Feature Stories
If you’re a CUHK-Shenzhen member, then you must have come across the Jones-Katz family, an American family who came to Shenzhen, China in 2016. This lovely family consists of Gregory Jones-Katz, an intellectual historian and a lecturer in General Education, Laura Jones-Katz, a lecturer and the coordinator of the Center for Self-Access Language Learning (SALL Centre), and their 12-year-old son Oliver, who is growing up in China.
Once in a while, when I go out for a walk for some fresh air around campus, I see the Jones-Katz family. I did not have the chance to talk to them together until very recently, when I had the opportunity to listen to their fascinating and meaningful experience in CUHK-Shenzhen and China.
What is it like to live on campus as an expat family?
Our campus feels like a protective bubble. The university provides a comfortable, convenient, and safe place for our family. We appreciate the natural environment the university offers. We enjoy going out for a walk as a family, especially around the beautiful lake between the upper and lower campus. Also, we’re grateful for the family-friendly environment. Our child can grow up in a neighborhood-like place, where he can meet people across different generations – whether university students, grandparents, or other kids of his age. Even during the pandemic, we felt safe on campus.
Do you like traveling? Can you talk about your traveling experience in China?
Yes, we love traveling. Whenever we have the opportunity, we try to explore different places in China. For example, we’ve visited the terracotta warriors in Xi’an, the mountains in Yangshuo, and the Great Wall near Beijing. We hope our next big trip will be to Dunhuang to see the camels in the Gobi Desert.
Gregory (left), Laura (center), and Oliver (right)
visiting the terracotta warriors in Xi’an
Oliver gazing at the
breathtaking mountains in Yangshuo
What do you think about Shenzhen?
Shenzhen is a wonderful city. Although it is very young, it is fascinating to observe its transformation over the years. It is sometimes strange for Gregory, as a historian, because Shenzhen is a city without a very long history. But that is also exciting, because we can be part of the process of creating the city’s traditions. There are also many places we can visit and things we can do. We like to go to restaurants, museums, and Shenzhen’s one-and-only record store in Nanshan (if you know of another one, please let us know!). And like we mentioned earlier, we love nature, so we appreciate the many green spaces in Shenzhen, like local parks, forests, and mountains. We were both born and raised on the East coast of the United States, where we enjoyed four seasons. The weather in Shenzhen can be challenging for us, particularly the heat. But at least we can see the clear blue skies, which we prefer over snowy weather and polluted air.
Gregory and Oliver walking the
Great Wall of China
