Jocelyn Eikenburg

If I had to describe Jocelyn Eikenburg in two words, they would be Renaissance Woman. Trained as a scientist, Jocelyn moved to China on a whim 15 years ago without knowing a drop of Chinese. Completely self-taught, she is not only fluent in Mandarin, but is also an expert in chengyu, complex Chinese idioms. She has knack for blogging, as she runs Speaking of China, the premier site related to Asian Male/Western Female (AMWF) relationships. The blog digs deep into the issues and covers all aspects of cross-cultural relationships. She is always very generous to others in the community and publishes a famous annual list around International Women’s Day that showcases other bloggers who love Asian men.

And best of all, she’s an amazing writer. Her essays have been published in the most high-profile Asian expat anthologies, including the new book, How Does One Dress to Buy Dragonfruit (Signal 8 Press, 2014). In this collection, Jocelyn writes about honeymooning in a romantic mountainous region of China–along with her father-in-law. It’s a heartrending story about family, trust, and acceptance, and one you’ll never forget. I’m most excited for the memoir Jocelyn is working on now!