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2. A Dream of Red Mansions
5. Barefoot Dentistry
6. Two Thousand Steps to the
7. Chinese Medley
8. An Upper Middle Class Evening 9. Paralysis - The Core Problem with Chinese Universities 10. Foreign Experts Plant
Trees
13. Living With China Upside Down and Backwards 14. A Red, Black & White Culture 17. When a Dog is as Tall as a Man |
The entries in this diary are spontaneous, undiplomatic
and likely to be regretted later. That's the nature of day to day living,
especially in an unfamiliar culture and country. We all make as much sense
of the world as we can. When it is a new world, the sense of the moment
is often non-sense in retrospect, and the incomprehensible behaviour of
foreigners ("them" or me, depending upon your starting point) may be perfectly
logical within a framework of reality which we have not yet noticed or
accepted.
I could have written what follows with ifs and buts and maybes. I could have left out the bits that might make me look dumb later, or that might offend friends who meant well. Well, personal names have been changed or eliminated. That is all though. It seems to me that the mistakes, the exasperation, even the paranoia sometimes, are part of the story. They give it freshness and authenticity. This writer will contradict himself, put his foot in his mouth. So what? If learning to live in a new culture is worth anything at all, it must mean that I will change and grow. Therefore dear reader, judge me if you will, but don't expect to find the same fellow here next time you call. Happy reading, Thor. |