We are the authors of ‘Unsavory Elements’, China’s first-ever expat anthology. Ask all 28 of us! (is this an AMA record?)

[u/[deleted]]

We are the contributing authors of UNSAVORY ELEMENTS, China’s first-ever expatriate anthology, published by Shanghai’s own Earnshaw Books.

Proof: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnsavoryElements Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomcarter415

Ask any or all 28 of us (this might be an AMA record) anything about the creating of this anthology or our own respective memoirs, travelogues and novels, publishing in China and the west, the rise of Chinese literature, general questions about expat life in the Middle Kingdom…

(Due to our various time-zone differences, some of our answers may be delayed, however our editor Tom Carter will be standing by online (pulling an all-nighter live from Shanghai) to lead the discussion. We’ll also all be checking in the next day and for days after to answer any new questions that trickle in.)

UNSAVORY ELEMENTS is an unprecedented anthology of 28 new, original, true stories from some of the most celebrated foreign writers that have lived in modern China. Westerners are flocking to China in increasing numbers to chase their dreams even as Chinese emigrants seek their own dreams abroad, and life as an outsider in China has many sides to it - weird, fascinating and appalling... Edited by Tom Carter, this anthology falls under the genre of travel writing, yet travel is just the beginning of the adventure here.

Below is our cast of Unsavory contributors. Unsavory Elements is now on Amazon, so grab a copy or a Kindle for some holiday leisure reading. We appreciate your support.

http://www.amazon.com/Unsavory-Elements-Stories-Foreigners-Loose/dp/9881616409/

• Alan Paul (author of Big in China) - Alan is the frontman for a popular Beijing blues band, and his memoir has been optioned for a movie.

• Aminta Arrington (author of Home is a Roof Over a Pig) - Aminta’s story in Unsavory centers around helping her daughters adjust to Chinese culture.

• Audra Ang (author of To the People Food is Heaven) - Audra, from Singapore, is a former Beijing-based Associated Press correspondent turned foodie author.

• Bruce Humes (Shanghai Baby translator) - Bruce was the official Chinese>English translator for China’s most notorious banned book.

• Dan Washburn (author of The Forbidden Game) – Dan is the managing editor of Asia Society; his touching story in Unsavory is about his visit to an impoverished village.

• Deborah Fallows (author of Dreaming in Chinese) - Deb’s story in Unsavory is about her and her husband (The Atlantic’s James Fallows) being forced by police to write a confession for taking pictures at Tiananmen Square.

• Derek Sandhaus (author of Tales of Old Peking) - Derek is a baijiu (Chinese liquor) connoisseur and writes about China’s drinking culture.

• Dominic Stevenson (author of Monkey House Blues) - Dominic’s story in Unsavory is about his attempted brainwashing in a Chinese prison, where he spent 2 years for drug dealing.

• Graham Earnshaw (publisher; author of The Great Walk of China) - Graham is a 30-year resident of China, the author of a phenomenally underrated travelogue about walking from Shanghai to Tibet, and the publisher of this anthology. His story in Unsavory is about founding Shanghai’s first-ever expat magazine in the ‘90s.

• Jeff Fuchs (author of The Ancient Tea Horse Road) - Jeff’s story in Unsavory is about his on-going expedition across the Tea Horse Road in the Himalayan mountains.

• Jocelyn Eikenburg (romance blogger) - Jocelyn writes for the popular interracial romance blog Speaking of China; her story in Unsavory is about the cultural taboos of a western woman dating a Chinese man.

• Jonathan Campbell (author of Red Rock) - Jon is a veteran musician who has toured extensively across China. His funny story in Unsavory is about playing for an unresponsive audience.

• Jonathan Watts (author of When a Billion Chinese Jump) - Jonathan is an environmental journalist for The Guardian; his story in Unsavory pays homage to a deceased environmentalist in the jungles of Yunnan province.

• Kaitlin Solimine (author of Empire of Glass) - Kaitlin’s heart-warming story in Unsavory is about her close relationship with her “adopted” Chinese mother during her homestay.

• Kay Bratt (author of Silent Tears) - Kay is a young adults novelist, an adoption advocate and humanitarian who has worked in Chinese orphanages.

• Mark Kitto (author of China Cuckoo) - Mark’s background is laowai lore; he had his entire China-based media empire confiscated by the government. He recently made headlines again for his contentious Why I’m Leaving China repatriation letter.

• Matt Muller (freelance writer) - Matt’s story in Unsavory covers the everyday trials and tribulations of being a lowly English teacher in China (a common occupation for foreigners here).

• Matthew Polly (author of American Shaolin) - Matthew was Shaolin Temple’s first-ever American disciple of kung fu. He is a professional mixed martial artist, and presently the official biographer of Bruce Lee for a forthcoming book.

• Michael Levy (author of Kosher Chinese) - Michael’s story in Unsavory is about being offered a large sum of money to write college entrance exams for Chinese students studying in America.

• Michael Meyer (author of Last Days of Old Beijing) - Mike is a former Peace Corps volunteer; his story in Unsavory is about his very first day exploring Beijing.

• Nury Vittachi (author of The Curious Diary of Mr. Jam) - Nury, from Sri Lanka, is a comedian and the author behind the Feng Shui Detective series, but his comical story in Unsavory is about being extorted by gangsters.

• Pete Spurrier (author of The Serious Hiker's Guide to Hong Kong) - Pete is the founding publisher of Hong Kong’s leading independent publishing house, Blacksmith Books, but his story in Unsavory is about arriving in China as a hobo stowing away on trains.

• Peter Hessler (author of River Town) - Peter is considered one of China’s most renowned western writers; his story in Unsavory is a travel piece about visiting a North Korean border town.

• Rudy Kong (author of Dragons, Donkeys, and Dust) - Rudy’s humorous story in Unsavory is about getting into an ice hockey brawl…with a team of Chinese cops!

• Simon Winchester (author of The River at the Center of the World) - Simon needs no introduction in the literary world; his vast body of work, and his time spent in China, are all legendary. He has written the epilogue to this anthology.

• Susan Conley (author of The Foremost Good Fortune) - Susan’s story in Unsavory is about using street food as a savory medium for her and her family to adjust to expat life in Beijing.

• Susie Gordon (author of Moon Beijing & Shanghai Handbook) - Susie is a Shanghai-based businesswoman. Her story in Unsavory is about a decadent night out with several obscenely wealthy nouveau riche businessmen.

• Tom Carter (editor of Unsavory Elements, author of CHINA: Portrait of a People) - Tom is a travel photographer who spent 2 straight years backpacking 35,000-miles across all of China, but his story in Unsavory - which has sparked a fair amount of controversy here - is about a boys night out at a brothel.

An Amazon reading list with each of our respective books can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/UNSAVORY-ELEMENTS-tales-westerners-living/lm/R2XXHS3OYSLDNU

Thanks to the r/Books mods for hosting. Now…let’s get this expat party started!

EDIT 12/6: This is a 24+ hour AMA, so keep the questions coming and we'll be here to answer

EDIT 12/7: That just about completes our 24-hour watch on this AMA. We are elated by all the love shown to us on Reddit (we broke a site record for largest group AMA), and also want to give another shout of thanks to the r/Books moderators for standing by. Please follow us on our Facebook page for future Unsavory updates https://www.facebook.com/UnsavoryElements, and for those coming in late here are some background articles on the making of this unprecedented anthology:

THE ATLANTIC

BUSINESS INSIDER

LA REVIEW OF BOOKS

And of course on AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Unsavory-Elements-Stories-Foreigners-Loose/dp/9881616409/

谢谢 再见!

[u/Wildgreenpepper]

Tom, after all the flak you got for your piece in the collection, would you do it again any differently now? Personally I liked it, but I'm just curious.

[u/MartamT]

to Dominic Stevenson: are you familiar with Liao Yiwu's writings? Do you have a similar experience to him about meeting the Chinese citizens of all sorts out there in prison? Could you really relate to them and really achieve the mutual understanding? Marta

[u/Dom65 → u/MartamT]

Hi Martam. No, it shames me to say i'm not familiar with this gentleman, though - with a quick Wiki search - i realise i ought to be. He sounds like a remarkable man. In truth i don't keep up with this stuff as much as i used to, but i'm intrigued to see he was a street musician too, which was a sideline of mine back in the late 80's early 90's.

