On the train from Beijing to north China's Tianjin Municipality, a young American woman has a hamburger for dinner in nervous anticipation. She is heading to a televised competition testing foreigners' Chinese language aptitude as a judge on play performance.

Elyse Ribbons, Chinese name Liu Suying, speaks fluent Chinese and runs Cheeky Monkey Theater, based in Beijing. Actors from different countries are called houzi, or "monkeys" in her troupe, like miaotiao houzi, "slim monkey" and yangguang houzi, "sun monkey." Liu is wanpi houzi, the "cheeky monkey."

"Monkey is my zodiac animal. Monkeys are lively and so am I." Liu said.

Founded in 2006, her troupe has produced many plays, including I Heart Beijing, Kung Pao Shakespeare and Green Eyes on Chinese. They perform these plays in Chinese and some Chinglish as well. Her plays exhibit themes of culture shock. The blend of Chinese and Western culture provokes consideration of multiculturalism as well as sends audience members rolling in the aisles clutching their sides.

In 2008, Liu initiated the ShiFen Theater Festival in the form of ten-minute shows covering Peking opera, drama and Chinese shadow puppetry with hand-crafted props.

Liu's theater hosts an acting troupe. She devotes herself to writing plays, organizing rehearsals, even looking for places to perform. She has no regrets about the hectic pace of her life, but the financial stress of operating a theater often leaves her in strained circumstances.

Liu practices various professions, including hosting weddings and acting in movies and advertisements. Besides acting, she shares expat's views as an emcee for China Radio International.

She puts nearly all of her income into the theater's daily operations. "Performing on the stage is my dream. I love China. I hope I can realize my dreams here," Liu said, "If I could do it for money, I wouldn't give up my job at the U.S. Embassy. I can live relatively easily there."

Liu is talkative when comes to Chinese culture, which she was fond of since the young age. She majored in drama and Chinese language in college.

She has been in Beijing since 2003. On Christmas, she often celebrates with local friends. Home is where the heart is, and her heart is in Beijing. Liu has no plans to go back to the United States, "because I have a lot of things to do here."