He stayed for eight-and-a-half years.

While living in China he wrote emails to friends and family back in Australia about his experience. The result: 327,000 words, a running diary detailing events, anecdotes and observations about an Australian's first-time experiences in the most populous country in the world.

Last year Brom published a book, which is an edited version of that long stream of emails. The book is titled Chicken Same Duck Talk, taken from a Chinese term for miscommunication that means "I might as well be a chicken talking to a duck".

Brom will launch the book at the Newcastle Writers Festival on Saturday, April 4, at 1.30pm at The Press Book House, 462 Hunter Street.

The book is pitched as a guide for people who plan to teach or do business in China, with insights on language, culture, customs, food, education and business practices. But, it's also a street-level observation of an ancient society with a huge population dealing with a great deal of change.

Even more relevant: Brom lived in Wuhan for most of his time in China. Wuhan, of course, is the epicentre of the Coronavirus that is rapidly becoming the greatest health fear of the 21^st century.

"You might call it unfortunate serendipity," Brom says of launching a book about China at right now. "I didn't quite realise how topical China would end up being, and that was before the virus.

"The point is: they have become a superpower in the last couple of decades. They have gone from extremely poor to global super power in 40 years. History has never seen anything like that. I didn't realise it when I was there. And didn't realise it when I left."

Brom says the book has been well received by both English and Chinese readers. He is particularly happy about the Chinese response. "Some of my Chinese friends have read the book, and like it," he says. "It's the ultimate perception. I can see things they can't see. To them it's normal."

In the book, Brom notes that Chinese people assume four things about foreigners:

"They also think we keep kangaroos as pets," he adds.

On the flip side, the fact the Coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan does not surprise him.

"I describe Wuhan quite well in my book. I'm not very surprised," Brom says.

"Social attitudes are different there. I'm not saying positively or negatively. It's just different. Different ways of living. I'm not terribly surprised."

The one particular habit: they expectorate more in Wuhan.

Back here in Australia, Brom still teaches English to Chinese university students in Melbourne (although the business has dried up at the moment).

Learning the Chinese language was the most challenging part of life in China for him. While Mandarin is the official language, that's not what people speak.

"There are 10,000 million dialects," he says. "You don't know what they are speaking."

Yet, it is the language he misses most.

"Everywhere you go, it's a 24-hour three dimensional divisional lesson," he says of the Chinese culture. "Learning the language, having my landscape change from meaningless to meaningful. Being able to read the hieroglyphics."

Excerpts from the book reflect a state-of-consciousness writing style that is humorous and informative, a narrative with a sniff of Hunter S Thompson.

Brom says his book launch will be a comedy show - a bit like the book: fun and educational at the same time.

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