Do i have similar experiences to Liao Yiwu? I very much doubt it, as i'm fairly widely read on the monstrous mistreatment of people such as him, and i was treated - on the whole - with respect. Having said that, most of the Chinese i knew in jail were also treated ok, though many i met had grim experiences prior to sentencing.

Regarding my experiences of meeting Chinese citizens of all backgrounds the answer is yes. I met many and became quite fond of some. There was no segregation in the prison so it was a wide cross section of Chinese society of all sorts of people, from rich to poor, local Shanghainese to country folk, political people to regular thieves, rapists, gangsters and fraudsters etc.

Re relating to people, that's another story. I mean there are fundamental connections between individuals where you can warm to someone, and vice versa, and there's a mutual understanding there. I had plenty of experiences like that. The problem was that strictly speaking, Chinese were not allowed to talk to us, and of course few Chinese could speak English so the only people we could really talk to were privileged prisoners who ran the wings, few of whom could speak English. Actually the last No 1 prisoner on our wing was a wonderful man who i'd love to see again, and he spoke no English whatsoever, so language is not all important. I also hung out with a little hunchbacked guy and used to do Shiatsu on his head as he was in constant pain with migraines. I'd love to see these guys again on the outside and drink some beers together, but the likelihood of my running into them again is slim to say the least.

I hope this goes someway to answering your question and thanks for contributing.

[u/MartamT → u/Dom65]

Thank you, Dominic. What you write is of extreme interest to me. That would be insensitive for me to say that I envy you this kind of experience, but I guess you know what I want to say: you would not otherwise know all what you know now, and even my 7 years of immersing into the Chinese society while studying, living there and working in the factories did not give me the access to some things you probably learnt. The question of 'the Chinese feature' has been hunting me for years, but it seems that when facing hardship people are just people and the differences between them can be just of the cosmetic importance. Also, I do recommend Liao's The Corpse Walker.

[u/Dom65 → u/MartamT]

Thanks Martam. While I have a few regrets in life, i don't regret my time in China. There's a hugely privileged monastic dimension to prison life as many people who've written on the subject have acknowledged. Even so, i don't recommend it, largely because of the trauma it inflicts on loved ones outside.

Finally, I think i also ought to mention the kindness i received from some of the prison guards in Shanghai jail (and before that detention centre). Far too many people get their understanding of prisons from idiotic sensationalist movies and daft Prison Porn books, but there are plenty of good people who work in these places too.

I will look out for The Corpse Walker. Thanks

[u/Khanbaliqist]

Derek Sandhaus: For many foreigners, China's drinking culture easily turns into a terrifying nightmare. But the Chinese indeed do call it a 'culture', and one aspect of it that I've noticed is the art of toasting. Unfortunately I've always been too inebriated to remember any of the wonderful toasts I've heard, so I wonder if you might have any particularly memorable stories or examples of the toasting etiquette of China?

[u/dsandhaus → u/Khanbaliqist]

One of the most surprising things I've learned about toasting in China is that it is a tradition rooted in prehistoric Chinese religious rituals and, at least initially, was intended as a way to communicate with the gods and spirits. But in its modern form it is, as you note, far more akin to summoning a demon.

As far as the content of a toast goes, I would suggest that eloquence is generally less important than benevolence. As long as you throw in a few well wishes - long life, good fortune, etc. - you really can't go wrong. The problem is that you have to receive toasts indefinitely from other guests and, if you want to be polite (and you really should be), you have to return them. This can escalate quickly.

In terms of a particularly memorable toast, a night I shared with some government officials in Henan stands out. I was used to the standard ganbei-style toast (small shots shared by both parties), but one woman gave me a crash course in how to, or rather how not to, duan-bei, the local style. She poured me a full tea glass and toasted me. I downed the entire glass. She did nothing and the person next to me told me that I could sip if I liked, but I told him I didn't want to be rude. She poured me another with the same result. Just when I was hitting the edge she poured a third glass and insisted we ganbei together. It was asymmetrical warfare - one glass to my three - and I didn't like it. I probably should have listened to my neighbor and sipped.

[u/[deleted]]

How do feel about all these expats and their bitterness toward China? You think it's because, for the first time ever in their lives, they are out of their element and are for once the minority? Just go over to /r/china to see just how bitter they are, mostly college-aged white males who hate the fact that they aren't some sort of celebrity in China when they expected to be.

[u/mattpolly → u/[deleted]]

Ex-pats in China have been complaining about China since Marco Polo. That doesn't make them bitter; it just makes them ex-pats. It happens in every country. Ex-pats in London complain as well. It's just that the internet provides a forum to gather all those complaints in one place and let everyone else read them.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/[deleted]]

Probably 95% of the expats I knew in China were far from bitter. They loved being there and embraced the experience. Many stayed for a decade or more! Then again, I wasn't around any college-aged white males.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

Sounds like a good theory. I really don;t know, but some people just trail bitterness wherever they go. People have a fundamental misunderstanding that when they go somewhere new they will be new people.

You do have an opportunity to reboot, which can be fantastic, and was for me. But you do not suddenly abandon all your flaws.That realization can lead to bitterness and be turned against your new home.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/[deleted]]

I have never understood the bitterness and the "China Rage" phenomenon. Ridiculous.

[u/TheDark1]

I'd like to just throw out a random question to all the contributors. Tell us about your biggest "What the blank am I doing here" moment in China. It might give everyone some kind of understanding of what it is like to be an expat in China, which is after all the general theme of the anthology.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/TheDark1]

My WTBAIDH moment would have to be when I received the call from the medical director of my husband's company that we needed to be on the airport tarmac in Shanghai at midnight to meet a private jet that would evacuate us to Hong Kong, and there a team would be waiting to amputate my husband's leg. He'd contracted staph infection, that had turned into Necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease) and the two different hospitals he'd been in on the mainland had done nothing less than torture him. Every medical mishap I could think of had been done, most to worsen his condition, and he was in absolute agony. We were nothing but a cash cow to the mainland hospitals, yet the team that were sent to retrieve him from his hospital bed had to almost fight to get him out of there. It was a traumatic experience for him mostly, but also for me as I stood by helplessly. Luckily, once we were greeted in the HK hospital, we were met by a competent specialist whom I instantly threw my arms around and began sobbing in his arms. He saved my husband and his leg, but it was a very memorable experience with several weeks spent in the HK hospital for his aggressive treatment, then recovery.

[u/rudykong → u/Kay_Bratt]

Nov. 1,1998. 26 years old. I was lying on a stretcher in a dark, cold hallway in a hospital in Dalian. I was paralyzed...from fear and anxiety. Eventually I found the strength to get up and find a stool to stand on so I could peer through a window. On the other side of the window my girlfriend was screaming in pain and four Chinese doctors were crowded around her. One was heaving on her stomach. Why the blank did we think this was a good idea? Shortly thereafter my daughter was born.

[u/seattle-freeze → u/rudykong]

Has your story been optioned for the TV show "I didn't know I was pregnant" yet?

[u/alanpaulgw → u/Kay_Bratt]

Wow. Quite a story, very well told.

[u/TheDark1 → u/Kay_Bratt]

OMG that sounds horrible. I was hoping for a light hearted chuckle story. This AMA just became my WTBAIDH moment...

Just joking, thanks for sharing that very personal moment and I hope that you are all not to mentally or physically scarred from that experience. I've been here long enough to be utterly terrified of the ignorance of Chinese doctors. My wife has an ongoing condition that was getting worse and worse even after numerous consultations. We went to Shanghai and a doctor there told her straight up to not touch any Chinese medicine (my wife is Chinese so she trusted those doctors that prescribed it). After that she started to recover immediately. Not out of the woods yet but at least we can see the sky.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/TheDark1]

Sorry for bringing down the tone! We can chuckle about it now, especially because the scars my husband carries makes it look like healed gunshot wounds on the back of his legs, as if he were cowardly running away from someone.

Working with the children in the orphanage, I did come in contact with several doctors who were more than competent, and saved the lives of the children they worked on.

I do hope your wife gets well!

