Hi there! My name's Rob and I live and work in China. I'm originally from New Zealand but have not lived there for 16 years, preferring to spend most of my time in Asia.

For most of my working life in China, I have lived in Xi'an, where I'm a teacher at Xi'an International University.

I have lived in larger, more cosmopolitan cities like Shanghai and Ningbo, too, but I prefer Xi'an. In the time I have been in China I have grown to think of China as my home and Xi'an as my city.

From the very day I arrived at the Xi'an university, I knew I was in a good place.

It's one of China's leading private universities and has grown and thrived on the back of marketization of China's higher education and privatization policies.

It is owned and managed by a group of personalities who have shown a genuine willingness to support our joint venture.

My direct colleagues in the project have formed a close-knit team that we describe as a "family".

As for the students, to be honest, they are the ones who haven't managed to secure places in leading state schools because of their scores in the national college entrance exams.

But our experience tells us that just because their exam scores were low doesn't mean they cannot get good jobs.

Our way of teaching and the rigor of learning ensure that the youngsters leave with good qualifications, skills and confidence to fully engage and participate in consolidating China's economy.

 That's how our work team contributes to building a stronger China.

I have a driver's license issued in China and have been driving in the country for eight years.

It may sound strange but driving in Xi'an is not difficult if you drive like everyone else.

If you're thinking about driving in China, get a big car (there's a kind of pecking order and Cherry QQs are at the bottom) and get an aftermarket horn (or twin set-up) because unfortunately you will always be on it.

In Xi'an, the horn is not for sounding out other cars as much as it for warning pedestrians, electrical bicycle riders and three-wheeled cart drivers who seem not to have much knowledge of road rules.

Driving in Xi'an is definitely not what I would call pleasurable but I have not met with an accident or been booked for a driving offence.

Getting my favorite items, too, is not a problem nowadays.

Before Taobao, a shopping website, I used to get all my clothes sent over from New Zealand by my mom.

I'm 186-cm tall and weigh 110 kg, and though finding clothes of my size in China was possible, the choice (of colors) was very limited.

Then came Taobao and as it grew so did my confidence in finding things I needed and missed.

Clothes, shoes, bread machine, necessities, favorite New Zealand foods (even the famous yeast extract "Marmite") are now just a mouse click away.

Now I have regular sellers and we have become friends!

I know that "brick and mortar" shopping in China has come a long way but, for me, the speed, convenience and security of Taobao is unbeatable.

Thank you Taobao for making my life easier and convenient.

My life in Xi'an and in China has been wonderful.

I follow a very simple philosophy that may not work for everybody but has worked fine for me wherever I have lived around the world: Learn the language (or enough of the language to get through a typical day), learn the culture of local people (this will help you explain and accept what is happening is different from what you are used to), keep the words "could have" "should have" and "would have" out of your vocabulary, try to make your colleagues part of your extended family, and don't get too worked up (or least let people see you worked up) about things you have no real control over.

I know it's easy to say so but difficult in practice, but try we must!