WITH long, curly brown hair and wearing shorts and a simple white T-shirt — naturally showing off her fit legs — American Karin Dyer looks energetic and overflowing with youth.

Arriving in Shanghai 14 years ago when she was just 4, Dyer enjoys her life and studies here with her family.

“I just love China. And I like the community here for expats,” she says, excitingly. “I like Asian culture more than American culture because it is old and meaningful.”

Influenced by both cultures, Dyer — whose mother is from Taiwan — jokes she is sometimes looked at as a Chinese person who speaks fluent English when she is back in the US.

“I feel that here people think I am not Chinese, but Americans think I am Chinese,” she says. “But I love my culture, which is like a mixture of American and Chinese because I live here.”

Now, Dyer is ready for college life in America this year. But for her, Shanghai is always in her heart.

“Shanghai is my home. Whenever I go to America, I think I want to go home. I love it here,” she says.

Q: Do you remember the moment you first came to Shanghai?
A: Although I was 4 years old when I came to Shanghai for the first time, I still remember.

I found it was so hot because I was usually living in Michigan where it's not so humid. Shanghai is more humid and it is so hot in the summer. And and very crowded.

Michigan is small, so I remember being surprised by how many people were in one place and everyone would touch my hair or take pictures with me because I was so small and so cute, which really surprised me.

Q: You said your mom is from Taiwan, and she followed your father here, right?
A: Yeah, she stays at home. Before they married, she had moved to America when she went to college.

Q: Do you have any interesting stories related with Shanghai?
A: It is funny because when I go to America, people ask me: “Where are you from? I would say, “I am from Shanghai.” Then they would reply, “wow, your English is so good.” So I think that's funny.

Q: In your heart, where are you from?
A: It is hard to say, because I grew up here. I like both sides so much and I think I feel more Chinese than American. When I visited America in the summer, I felt like a foreigner. I don't really understand how people do things in America.

Q: How do you spend your weekends in Shanghai?
A: I like to go to explore Puxi with my friends, and like using Mobike or Ofo to go to malls and restaurants. Just hanging out.

I live in Jinqiao area in the Pudong New Area, and there is not so much to do there. But in Puxi, there is so much to do because there is so many stores and restaurants! It is pretty. Pudong is boring. It does have lots of restaurants, of course, but it is not so cool.

Q: Which place in Shanghai do you like best and why?
A: I don't know the name of the area, but there are a lot of old trees and many boutiques along the street.

I like the feeling it gives you, which makes you feel old and cultural. You know Shanghai is so modern in some areas, especially in Jinqiao. Everything is newly built. So, I like the feeling, like being in old Shanghai.

Q: Which road do you like best?
A: I like Huaihai Road M. There are so many malls, like everything is going on there. I think it is exciting.

When I was young, I had a cello lesson there. As we drove past there on the way to the class, I would think it was so cool and there was so much to see.

So later on, when I got older, I would go there with my friends or just walk around there.

Q: Can you tell the differences between the road now and when you first saw it as a little girl?
A: I can’t really remember much, but I know Jinqiao. When I first moved here, there was nothing, and the trees were so small and new.

Now they are, like, bigger and older. There is also a subway to Jinqiao these days and it is, like, developing.

Q: Why do you love Shanghai so much?
A: So much to tell. I love how everything is so convenient here, like you can use WeChat to pay for everything and there is Mobike and Ofo — transportation is so easy. And it is safe too.

Q: Can you describe how it feels safe for you?
A: Like, I can walk by myself outside and I don’t feel worried, even at night.

But in America, I am very scared. Because it happens so much, like being robbed at knifepoint.

My brother was robbed in college. It is a common worry for mothers with kids like my age.

Q: Do you have anything you don't like in Shanghai?
A: I think one thing I dislike is how people jump into line.

We went to the Shanghai Disneyland with my brother and sister last summer, and so many people pushed past in the line. After waiting for an hour, it was very frustrating.

And I came back from America like two weeks ago, and already when we were getting on the plane, people were trying to push in front. It’s like, we’re all going to get onto the plane — there’s not limited seats! But they kept trying to get in front.

But it is okay, I am used to it, really.

I remember a couple of years ago, the pollution was really bad, that was one thing I really don’t like. But now it is beautiful outside, so that’s good.

Q: Anything you miss here in Shanghai, perhaps when compared to places you’ve been to?
A: I think for most expats, imported food is hard to get here, or it's very expensive.

Take American cereal for example, we can’t buy it here. It is difficult for those who are not used to eating a Chinese breakfast. But honestly, I am pretty happy with the food here.

One thing, whenever I go to America, I buy a lot to bring back is, like, make-up wipes. I haven't been able to find those here.

Q: Any impressive memory during your 14 years in Shanghai?

A: When I was younger, our whole family would go to the mall around the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, and we would bargain to get the price lower.

I think it’s really a funny thing because it was so different to what we were used to in America.

When I was little, I was so bad in bargaining while my brother was the best one. So we would like, look and point to what we wanted, and he’d go in and bargain for us. So it was fun for the whole family. They (my elder sister and brother) are in America now, I really miss them.