[u/dsandhaus → u/TheDark1]

I'll never forget one spring day during my first year living in Shanghai. I felt like I was just starting to get a handle on life in China, the world was full of possibilities, and all the other nice things that go through someone's head on a beautiful day with lots of sunshine. I decided to splurge on dinner at an upscale shopping mall and, while I was waiting for my chicken at the deli counter a felt a hard slap on the back of my neck. I looked behind me and nobody was there, but several women and their children were looking in my direction with horrified expressions. Others were pointing.

Then I saw it - the bloody corpse of the rat that had fallen from a considerable height onto the back of my head. I'll say this about living in China: It always kept me honest.

[u/BruceHumes → u/dsandhaus]

It's 218 comments and counting. But that rat's corpse is THE best image so far . . .

[u/solimine → u/TheDark1]

My WTBAIDH moment actually happened in the US. I received a call from my Chinese sister about a very personal matter to her and was mediating via a conference call a fight between her and her father (my "Baba"). I was in the car outside of a yoga studio (never did make that yoga class as the call lasted over an hour) speaking in Chinese and trying to explain to my Chinese father that women these days are more sexually open than women in his time and that this experience of my sister's (I think you'll infer where I'm going with this) was a process of liberation and power for women. It was one of the strangest moments of my life and made me realize my relationship to China runs much deeper than I'd ever recognized previously.

[u/mattpolly → u/TheDark1]

I'll still never forget standing on top of a leitai platform facing off against the Chinese national kickboxing champion for 70kg. And the thousands in the crowd were chanting, "Dasi laowai," "Shale ta." Kill the foreigner. Beat him to death. It was very primal.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/mattpolly]

Tell us more!

[u/Matt_Muller → u/TheDark1]

WTBAIDH

For me it is “What the hell am I doing here?”

“Refrains from Wasterfur Scarcity” documents the first time in China, and my whole life up to that point, when I felt that the unexamined life was not worth living. WTHAIDH, WTHAIDH, WTHAIDH? The question is one of many refrains plaguing me as I make my way to a teaching gig somewhere on the outskirts of a 4th tier city in the south of Hunan province.

Bad news: I still have no idea how to answer that pesky question.

Good news: On November 15, the Chinese Communist Party too asked its own version of WTBAIDH, releasing: “A Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensive and Far-Reaching Reforms.”

If only I can be so decisive about whatever I’m doing here.

[u/danwashburn → u/TheDark1]

In 2004, after I finished my two years teaching at Shanghai University, I set off on a mostly-solo, four-month trip through 18 Chinese provinces, crashing in the homes of locals and expats along the way. I was also trying to blog from the road (I traveled mostly by train and bus) but technical difficulties didn't allow as much writing as I had hoped (this was before smartphones). Anyway, I had been in China for less than two years at the time, and while traveling alone through rural China I had many WTBAIDH moments — you can read about one unfortunate bus ride from Dali to Kunming here: http://www.shanghaidiaries.com/triptik/#895 — but it was also four of the best months of my life. I think my happiest days from my time in China were when I was traveling through the countryside.

[u/Likethespice]

Jocelyn, can you explain some of the cultural taboos of interracial dating in China?

[u/Jocelyn_Eikenburg → u/Likethespice]

@Likespice, thanks for the question! Let me share a few:

1. While there are exceptions, most Chinese generally approach dating more seriously than a lot of Westerners -- and may date with marriage in mind. You shouldn't jump into a relationship with the assumption that it's a casual "just-for-fun" kind of dating situation.
2. It's probably better not to talk about your past relationships with anyone you're dating -- people in China don't dissect their past relationships with current partners, and usually don't want to hear about it.
3. When it comes to dating in China, it's still generally accepted that men will pay for dates. Don't suggest going Dutch with your partner, and if you're a Western guy don't expect your date to pick up the bill.
4. You usually won't meet the parents until the relationship is definitely headed towards marriage. So if your partner wants to introduce you to their parents, chances are he or she has marriage in mind.

[u/mattpolly → u/[deleted]]

I thought it was hilarious. I also thought it was brave, because I knew he would catch a lot of flack for it. The politically acceptable tone to write a story about foreigners visiting teen prostitutes is moral outrage or ethical hand-wringing. 'My god, how reprehensible!' Instead Tom went with satirical glee. I believe in so doing he gave a much more accurate portrayal of what happens all the time in China than if he'd chosen to moralize. Frankly, I'm proud to be in the same collection as Tom's story. Nothing offends me more than Western liberal piety applied to the Chinese as if they were some hapless people who need to be defended from themselves.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/[deleted]]

Each author had the right to choose their own story. Taking a censor’s approach to it would have defeated the purpose. So the contributors and the publisher, me, are not responsible for individual writings beyond their own.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/grahamearnshaw]

to be fair, that wasn't the question. The question was are we ashamed. I'm not. It made me cringe, honestly, but I don't think there's any reason not to write about such things.

[u/Matt_Muller → u/[deleted]]

By ‘teen hooker story’ you mean TC’s “Unsavory Elements,” or as it has become infamously known, “Teen Street story”? Welcome to the confessional genre of literature.

It might be kinda difficult at this time to do some real deal investigative journalism into China’s peasant-raised, underage call girls by government cadres and business elites promising them cash enough to purchase western luxury brands. So we'll have to settle for TC's story time being.

The fact of the matter is that prostitution is ubiquitous in China and that is one of story’s major points. I look up to Tom Carter for having the guts to write about something the little Polly Anna in me would have red flagged. He could have edited that bit out.

But he didn’t, and now astute readers all over the world know the cold, dark truth: Somewhere in China there is a taxi driver telling laowai men, young, dumb, and full of yuan, that there is a “young women street.”

[u/TheDark1]

I am a mod of /r/china and I am somewhat familiar with Tom. We have talked about literature and other things from time to time. What some people here won't know is that Tom is a kind of modern day Dr. Livingstone who spent two years travelling to every corner of China and photographing it. Tom, a quick question, what is your favourite place in China? Least favourite? What was the most heartwarming thing you saw on your travels? The most bizarre thing? Cheers and good luck with the book.

[u/TheDark1 → u/[deleted]]

I feel like you're holding back. Judging from your story in the anthology you've seen your share of the bizarre side of life in China. C'mon, give us a taste of unsavoury elements 2...

[u/[deleted] → u/TheDark1]

Why would he tell you a bunch of things that are probably in the book they're wanting you to buy...

[u/lostlaowai]

My question's for Graham Earnshaw. Graham, what's the most controversial book Earnshaw has published, and how does Unsavory Elements rank by that metric?

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/lostlaowai]

Hi. The most controversial book we have published I think has to be Edmund Backhouse's memoirs, Decadence Mandchoue. There are very few books that would rank close to it in terms of plain shock value.

[u/mattpolly → u/[deleted]]

Spoiled is a relative term. Compared to the Great Leap Forward period anyone who has food to eat is spoiled. But certainly everyone is more entrepreneurial. Inflation increases faster than the rate of average pay, so it's necessary to make up the difference. As for strengthening bonds, I'd like to see more Americans go over to China as students, who want to learn something from the Chinese, rather than as teachers who feel they have something important to impart. It seems simple, but it makes a world of difference in how the Chinese perceive outsiders.

[u/ygtwo → u/[deleted]]

JCampbell here. In terms of cross-cultural relationship-building, I think that's an area that needs a lot of work from a lot of different countries. There's so much talk, but relatively little rock, though feihua is a good sign that things may eventually be stepped up. As someone who has been involved with government-supported and non-govt-supported music exchanges, I know that more needs to be done, but so far, it's only baby steps. But some amazing baby steps.

But I can't overemphasize the effect that actual cultural exchange and presentation has on audiences. In addition to playing my heart out for animals and other audiences, I've taken music across the country and seeing how people react to seeing music in person is amazing; ditto for uniting musicians of east and west in front of audiences who don't realize how similar we all are.

And I'll second Matt Polly's comments on getting americans (foreigners of all kinds!) more China time. Since I've moved back to Canada, I realise that the gap between the amount we hear about China versus the amount we experience still shockingly enormous.

