Like sand in Old Sheng's bowl, so are the days of our lives

When I first started in journalism on Sydney's Daily Telegraph more than 20 years ago, the editor led us new cadets into his office and then pointed out his window. "There are 4 million people in this city and everybody has a story to tell," he boomed.

In China, there are more than a billion stories to tell, so where do we begin?

Expats have the privilege to hear so many interesting tales and my friends back home are always fascinated when I banter about the days of our China lives.