Up, close and personal with Cheerful China

"Why did you cut my punch line, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'?" asked Australian Patrick Whiteley, a former editor. I replied: "I just thought cold dishes are delicious, and why shouldn't anyone like them?" Exasperated, he explained: "But in the West, 'Revenge is a dish served cold' means to treat someone badly in retaliation."

Oops.

It's not easy job being the editor of China Daily's "Hotpot" column. After taking charge in January 2007, I've bumped into many barrier reefs beneath the seemingly placid surface of the sea of English-language writing about China.