Hein, who has been in Beijing for 10 years with his Chinese family, calls it home and misses it when he's away.

"Even if I go for a while, I know I'll come back to China," he says of the place that keeps him fascinated with its rich culture, laid-back pace and interesting, hospitable people.

He is currently in the process of writing about his childhood in Cote d'Ivoire. His new work will explore the same themes - that racism is artificial and people are fundamentally the same.

"You may eat with fork or chopsticks, but the hunger is the same."

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