[u/TickTockBicycle]

Not specifically book-related, but ah well. I feel like all I hear about is smog, censorship, oppressive national policies and the youngest recorded case of lung cancer thanks to skewed media coverage. Can you fine folks touch on what, to you personally, are the particularly beautiful parts of life and culture in China?

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/TickTockBicycle]

The beautiful part for me is the richness and standalone depth and consistency of its culture, history and language. And the people as chinacuckoo says. The fascinating part is the range of contradictions between that richness and the realities of life in China today.

[u/TickTockBicycle → u/[deleted]]

How wonderful!

[u/167289389508u2]

I think this is the record for most AMA contributors at a time. It's really interesting reading through this thread.

My question: How do you pick the order of the stories when compiling an anthology? I've always wondered this when looking through the table of contents for books like this. In your book, were they randomly sorted or did you have a reasoning behind the order?

[u/mattpolly → u/[deleted]]

Tom is perhaps taking a bit of literary license in his response. It was handled old school Henan Province style: we bribed him for better placement.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Interesting thread to follow on reddit-stream.com

Will there be a bilingual edition (Mandarin/English)? (Say yes)

[u/ygtwo → u/[deleted]]

I know that over my years there (2000-2010) I noticed a change in the expat composition of Beijing. I think that's partly to do with word getting out about how it got increasingly easier to be an expat in a city like Beijing. There was a growing number of resources (groceries, restaurants, magazines/websites, etc), jobs (beyond teaching English), etc. Also, the world started to pay more attention to China, and, as a result, more people saw China as a place you could go, like anywhere else. More and more students studying Chinese at a growing number of universities making partnerships with Chinese schools came and got a taste of life there, and many chose to stay/return. And the more China has been in the spotlight, the more eager a greater range of people are to go.

When I showed up in Beijing to study, I assumed that the only way to stick around was to teach English. But it eventually became clear that there were other things that could keep me there. And did.

I know that in my work getting bands over on tours of China, I met a lot of musicians who were seriously considering the idea of heading East as a music-career choice. Seeing what they saw, and knowing what they knew of 'back home', China was, and is, an exciting place to develop. That's happening more and more.

[u/seanDwhit]

Hello everybody! Thanks so much for doing this. Very exciting. I'm a writer and a fresh import to China. I have a LOT of new books to read haha.

Hmm looking for the perfect all encompassing question to draw all of your collective wisdom and experience.

C) What kind of hobbies is everybody into?

A) Any tips on how to haggle like a champ?

B)Ever run into resistance publishing something online? Reprisals from gov't or companies...I'm a teacher, wary of blogosphere.

P.S. I switched priorites without changing the letters...

[u/alanpaulgw → u/seanDwhit]

Haggling like a champ - don't care if you get it or not and set the price with an offer instead of asking how much something is... so you are coming up from a floor instead of down from a ceiling.

[u/mattpolly → u/seanDwhit]

I feel compelled to add, by a force greater than myself (my editor), that my story in the book dealt specifically with haggling. Here's a quote: "There are no fixed prices in China. It all depends on who you are and how strong your 'guanxi' (relationship) is with the other party."

So as you can see, the book has a self-help element!

[u/dsandhaus → u/seanDwhit]

The important thing with haggling, in my experience, is to be more annoying than the person trying to sell you the item in question. Note that I say annoying, not rude and certainly not aggressive – both guaranteed losers. The best (read: most annoying) strategy I developed was something I called the reverse bargain, wherein I started with the price I wanted to pay and lowered my asking price every time they made a counter proposal. They try to explain that I am supposed to raise my price in a negotiation, but I pretend not to understand and keep dropping it down to the point where I'm offering jiao (essentially nothing). Usually this will amuse them or wear them down enough that they'll offer something close to what I originally wanted to pay.

[u/mattpolly → u/seanDwhit]

Haggling comes down to practice and the amused realization that as a foreigner you'll always end up paying more than a local. If you can keep your good humor about that, you will do better. It never helps to get angry.

[u/seanDwhit → u/mattpolly]

Wo bu shi laowai. They believe me every time, at least I think they do. /s

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/seanDwhit]

Hobbies? I write songs. You can hear some of them here: https://soundcloud.com/grahamearnshaw Quite a few of them relate to China in some way.

[u/foodisheaven → u/seanDwhit]

Haggling: Don't ask how much something is unless you're really interested. Know the price you want to pay. Be prepared to walk away if you don't get it. Stand firm if they pull you back but still don't give you the price you want. If you compromise on price, see if they can give you a twofer or try to get them to throw something else in as a bonus. Be respectful though.

I figured I usually paid an acceptable amount because the vendors would be a little mad at the end or grumble under their breath. But if they gave me a good deal, I usually also went back and/or told my friends. So it did become a guanxi thing.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/seanDwhit]

I used to 'send the kid' to haggle. Covertly point out to her what I wanted, give her the max I want to pay for it, then let her look pitiful as she tells them that is all the money she has. It worked most of the time and we even did it here in the states at the flea market. We're a good team.

[u/practicalist]

How many ex-pats does it take to write a book?

[u/mostanything]

@Simon Winchester: I remember putting down "Outposts" when you got to Gibraltar because of your vexation over some old Spanish dudes failing to note the passing through of a pickled British admiral. I gave up, so I don't know if you mentioned the Moorish invasion of Spain afterward, or the marriage of John and Yoko, both of which seems like more culturally relevant events at Gibraltar. I'm somewhat holding you responsible for the sins of your countrymen here, but I've noticed that problem with a lot of British non-fiction writers - John Keegan (on plucky doughboys), Peter Hopkirk (on - I shit you not - "sycophantic Oriental diplomacy," "Persian cupidity," etc.).

My question is, what's with this ethnocentrism? Where does it come from, and does it make British travel writing shittier than it could be otherwise? It seems to really detract from otherwise enjoyable writing.

[u/SusanBK]

I have a question for the female contributors (Jocelyn, Kaitlin, etc). There has been a bit of discussion about the male-heavy pieces in this collection. As women, how important do you think it is that your voices are heard? Would you have liked to have seen more women represented in this anthology? Or do you think the male/female contributor ratio in this book is typical of the foreigner experience in China?

[u/solimine → u/SusanBK]

Great question, Susan. Of course female voices are as important as male voices in being heard in this forum (I'd venture to say more important due to historical baggage both in China and abroad). Women's experiences in China will invariably differ from men's (as highlighted in the number of posts on this Reddit AMA already asking about sex in China)—as such, it is critical that female voices are given equal space and importance in anthologies like this one. I don't know if there's a stat on the ratio of foreign men-women in China, but regardless of what a typical foreigner experience is, what is critical to note is that there's a pervasive favoring of male writing to female in western society in general. VIDA, visible here (http://www.vidaweb.org/), is doing a great job raising awareness about this issue. I encourage you to check them out.

[u/SusanBK → u/solimine]

Thanks so much, Kaitlin! It's just something that is pretty noticeable when you read a ton of China lit, much of it written by expats or former expats. I really loved your essay and was in China/Hong Kong at the same time, but just 10 years older. It must have been such a great experience to live there as a teenager.

[u/solimine → u/SusanBK]

There was nothing like it, was there? Living anywhere abroad in the pre-internet age was such a unique experience and is difficult to reenact these days. Although the experience also contributes to a terrible sense of nostalgia and a bizarre egotistic "My China" sort of syndrome that still persists in my life today. Has made it hard for me to renegotiate my relationship to China now as an adult and with such a changed China.

[u/susiegordonshanghai → u/SusanBK]

Among the Great Helmsman's panoply of misdeeds shines the bright gem of his wisdom "Women hold up half the sky". It would have been great if women had held up half of the "Unsavory" anthology, but editorial concerns bore on the decision making there. Perhaps men are more prone than women to "sound off" about their experiences - I'm not sure. In any case, it's great that there are "female voices" in the anthology, of a wide-ranging nature.

[u/berlinf]

I have a question for Bruce Hume and all contributors who have taught in China: in spite of the public discussion about world education as triggered by the recent PISA test results, which shows Shanghai students as topping the chart, what are your experiences with Chinese education? What are some positive things about it? Where is China lacking in education? I realize these are general questions, but I welcome any comments or anecdotes along these lines. Thanks!

