Please tell us a little about your background. What was it like to grow up in China?

I was raised in Hangzhou (China) by a lake called West Lake. Hangzhou is renowned as one of the six famous ancient capitals of China. West Lake has associations with many famous emperors, poets and painters. I grew up with trying to understand the poems that are written on the walls, doors, stones, cliffs, etc, and trying to appreciate the calligraphies that are my heritage from ancient times.

Why did you want to leave China and move to the States? Did you move to work at Pandemic?

I moved to the States for my Masters degree initially, and then I moved from Rochester to Los Angeles after I graduated from school. I was fortunate enough to be part of Pandemic soon after I moved here.

Have you always been interested in working on video games? How did you get started in the industry?

When I was in school at Rochester, New York, I had this wonderful chance to work on Full Motion Video for Crash Bandicoot and Crash Nitro Kart as an Animator. That was what introduced me to this challenging industry. I like challenges.

Do you enjoy the Los Angeles lifestyle? What places of interest have you visited? What are some of the things you like to do here in your time off from work?

Los Angeles is a great place. You can be anything you want and do anything you want. The city has a unique culture and is where the "California Lifestyle" stereotype has come from. There are so many places to see here in Los Angeles. Other than natural attractions, there are museums, galleries, gardens and concert halls. I love the fact that art in LA is accessible and plentiful. In my spare time I like to explore the city and go to places that are not listed in the tour book.

What are the biggest differences you notice between L.A. and China? What's been the biggest surprise?

After spending some time and later living abroad I got to notice that what I once thought was a normal living environment appears to be quite exotic for many people. For example, a street is not just a means of passing through in China. You actually see life in the streets. You would see people sit on the curb and read. People occupy street corners to sell their used books, or they set some balloons around for shooting game. You would even see parents scold their children on the street.

In China the biggest surprise would be that bikes, buses and taxis are main transportation method. Here, people spend significantly more time in their cars. I have always been thinking of doing a short animation about people moving from one box to another box.

What is it like to work on such a high-profile game like Mercenaries™?

Lots of responsibility and lots of fun. It is really my pleasure to have the chance to work on this game. Before I came to Pandemic I actually heard about this game in the industry and I was so eager to join Mercenaries™ team!

If you could give a word of advice to people considering moving to the States, what would it be? What if they could just visit L.A. for one day - what shouldn't they miss?

I actually have advice for people who are moving to Los Angeles. Get a sports car or SUV like the rest of the people here and it won't be that scary to drive at all. The drivers in Los Angeles have an abrasive brand of aggression that takes time getting used to if you are not from here. I would say don't miss fabulous garden and art works at Getty Center, sunset along the beach, and the LA night life.

Have you been able to do any traveling outside of Los Angeles? What is your favorite place in the world to visit?

I moved from New York so I did some wandering around the East Coast. I like New York City. There is just too much to see there.