Heartbeats on the Beijing Subway

For many， the idea offalling in love in a bustlingcity like Beijing seemslike a scene straight outof a romantic movie. For TammyTreichel， an American who cameto China over a decade ago， thatcinematic moment became herreality. She met her now-husband，Jackie， on the Beijing subway， achance encounter that would notonly change her life but inspireher to write Hutong Heartthrobs，a book that narrates their crossculturallove story. “There are manylove stories that are must-reads， butwhat makes mine special is how， ina very light-hearted way， it showshow love and compassion can findways to overcome cross-culturaldifferences，” Tammy explains.

Tammy first came to China asa tourist in 2006， and later went toBeijing to work in 2009. Inspired byher university friends from Chinawho described China as a warmand welcoming place for foreigners，Tammy first decided to visit as atourist. Little did she know thatthis brief trip would eventually turninto an extended stay. “I was on thesubway in Beijing when I first sawJackie，” Tammy recalls. He was aChinese migrant worker who hadworked as a security guard andat that time had just broken intoacting. To her， Jackie was someonefrom an entirely different world.“I wouldn’t call it love at firstsight， but there was somethingthere. We made eye contact， andsomehow， we instantly connected，”she remembers. What began as afriendly encounter soon blossomedinto a friendship and， eventually，romance and marriage.

The Inspiration behind the Book

Writing wasn’t a new pursuitfor Tammy. As the daughter of awriter — her mother has authoredfive science books — Tammyhas always had a passion forstorytelling. She had been keen towrite about China ever since shearrived in the country， fascinatedby the cultural differences and thestories waiting to be told.

“After meeting Jackie， I found"so many intriguing things to writeabout，” she says. The experiencesTammy gained as a foreignwoman married to a Chinese manoffered her with an interestingperspective on cross-culturalinteractions. She realized thatwhile there are many books aboutChina， none explored the crossculturalrelationship between aWestern woman and a Chineseman to the extent that she did.

Jackie was Tammy’s biggestsupporter from the outset.Although her mother was initiallyskeptical about the project，calling it a challenging task toblend two very different pointsof view together into one book，Jackie encouraged her to followher passion. The two workedtogether on the book， withTammy interviewing him for thetask in Chinese and translating.“His views are incorporatedthroughout the book， makingit a complete picture of our lifetogether，” she explains.

The book takes readers on ajourney using two perspectives，Tammy’s as an American womanand Jackie’s as a Chinese man.It illustrates how they navigateeveryday challenges and culturaldifferences in China as a team.“It helps readers understandthe Chinese way of thinkingas opposed to the Western one（specifically American），” Tammysays. She believes that her storywill resonate with anyone whois curious about cross-culturalrelationships. “Although womenmight relate to my book morebecause it is in essence a lovestory， I believe men can also relateto it. And in general， it’s definitelyhelpful for people who want toknow more about China beforecoming here.”

Bridging Gaps through Love

Tammy believes that one ofthe most valuable lessons herrelationship has taught her is theimportance of flexibility andunderstanding. “China has taughtme a lot，” she says. “Being with aChinese husband， I’ve developed asense of belonging and home herein Beijing.”

One of Jackie’s pieces ofadvice that Tammy is still tryingto embrace is not to overthinkthings. “Jackie taught me： Don’tthink too much， go with theflow. That makes life easier，” sheshares， reflecting on how theChinese philosophy of balancehas helped her navigate life in aforeign country. Tammy hopesthat her story can help demystifyChinese culture for foreignerswhile providing Chinese readerswith insight into how foreignersexperience their country.

While Hutong Heartthrobs isalready making waves， Tammyis now busy working on her nextwriting project， a novel that is alsoset in China. “For now， I’m excitedto see how readers respond to mystory，” she says. There’s also thepossibility of releasing a Chineseversion of her book， which wouldmake it accessible to a broaderaudience.

As she looks ahead， Tammyhopes that her story will continueto inspire others to embrace theadventure of cross-cultural love，just as she did. For those curiousabout life in China or what it’s liketo build a relationship in a foreignland， Hutong Heartthrobs offers aheartwarming and insightful peekinto the world of Tammy and Jackie— two lovers who finally foundtheir happily ever after， set againstthe vibrant backdrop of China’scapital.