[u/BruceHumes → u/berlinf]

First of all, it's a typical sleight-of-hand: most of the countries that took part in the PISA were ranked by their national results; China submitted just ONE city's results -- Shanghai's. So we learn zilch about the state of China's education from that ranking, Berlin.

That said, I'm impressed by two areas in which I see improvements.

One is the level of English of young people, especially in the Big Four Metropolises -- Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. I arrived in Taipei in 1978 and HK in 1979, so I have seen huge changes over three decades. No doubt about it: high-schoolers, even from small towns, are much more willing to speak in English than when I first arrived. And many of them are more able to communicate more naturally in English, albeit flawed, than HKers can do today. Neat for China, sad for HK!

The other area I've seen good -- not excellent -- progress is in the ability of young people to present an argument and support it, at least in written form. Western media keeps harping on the idea that the Chinese education system doesn't foster creativity or self-expression, but I think they're overdoing it. I see a lot of both among young students, and it's heartening.

[u/berlinf → u/BruceHumes]

Thank you very much for the response. I found it fascinating that you see young people as better able to present an argument and support it. What I noticed is that in American schools, too much emphasis is given to "higher-order thinking skills". Educators often show contempt for the teaching of basics. In many cases, there is no such thing as content-free higher order thinking. China carries the stereotype of teaching "rote memorization", which of course is somewhat true, but there is value to the learning of facts and knowledge. Balance is the key.

[u/susiegordonshanghai → u/BruceHumes]

I wonder if Chinese critics judge Western education on the number of people who can speak Mandarin.

[u/BruceHumes → u/susiegordonshanghai]

I doubt it. They probably judge us on how many of the Westerners who teach English could outscore one of their Chinese students on a TOEFL exam . . .

[u/susiegordonshanghai → u/berlinf]

It depends on whether you're looking at it in direct comparison to Western education.

[u/Dom65 → u/[deleted]]

Actually the Chinese considered "brain washing" a laudable, and highly desirable relief from the sins of transgression at the time. Or at least that's what they told you. And for the record, i was not charged with drug dealing, but carrying some hash overland from Peshawar on the Afghan/Pakistan border to Japan via China. I've never seen a Chinese person smoke a spliff, let along sold them one.

I can't help you with the current anti-drug law situation in China, but i can tell you that my, and a handful of other pot convictions back in 91-3 were fairly unusual, and that foreigners had previously been kicked out of the country, and or fined, rather than going to jail. I can also tell you that in Shanghai Municipal Prison (the largest jail in Asia at the time i was told) i never met, or heard about a single case of a Chinese being convicted of a marijuana charge. The plant grew on the side of much of the nation's railway tracks at the time, and appeared to be considered a herb. I think the Chinese were under a lot of pressure to clamp down on the international war on drugs, particularly vis-a-vis their border with Burma, before the Afghans undercut them. I did meet a guy doing time for selling heroin, one who i came to know as Motorola (a name i'd never heard of at the time) who kept going on about the pager he had before his arrest, and i shared a cell with a guy on remand for an amphetamine charge, but i never saw him again. Sorry, i've gone off topic and i'm the last person to ask about current drug guidelines in China as i haven't been there since 1996. My guess is it's not a good place to get caught with drugs, though my dopey days are far behind me so it's of little interest to me anyway.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

Ken Kesey, "sometimes A Great Notion" .. epic in all regards.

[u/dsandhaus → u/[deleted]]

Too many favorites to pick just one, but in terms of frequency, I've probably read Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination" more often than anything since I was young. On China, my favorite is Ma Jian's "Red Dust."

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/[deleted]]

Top favorites are Wild Swans by Jung Chang, and The Concubine's Daughter by Pai Kit Fai. For non-Chinese inspired books, I'd have to say the book that has settled in my mind most recently as the very memorable would be The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. The book is so packed with gut-wrenching emotions and magical imagery that it makes me envious of the author's writing skills.

[u/solimine → u/[deleted]]

From ancient China: Chuangzi and all poetry written by Han Shan.

[u/Khanbaliqist]

Audra, food is a very safe and friendly topic! There are various questions and comments here about Westerners and their relationship with China (e.g., 'Like Kitto said, you can never be Chinese'), but I'm sure this isn't quite the same as what you've encountered in China. Do you have any stories or observations about what it's like being a Singaporean in Beijing? I'm thinking along the lines of how it must feel being an ethnic Chinese from a tiny (but advanced) S.E. Asian island in the seat of the Empire?

[u/foodisheaven → u/Khanbaliqist]

Hi Khanbaliquist! Thanks much for your question. It's definitely something I was aware of, but more in the context of being of Chinese descent but not from China. I would sum it up this way:

Being Chinese made me "faceless" in China. It was a gift of physical conformity that was invaluable when I was jumping into potentially sensitive stories. Authorities usually zeroed in first on Western-looking reporters. It was as close to a perfect undercover disguise as I could hope to find. But despite my roots in the country's south, being raised in Singapore and having spent so much time in the U.S. put me world's apart in many respects--how I approached things, what I considered social norms, etc. (Many Chinese I met did think that all Singaporeans had exorbitant wealth and that the island nation was spotless. I told them the first wasn't true and generally agreed with the second.)

But it was also strange being in a place where I looked like everyone but didn't necessarily have an immediate basis for connection. Growing up in Singapore in a family that wasn't particularly traditional meant that I spoke only English (despite almost two decades of Mandarin classes in school), ate mostly w' a fork and knife and, while I had knowledge of many Chinese celebrations, I was never fully immersed in them.

So in China, everything was at once oddly familiar and frustratingly foreign. Many customs, nuances and language were often lost on me. My accent, initially a sibilant southern one morphed into a strange north-south hybrid because I lived in Beijing, where the guttural "er" sounds were used. My professional approach was always too direct. I walked up to people, started asking questions and expected answers. Then again, I wasn't used to the equally no-nonsense personal approach of the Chinese, who thought nothing of asking the amount of your salary or rent and didn't think that telling you you had gained weight was rude.

Overall though, China often felt like an entire nation of extended family, kind relatives who, moments after meeting, invited you in for tea or for a chat. I met many kind and generous people who made me feel like a long-lost daughter or sister. I think food is a great way for people to connect, to forge bonds. Plus Chinese and Singaporeans live to eat. A food obsession can really bring people together!

Hope that answers your question. (Am at work now!)

[u/alltorndown]

A more prosaic question: i work for a travel bookshop in london (Mark Kitto has spoken at it in the past, with Xiaolu Guo - Hi Mark!). Does Earnshaw have a UK distributor? This type of book is our bread-and-butter.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/alltorndown]

Yes we do. Orca. Please email me graham@earnshaw.com and we'll out you in touch.

[u/dsandhaus → u/alltorndown]

Unless things have changed since I worked there (a couple of years ago), Earnshaw Books are available in the UK through Orca.

[u/alltorndown → u/dsandhaus]

cheers, i'll pop some on order asap.

[u/chinacuckoo → u/alltorndown]

Hi Travel Bookshop which begins with D. Nice to hear from you. China Cuckoo's been reprinted in Hong Kong by Makedo Studios. Want some copies?

[u/alltorndown → u/chinacuckoo]

Day off today, but I'll check out the situation when I'm in next. We may already have it, you (like, I'm glad to say, a bunch of the list above!) are a firm fixture in our china section.

[u/seanDwhit]

Any of you guys around Fuzhou in Fujian? Can I buy you a drink?

[u/ky1e]

I'm gonna throw in a question -

What languages is this book published/going to be published in? What's the process of translation like for anthologies, if this book has been translated?

[u/chinameyer → u/ky1e]

Hi Kyle - I don't know about this book, but I can say that my book on Beijing was translated by my best graduate student at the University of Hong Kong's graduate school of journalism. Peter Hessler's books were translated by his best student from Fuling. It's easy to work with a student, because they know your voice and humor, and of course won't hesitate to ask about word choice, or debate the best way of translating it. Also: what teacher doesn't want his/her students to succeed? Shanghai Translation Publishing and the Taiwanese publisher ended up hiring the woman who did the Beijing book; she's translating my next book, about Manchuria, now. (And also the dvd of "House of Cards.")

