about
about the author
I grew up in a small village in Austria’s Alpine foothills, surrounded by beautiful mountain views. The sight of the sun setting behind the snow-capped Alps in the distance was soothing for the soul. In my teens and adulthood, I moved to various cities across Austria. My love for the Chinese language eventually took me to live in Kunming in the southwest of China, Shenzhen near the Hong Kong border, and Siping, located in the heart of the Songliao Plain.
From 2001 to 2006, I studied Graphic Design, and in 2011, I graduated from the University of Vienna with a Bachelor’s degree in Sinology. In 2022, I completed further training in Social Media Management at the University of Graz.
My work experience includes working for an internationally acclaimed architectural firm, serving as a graphic designer in an advertising agency in Shenzhen, and working as a translator for Chinese, English, and German. Additionally, I have worked as a product photographer.
In the 2010s, I launched my blog, China Elevator Stories, taught German at a Chinese university, and became the mother of two beautiful children. When I moved back to Europe in 2019.
I have written articles for the Beijing-based magazine Jingkids International, and one of my stories was published in the anthology Knocked Up Abroad Again by Lisa Ferland.
Ruth Silbermayr
about the blog
birth
This blog was born on November 11, 2012, shortly after I moved to China. The idea emerged from various conversations with Chinese strangers in Shenzhen. I share encounters with locals from cab rides, elevator trips, and visits to TCM doctors.
early childhood
I met my former husband, a Chinese man from Northeast China, in Shenzhen. Our relationship, which is referred to as an AMWF relationship, led to our marriage in 2013. The early stages of our relationship are documented in the early articles on my blog.
middle childhood
The years 2015-2017 mark another chapter of this blog. During this time, I had moved to Siping in Northeast China, where I lived close to my former in-laws. I also settled into being a mom and became pregnant with my second son, who was born in 2016.
late childhood
My ex-husband took my blog offline without warning in 2017. I brought it back online in 2022. Since then, the blog's focus has been on my court cases, my personal situation as a parent experiencing parental alienation, Austrian society, and managing day-to-day life.
early adolescence
The years 2022-2024 mark a new chapter in my life and on my blog. After moving back to Austria in 2019, I divorced my ex-husband and pursued sole custody of my children who are being kept hidden in China, which unfortunately I did not receive.