Stuart & Barbara Strother first visited China in 1993 on a study abroad trip and have been traveling and working in China ever since. 
      While the rest of the world counted down to the new millennium, the Strothers were counting the days until their big move to the P.R.C., this time with their twin toddlers in tow. The foursome arrived in Shanghai late on the eve of the Chinese New Year to a city exploding with celebratory fireworks, where they spent a couple years teaching at a private Chinese school, an American international school, and local colleges while also running a teacher recruitment business.

Today the Strothers spend most of the year in southern California, where Stuart is a professor of Economics and International Business at Azusa Pacific University and Barbara is a freelance writer and photographer. In the summer they escape back to the Middle Kingdom, leading a study abroad program for business majors and helping students find ways to tap into the Chinese economic boom, such as starting small international businesses, pursuing further education at Chinese universities, or finding employment in China.

Barbara has a passion for international travel, and collects music, spices and home décor from around the world. Stuart’s top two personal interests are China and basketball, and he has been rooting for Yao Ming ever since Yao played for the Shanghai Sharks.