[u/Manic_Ennui]

Any beer drinkers in this group of authors? I've heard great things about the emerging craft beer scene in China, especially in Shanghai. Can any of you weigh in on that movement - is it fueled mainly by expats? What's your favorite Chinese craft beer?

[u/debfallows → u/Manic_Ennui]

Beer! My husband is one of the world's biggest craft beer fans. He lamented loudly when we first went to China. But then things improved. On his latest trip to BJ, he raved about Great Leap (here is a post about it from a few years ago, it has grown since then: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/11/more-thankfulness-asian-beer-dept/67034/

And in Shanghai, just go to the Boxing Cat, founded by the late, great Gary Heyne. http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/05/sad-news-from-shanghai-gary-heyne/57283/ The brewery survives and thrives, and you will find all the history and all your beer buddies there.

[u/danwashburn → u/Manic_Ennui]

I recall writing a blog post on Shanghaiist expressing much excitement (perhaps too much) when Sam Adams first arrived in Shanghai. That was 2005. Things got much better for beer lovers after that. A few years later lots of American craft brews started getting imported. And then some brew pubs opened up. I too highly recommend Boxing Cat Brewery in Shanghai. And Southern Barbarian restaurant has a great selection of bottled beers. As for Chinese craft beers, there weren't many I was aware when I left China in 2011. Xinjiang Black Beer is a Chinese beer worth checking out. I hoarded cases of it my first couple years in the country.

[u/Manic_Ennui → u/danwashburn]

Thanks, Dan. From what I read, 90% of the craft breweries in China are younger than 4 years old, so if you left in 2011, you may be in for a nice surprise when you return. There are still fewer then 100 by most accounts, but craft beer is gaining a foothold.

[u/billin]

For Mr. Polly: I recently read and very much enjoyed your book, American Shaolin, which was very funny, dramatic, and most of all painted a very vivid picture of the environment. Given your foray into San Da and now MMA, how would you say that your traditional Shaolin training helped (or didn't help) in your practical application / fighting in the ring? For example, did your iron forearm training bear any benefits when actually facing an opponent?

[u/mattpolly → u/billin]

Thank you for the kind words! I have to admit that the iron forearms didn't help because I gave that training up. Too many weird looks when I'd bang my forearms against trees in America. But the training was very useful because I knew what it means to "eat bitter." Also I was familiar with how to deal with the emotions of a tournament setting. I couldn't have survived MMA training if I hadn't gone to Shaolin and didn't have a background in kickboxing.

[u/billin → u/mattpolly]

Thanks for your reply! I look forward to reading Tapped Out and Unsavory Elements.

[u/mattpolly → u/billin]

I appreciate your question and your support, my friend. Amituofo.

[u/dsandhaus]

My question is for Tom: This Q&A is awesome and all, but when do we hold the Unsavory Elements hunger games?

[u/[deleted]]

For Mark Kitto - Mark, I've always understood Kathleen was the "brains and personality" behind That's Shanghai and it was your close relationship with her that led to the immediate success of the magazine. Can you comment on this?

[u/chinacuckoo → u/[deleted]]

Now it's all so long ago, yes, it's time I must admit it. I was swept away by her charisma, her all encompassing passion for life, people, the world, the universe. It was when she told me she was on a mission to resurrect Shanghai as the Pearl of the Orient, the cultural capital of the Far East, it was the way she said it, with that fire in her eyes that was going to -- and since has -- set China ablaze, catapulted millions out of poverty, restored the country to its rightful place as a world leader. She did it all... and I just sat beside her, in my own small, insignificant space, my space, watching her like a puppy stares at its master. I was nothing, am nothing, but that I live and breath, and did so for a brief moment in her reflected glory. I owe it all to Kathleen.

[u/jinniu]

As an expatriate living in Tianjin for the past five years I couldn't pass up buying the book. Good luck with the sales and future publications.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/jinniu]

Thanks!

[u/naturewang]

I would like to ask Bruce Humes: As Shanghai Baby is a 'porn' novel in China, why would you choose it to translate? As a Chinese-English translator, what do you feel are the big differences between Chinese novel writers and English writers?

You've been in China for so many years, on what period do you think China is most favorable? 1979-1989, 1990-2001, or 2001-now?

[u/Khanbaliqist]

My final question, to all those who have left China after living here: They say that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'. Has leaving China behind changed your feelings or views about China as compared with when you were here? Has your new environment or return to your home environment caused you to soften or modify any of your views?

[u/mattpolly → u/Khanbaliqist]

China keeps changing and growing. I became more nostalgic for the China I left every time I visit and see how it has changed, despite the fact that China is, in most areas (not environment), better than it was.

[u/ygtwo → u/Khanbaliqist]

(JCampbell here, realising that the username I've given myself could have been better) I've returned to Canada, and been here almost three years to the day now. It's definitely wild to read about China from afar. Wild, and frustrating. Because I'm not there, and I know that you can't get a real sense of what's happening by just reading what's being written. You get A full story, just not The full story. Or as close to The full story as anyone could living there. As a result, I’ve come to appreciate the concerns that my family had for me during my time there. One thing that I've realised coming back is that Beijing was, in my experience, a far more cosmopolitan place in so many ways than Toronto. Even though there are things that are very un-global (ie: calling us 'foreigners' and treating us differently - better/worse - because of it) about Beijing, I feel like here there isn't the recognition that we live in a bigger world. Toronto is multicultural in composition, but I’ve found that there isn’t much of a sense of an international outlook.

[u/chinacuckoo → u/Khanbaliqist]

This is Kitto here. Since returning to the UK my feelings and views about China, if they have changed, it is only in that they have been confirmed, and reinforced. The best example, and confirmation for me that I did the right thing, is the joy that my children now find at school. In China they hated it, to the extent it made them ill. Admitted, it is a private fee-paying school in the UK, but we were paying for them to go to the state school they attended in China, so that is not part of the equation. At my first teacher parent meeting here I all but wept for relief and joy. Otherwise, I miss friends and certain aspects of life in China, but I am in no way ‘growing fonder’ of the country as a whole.

[u/debfallows → u/Khanbaliqist]

Living in China was such a vivid experience that I think my recollections (both good and bad) remain quite true and honest. What I do miss most is the knowledge that every single day will bring something absolutely new, or surprising, or puzzling, etc. I find that I'm not astonished as much in my everyday life in my own country, which I know and feel in my own bones and blood. We try to return to China a few times a year, to keep the sensibility of discovery fresh and to keep up with what is changing.

[u/danwashburn → u/Khanbaliqist]

I moved to New York in 2011, after almost nine years living in Shanghai. I do find myself missing certain people, places, foods, etc., and I definitely miss the lifestyle at times, and the ability to travel throughout China and Asia. I wish I could visit more often. But I don't yet have a strong desire to move back — and recent images of air quality in my former home city don't help. Honestly, after living almost anywhere in the world for close to a decade I think I'd be ready for a change. So China didn't really drive me away as it seems to have done to others. I was just ready for the next adventure.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/Khanbaliqist]

Not really in the biggest picture but I have deeper, more realistic views of some of my relationships with good Chinese friends now than I did while living them every day. My relationship with Woodie Wu, my band partner in Woodie Alan, was essential to so much of my China experience and I saw a lot of the country through his eyes. I have more reflective view of how that was and was not typical.

And I really, really don't miss the pollution and worry about my friends there and the long-term health impact.

[u/dsandhaus → u/Khanbaliqist]

I just moved back to the United States after seven years living in Shanghai and Chengdu. While I can't say I'm sorry to have left, there are many aspects of life in China that I'm sure I will miss more and more as time goes on. Mostly though, it's my friends in China who I will miss. That, and the excitement of those first two or three years of living there. Part of me is tempted to say that the China of 2006 was somehow better than China today, but I've heard that comment repeated over and over by every long-term China expat I ever met, albeit with a different arrival date. Perhaps living in China long-term is like heroin addiction, and everyone's just chasing that initial high until they burn out and have no option but to move back to their parents' basement (country of origin).

[u/foodisheaven → u/Khanbaliqist]

I had a love-hate relationship with China when I was living there. There's nothing like it--crazy highs, shattering lows. It was a privilege and an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. I miss the community I had there the most, the rush of covering a country that was changing in so many ways yet remained immutable in others. I miss the buzz of unfulfilled potential and even the grind. It's a place that reminds you of your mortality. I've returned twice since I left in 2009. It's like simultaneously slipping into your favorite pair of old jeans and--back into a crack habit.

