Crosstalking over cultural barriers

"I'm from the northeast, too," Jesse Appell says in a thick dongbei accent, before swiftly adding for his audience's relish, "from the northeastern United States."

Appell is in full swing giving one of his free performances in a cafe in east Beijing as a member of the Danliren (stand-alone) Comedy Company.

Appell, 28, who has lived in Beijing for six years, has performed in many comedy variety shows in China, such as the Diss Family, and has become a well-known foreign artist on the local comedy scene. He is also the founder of the US-China Comedy Center, which brings together comedians from the two countries.