Book excerpt: When Tania McCartney discovered she'd be moving her husband, self and two kids under the age of five to China for four years, she was 95 per cent horrified. What she never expected was to fall in love. Beijing seeped under her skin and grabbed hold of her heart ... a love affair that inspired 'Beijing Tai Tai', a collection of shrewdly observed, heartfelt and humorous insights into Beijing expatriate life. Intensely personal, at times a little controversial, 'Beijing Tai Tai' is a rollercoaster ride of honesty and openness as a wife ('tai tai') and mother juggles suburban family life in urban Beijing. Presented in a series of love/hate column - like snippets - on topics ranging from the consumption of bull testicles to the life - altering experience of walking the Great Wall - it exposes expatriate life in a country on the brink of great change. From tragic hair moments and bustling silk markets to China's quest to stay true to its ancient origins, 'Beijing Tai Tai' is a book for anyone interested in this diverse and culturally rich country. It's for anyone, from anywhere, who knows what it's like to fall in love, explore new worlds and live with challenges. It's about life in a city full of soaring highs and disconsolate lows - but never anything less than remarkable.