The old ULN intro page

This blog is written by ULN, a foreigner happily living in Shanghai. ULN is a phonetic version of my name, to make it easier for both Chinese and English speakers to pronounce. I was a bit tired of people here asking me for my English name, as if everyone in the world needs to have one. Even in Chinese official forms there is usually a box to fill in your “English name”.

I didn’t feel like adopting a name that is not mine, like all the Lilies and Candies and Sunnies that populate China. So I came up with this one, which might sound like a South American guerrilla, but at least now people remember it.

And I made a logo out of it:

My Chinese name is Youren, like the seal reads, and this is the Chinayouren blog. Thousands of foreigners live in China today, and a fair part of them seek to extend their contracts and are in no hurry to leave. There are different reasons for us to stay, from the old dream of the billion customers to the patient, tolerant nature of the locals. But there is one reason that all of us share to some extent: That vague feeling that it matters, that it’s here and now that history of humaniy is being written.

Hence the blog’s subtitle: Of China changing the World

I have been in China for over 3 years, enough to understand that I will never really understand this country. But enough also to be completely fascinated by her. I want to share my point of view of what is going on in China today, and how it is affecting the rest of the World. As a citizen of the World, you are just as qualified as I am to discuss this, so go on and share your opinion on the posts. Comments make me happy.