Chongqing - Emily Hulme, from New York, USA, is an English teacher, comedian, writer, and short filmmaker. Her diverse experiences in Chongqing not only enrich her life but also give her a sense of belonging and welcome. 

"There's the physical challenge of just like climbing all those stairs all the time but also interacting with the people. They can be very loud and brash but also very warm and friendly at the same time. And I think that makes me feel like I'm part of an interesting community even though it's not. It's very far away from where I was born. I still feel very welcomed and like I belong here, too," she said.

Emily has lived in China for 14 years, settling in Chongqing for the past three. In fact, her first visit to Chongqing was in 2012 for the Chongqing Punk Festival. Since then, she has been developing a character called Chongqing Punk.

"Chongqing Punk is a character I've been thinking about really for almost a decade," she said, "She represents a little bit of me when I was young, but she also represents kind of the youthful spirit I see here specifically in Chongqing. She's a little bit rough; she's a little bit angry; she's a young woman looking for her place in this world at maximum volume."

Emily observed that the young people here are forging their own unique path in the 8-D city, opening comedy clubs, record shops, art galleries/toy stores, trendy bars, or high-end coffee shops. They’re hustling—in their laid-back Chongqing way—to contribute to a culture that is unlike anyplace else in China.

She is very interested in the youth culture in Chongqing. "When I talk to young Chongqing people, they say there's no good youth culture here, and you have to go to Beijing or Shanghai. But I think the people I'm talking to are the culture; they're trying something new in a place where it hasn't been done before," she said.

In her view, it's easy to be cutting edge in Shanghai, whereas doing it in Chongqing is exciting and very new.

Performing stand-up comedy is one of her favorite things to do in her spare time. "I find Chongqing an inspiring place to live. Of course, it's great material for jokes," she said, adding that the landscape, the people, and that fighting spirit also make her want to tell stories.

Still, she admitted that it's an extra challenge to make people laugh in a foreign culture from your own where people may not have the same frame of reference as you. For example, she said, her jokes about American classic rock totally bombed, but when she talks about family pressure to have children, everybody gets it.

However, no matter where we're from, the same things motivate us all, she noted. "We all want to be loved and appreciated, and we all have somewhat complicated relationships with our parents. And if you can make a joke out of it, all the better."