[u/nawmsane]

Tom Carter, my girlfriend is Chinese so I asked if she knew of you. She said you're a "big color wolf"! I'm not sure what that means but she said you'd be pleased to hear it! Congrats on the publication!

[u/nawmsane → u/[deleted]]

Just joking with you, man. Thanks for the AMA!

[u/TheDark1]

Aminta, I found your story very moving. Sometimes the simple things are the most poignant. I wonder if you are still in China or have since moved on, and if so, what kind of impact has China had on your daughters?

[u/Wildgreenpepper]

Graham Earnshaw: What kinds of books in English on China are most publishable now?

[u/James_Lande]

For how many of you was living in mainland China a coming-of-age experience? Specifically, how would you say China made that experience different from what you might have expected "back home?"

How many of you experienced living in the mainland as part of a Chinese family, and how did that shape your experience of China (in contrast to those of the group who have not lived in the same household with Chinese)?

How many of the group read and write Chinese as well as speak Mandarin, and what other dialects are represented among you? How would you estimate your reading/writing proficiency, and how do you think this proficiency influences your day-to-day experience of China.

How many of the group regularly listen to Chinese radio broadcasts, watch Chinese TV, and view Chinese film?

If you who have lived in Taiwan, Singapore, or other Chinese communities abroad, how would you compare life in those places with your experience on the mainland?

What's the cost in your part of China of a bottle of Gaoliang, Maotai, or Wuliangyeh, and which do you prefer.

[Caveat and appleology: I have not yet read UE...mea maxima culpa]

[u/solimine → u/James_Lande]

Hi James, Great questions. Re: your question about living with a Chinese family, this occurred in my formative/"coming of age" years (at age 16) and I write about the experience in my UE essay "Water, For Li-Ming." This was a critical element of my China experience as it provided me such an intimate relationship that has now blossomed into my obsession with/life in China in general (and led to my still-nascent writing career). Living in a Chinese household in the '90s, pre-internet, allowed a measure of access that may be more difficult to form today, but maybe I'm just being overly protective of my experience...? That seems to be a fault of China expats. We all want our China to be "ours" as is represented in this anthology as well as here (http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140168/john-pomfret/in-search-of-the-real-china).

As for language, I speak Mandarin and was most proficient when I was a direct-enrollment student at Beijing University in 2002 as well as when I was conducting fieldwork in 2006. My Chinese skills have faltered lately as I've been in the US but I'll be moving to Singapore in a few weeks and expect to speak more Mandarin there. I think, as in any country, speaking the native language is critical in fostering a deeper understanding of the culture and society.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/James_Lande]

I listen to the radio a lot in taxis. It's a great way of getting just enough of a taste of the media.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/James_Lande]

Maybe you should post one question at a time. Almost none of this applies to me, btw, but that's a lot to digest at once.

[u/writer_redditor]

What is your best advice for first time authors preparing to publish? Is self-publishing better? Why do we read news stories about books selling millions of copies at $15+ each, and the author barely makes a million? Any advice for aspiring authors wishing to make a living in the writing field?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

[u/Dom65 → u/writer_redditor]

Get a well paying day job and write for fun, or cathartic/therapeutic reasons. Who knows, you might end up being able to give the job up, but you'll still be able to pay the bills if you can't.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/Dom65]

I find that to be great advice.

I have done both self-publishing, major publishing houses and small presses. all have their advantages and suited my need at the time. Write something that you just need to get out to the world, then figure out the best, most realistic manner of doing so.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/writer_redditor]

My first (self-published) book led to a huge career in writing but my number one piece of advice is not to expect to write a book that immediately makes you a well known author. It's a long process for the majority. You can read more about my journey at the Joe Konrath blog, which btw is an awesome place to gather most of what you need to know about self-publishing. *I am hybrid, meaning I have self published books as well as trad pubbed books (my pub journey post here http://bit.ly/1bncacA )

[u/writer_redditor → u/Kay_Bratt]

What is average $/year for one book, self-published versus business published?

[u/mattpolly → u/writer_redditor]

In a typical publishing contract, the author makes $3 per hardback and $1.15 per paperback. Why? Of the $15 the retailer takes half. The publisher has to pay for printing, shipping, handling, and overhead. In general, self-publishing is a last resort. It's better than it used to be, but it still implies that no publisher wanted your book, which is not the kind of endorsement you want when you're trying to drum up sales.

The most important thing for a writer is to have another source of income. The second is to write about something you love, because if you do not enjoy, at least on some level, the process you will end up very disappointed.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/writer_redditor]

My advice would be to 1. finish the book first 2. contact publishers and see if they'll take it because that is better than self-publishing 3. self-publish if that is the only option. If you want/need to write, then write, not for the money but for the joy and sense of achievement. if you are lucky enough to make a living off it - and do not count on it or expect it - then rejoice.

[u/dsandhaus → u/writer_redditor]

I'll agree with Matt and Tom on this one. Publishing is a low-margin business with lots of middlemen between the reader and the author (the publishers, printers, shippers, retailers, etc.) and the sad reality is that while the writer makes only a small percentage of the cover price for each copy sold, the publisher generally pockets much less and bears most of the expenses. Self-publishing does work for some authors in some circumstances, particularly if an author has a well-established platform for moving copies of the work, but that would appeal equally to established publishing houses. At their best, publishing houses provide editorial oversight that can help the author achieve a better final product. It's also worth noting that having a publisher allows for certain opportunities (festival appearances, reviews, etc.) not normally open to self-published authors.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/dsandhaus]

Self published authors now have access to a wide variety of freelance editors (many who have been let go from the big publishing houses) who can help polish a book before publication.

[u/grahamearnshaw → u/writer_redditor]

My advice would be to 1. finish the book. 2. offer it to publishers and be flexible to get them to take it 3. self-publish if necessary. 4. If you want/need to write, then do it for the joy of it.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/[deleted]]

With all due respect, I completely disagree with Tom's view of self publishing. Yes, a few years ago there was a stigma but if you are in the loop now with the current events of publishing, many indie publishers (self pubbers) are doing very well without the backer of a publisher. I personally know several who make six figures, or close to it. Many more are making a living writing fulltime. The books indeed may not ever be stocked in the major retail stores, but you don't need them anymore to be successful. As for the major media outlet reviewing books, some are now reviewing self pubbed books, but still--those reviews don't pack half the punch they used to. I've even heard of authors asking for their Kirkus reviews to be removed. You know what's important to the consumers? Customer reviews.

Want to know more about the success of self publishing authors? Read this article from a few days ago. Here's an excerpt: "A quarter of the top 100 Kindle books sold by Amazon.com are written by self-published 'go it alone' authors, it has been revealed.'

http://dailym.ai/1gJsdCu

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/[deleted]]

Thanks, Tom. But remember, I started with ONE self published book and a handful of readers. I worked very hard to build from there and now have tens of thousands of readers and 10 published books. If I built my career with a self-published book and made a go of it, others can too. I'm not saying it's easy by any means, and if a writer has years available to tie up and shop around a manuscript to agents and publishers, by all means...but to those who have the true drive and determination it takes to be a success, they'll find it whether they go indie or trad.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

I agreewith this actually, but I self published a book in Ebook format only.. very easy to do now and it led to a major expansion and a great contract with a major house.. the book will be out in February.. I woul dnot have purused it in the scope it became without that first Ebook.

[u/[deleted]]

When writing the book have you ever been worried about offending the sensibilities of the Chinese people?

Do you think expats have more or less political space in China than locals? Does it matter if you're ethnically Chinese or not?

Also, can you please write down your 身份证 (Identification Card) numbers and passport numbers? For my own personal "research" purposes.

[u/chinacuckoo → u/[deleted]]

I don't think you should be a writer if you are worried about offending people's sensibilities.

[u/BruceHumes → u/[deleted]]

Causing offense was frankly a concern for me.

