How has your engagement with Asia enhanced your life personally?

Being part of the Chinese media industry has allowed me to gain an inside understanding of Chinese culture. Furthermore, as a public representative of Shanghai television, I have grown to become part of this culture. I have learned a great deal of self-humility and typical Chinese modesty, which I believe has helped me greatly in my endeavours both in China and Australia.

How has your engagement with Asia enhanced your life professionally?

My circle of friends now comprises mainly local Chinese, which has changed a lot of my social habits to the extent that I tend to socialise more in Mandarin than in English!

Do you have a story about your engagement with Asia that you would like to share?

There is a well-known saying: "In China, everything is possible, but nothing is easy."

Having travelled to most parts of China as host of the Chinese Getaway travel show, I have found that the many different sub-cultures are truly unique. Communicating with the locals using Mandarin isn't always successful as, in many villages, the local dialect is a completely different language. In some cases, the locals are even unable to speak Mandarin. When I first came across this, it was truly a surreal feeling being a foreigner speaking Mandarin and being asked to speak slower and simpler so the locals could try to follow!