Vincent Hein and his Chinese wife, Ma Xiaomeng, with whom he says he has more in common than any French woman.

"I was worried that I would misbehave and shock people," he recalls, a train of thought that was the result of years of learning about the "mysterious" and unfathomable Chinese culture.

"We learned that Chinese (people) think in loops, which is completely different from us. We are supposed to be straight-forward," he says. "China should be all about dragons, opium and Zen spirit."

But he was nevertheless attracted to the country. He came to Beijing and tiptoed around the first few days until a Chinese teacher told him to relax.

"He said, 'if you're well-educated in France, you're well-educated in China'," Hein says. "And I realize that is correct. We do know how to understand and care for others despite the cultural differences. We are the same."

When Hein first started his post in China in 2004, his friends back in France were under the same erroneous impression - that China was beyond understanding.

So he started to take notes about his life and circulate them among his friends.

"My choice of the subjects are intentional," he says. The format of diary allows him to explore feelings and focus on descriptions instead of commentary. It is also a tribute to Nicolas Bouvier and those travel writers who "weren't trying to judge the land alien to them".

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."

We Recommend:

Portraits of potential	Exhibition showcases tea and wine culture	The Yang opera over the years