It may seem difficult to imagine but I spent 12 years and four months in Shanghai jails and have become a stronger, healthier and better man as a result.
It took six years for me to come to terms with the complex situation I was in - the sheer magnitude of cultural change caused me terrible mental anguish.
Can you imagine - all together in one enclosed environment - Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, Pakistani, Iranian, Nepalis, Myanmese, Singaporean, Australian, British, American and German prisoners, plus those from our host country.
To this bewildering mix I added my own paranoia and anxiety. It was a culture clash from day one, often leading to conflict among ourselves and with the authorities.
Despite this, none of us were mistreated during my 12 years' incarceration.
I disliked many of the rules, especially those regarding remission of sentence, and the fact that there was no parole for foreigners.
