Today, family background is no longer that important, but place of origin means status. The success of years of class struggle in China has made the Chinese particularly class-conscious. Faking one's birthplace is the quickest way to diminish the discrepancy between classes, between men and women, between city and countryside. It serves its purpose as conveniently as a fake Chanel bag.

Being a returnee, I am sometimes called a fake too. Local Chinese call me a jia yangguizi - fake foreign devil.

DANGAN: Personal files, containing details of their political, family, educational, and employment background. Everyone in China is required to have one.

BEIGU: Northern auntie, a derogatory expression for mainland girls.

NANDEHUTU: An ancient Chinese saying meaning, Leaving things ill-defined is better. The closest English equivalent is, Ignorance is bliss.

JIA YANGGUIZ: Fake foreign devil. A word used by ultra-patriots to refer to westernized Chinese.

XIN XIN RENLEI: The "new" new generation: Gen Xers and Gen Yers whose lifestyle includes bar culture, multiple sex partners, and the Internet. A far cry from the simpler and traditional lives of their earlier generations.

2 Fashion and Abortion

The Chinese media often complain that the Western media don't give a full picture of China. Some Chinese scholars have used the popular word yaomohua,or "demonizing," as in: "The Western media try to demonize China because they fear the rise of a strong modern China."

Whether the Western media have painted an accurate picture of China or not, China has its own faults. It has moved forward too damned fast, beyond the average person's normal comprehension. Even Chinese returnees like me, who left the country for only seven years to earn one or two advanced degrees, cannot recognize Beijing after they get back.