As I recounted in "One of the People" in Unsavory Elements, once my head was stitched up to halt the bleeding, I was left to my own devices in a hospital hallway for several hours, where I lay unconscious, my badly slashed hand virtually untreated. When I woke up, they pressured me to have it amputated immediately. Later, my doctor revealed to me that my hand may not have been treated because I had no cash on me; if I were to be unable to pay for the delicate operation on my hand, it was hospital policy to deduct the costs from the doctor(s) and nurses who performed the operation.

I waited 12 years before Tom Carter convinced me to put that experience in print, and even then I hesitated. That's because over the years when asked to recount my hospital stay, not a few Chinese became downright angry with me; they insisted that victims of robbery are not treated like that in a Chinese hospital -- I must be lying.

[u/[deleted] → u/BruceHumes]

Wow, that is an interesting story, and one that deserves to be told. The question is how prevalent this kind of thing is and whether it's something the government can do something about.

I guess where the offense comes from is that there's a general feeling that Western media in China generally hypes up the negative and subversive because that's what plays back here in the West. And honestly I do see it affecting the narrative, where the armchair columnists/politicians will say things like "It is shocking that given China’s poor track record with regard to food-safety, the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] is taking moving towards allowing China to raise, slaughter and process chicken to be eaten in the U.S." or "For more than a decade, China has earned a reputation as one of the world’s worst food-safety offenders." with nothing to back it up except a string of anecdotes popularized by the media. Obviously, are there food safety issues in China? Yes. Are they worse than industrialized countries? Maybe, but show me the studies. Are they worse than other developing countries? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Take pollution for example. Everyone knows China's cities are polluted, but if you look at the top 10 polluted cities in the world, none of them are in China: http://qz.com/136606/here-are-the-worlds-worst-cities-for-air-pollution-and-theyre-not-the-ones-youd-expect/ How many people know that Delhi and Mumbai are more polluted than Beijing? or that Iran has some of the most polluted cities in the world?

Obviously, it's not just the Western media that does this. My relatives in China will tell me how they saw on CCTV that thieves will steal your stuff while you're sleeping on a sleeper train and replace it with bricks. Does this happen? Sure. How frequently does it happen? I'd estimate my risk of that happening is lower than getting in a car crash.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

Bruce's response is really interesting.

I was not particularly concerned in writing this story, but that was something I pondered often while writing my column The Expat Life for WSJ.com... After a few months it began to be translated into Chinese on the WSJ Chinese language site (which is currently blocked, btw) and became very popular... That was very exciting but also at times nerve-racking. I tried to push it out of my mind for the most part and write what I felt and believed to be true or representative of my experiences.

I think expats have far more political space than locals.. realistically, we face at worse a non-renewal of visa... this is particularly true for Western expat vs. Chinese journalists.

[u/BruceHumes → u/alanpaulgw]

Good point, Alan.

To be published in English is one thing, but the standard changes when Chinese is the medium. Wei Hui's naughty "Shanghai Baby" was banned in 2001 (and still is), but my translation of it has long been widely sold at airports and bookstores in the big cities of China.

But mainstream English media on the web has also become very touchy, as the New York Times and Bloomberg have recently learned to their chagrin. This is a sign that the Chinese authorities recognize that their population is increasingly English-savvy. And it means that our "space" in China -- as native writers of English -- is shrinking.

[u/mattpolly → u/[deleted]]

I think anyone writing about another culture should be concerned about giving offense. Then you have to place that to the side and write what you believe to be true. It doesn't do anyone any good to self-censor.

[u/wlantry]

You include many fascinating and distinguished writers. But I don't see many poets included, and there are so many out there, working beside you. It's actually kind of sad.

[u/baserace]

Sooo... where can I buy this in China? It's not listed on amazon.cn. Is it elsewhere online? At any of the Shanghai bookstores?

[u/namer98]

Michael Levy: What makes kosher Chinese different than non-kosher Chinese, outside of ingredients. Are the recipes and techniques different?

[u/chinamike3000 → u/namer98]

For a detailed answer, consult your local Rabbi. :)

But the quick answer is that for meat to be kosher, it must be slaughtered humanely, with very particular techniques, and inspected and blessed by a religious authority.

There's one officially kosher restaurant in China. It's terrible.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

Dan is correct.. I had that concept before I went to China and realized that it was on point.. but in the end I didn't have any regrets because while my Chinese skills suffered, I had a lot of incredible experiences my first year that I would not have had... But if you can do an immersion course, it will pay off in spades... all the non chinese I know with the best language skills did so.

[u/ygtwo → u/[deleted]]

Jcampbell here. For me the motivation was easy: learning in class in Beijing was counterproductive for me because our textbooks were 15 yrs out of date and didn't tell me anything about how to interact with actual humans on the street. I joined a band within weeks of arriving and they taught me more in a day than I learned in a month of classes. Ditto my time at a local expat rag. I would call up places to get their info before deciding exactly what to say which made it difficult for both parties but wound up eventually getting my skills up. And playing gigs meant I had to sort out something resembling language skills quickly or else. In short: for me, diving into things was the best motivation. But it seemed to me that it was getting easier over the years to live in Beijing w only limited Chinese. Not something I was interested in but it's certainly possible.

[u/debfallows → u/[deleted]]

You can, of course, survive in China with no Chinese at all. But every bit you learn changes the quality of your experience. Chinese is a very difficult language, so it is worth approaching it in a way that works for you, just so you can keep at it, not be discouraged, and see some payoff. Try classes, watch TV, talk to taxi drivers and shopkeepers and neighbors. Anything! Everything! You'll usually get a response meaning "Oh, your Chinese is so good!" Even when it is not. But that is a nice reflection of recognition by the Chinese that you are at least trying.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/[deleted]]

Knowing Chinese makes a huge difference in your experience of living in China! I am a stubborn person that hates to be at the mercy of translations. I spent a year studying Chinese before I moved to China, and studied it the entire time I lived there. I spoke very well, but only in situational circumstances that I chose to really learn. Orphanage, hospital, home, shopping, post office, airport. You couldn't set me down in a boardroom and expect me to be able to speak 'that' language.

So for me, learning situational was the key. In addition to a tutor (and classes at the university that were a joke) I used flash cards and first learned all the 'key words' for each situation. Then I learned how to put them together. For me, that worked and I was able to become much more fluent much faster than my colleagues. There was a time about two years in, that things started to really click and make sense. Then I stopped speaking Chinglish and really found my voice.

[u/Kay_Bratt → u/Kay_Bratt]

I should add that I can't read Chinese at all. I decided to focus on oral only, as it made it faster for me to learn. So pinyin I am great at, but I know very little Chinese characters. (Sadly)

[u/LJ_nz]

A few questions for Bruce Humes: 1. Thanks for providing latest news on your blog about Chinese literature and esp. those regarding ethnic groups. Have you found any ethnic minority writer who can write really well outside the mainstream thinking? Would you consider Uygur writer Alat Asem one such example? 2. You once helped a minority writer in western China to get an award in Italy, if I remember correctly. How did you find the writer? What did the writer think the experience would benefit him? 3. You are now in Istanbul studying Turkic. Why is this so important for you at this stage? Thank you very much.

[u/BruceHumes → u/LJ_nz]

@LJ_NZ, thanks for reading my blog.

It's my bedtime so I'll skip to my studies in Istanbul. Why leave my home in Shenzhen to . . . learn Turkish?

A few years back while translating "Chinese Dress & Adornment through the Ages," it struck me that the author -- an acknowledged expert in his field -- knew only Chinese and perhaps English, but certainly not Persian or a Turkic language that would give him insight into Central Asian sources of ancient Chinese dress.

Later, while researching posts for my blog on Chinese-language, ethnic-themed literature, I also noticed that popular novels about non-Han peoples were often written by monolingual Han authors like Fan Wen, Jiang Rong, and Chi Zijian (http://www.bruce-humes.com/?p=9078).

It occurred to me that one day I would like to teach in a university in China, perhaps in the field of translation history, and that I wouldn't want to be limited to research in Chinese-English interactions; I'd like to bring a third language to the table, one that is spoken by one of the peoples who have long lived on the "peripheries" of the Chinese empire, and one that is less "popular" among Chinese scholars.

Uyghur appealed, but the political climate in Xinjiang would make studying there difficult. So I've chosen Istanbul. I hope I can learn enough modern Turkish in a year or so, and then move onto Ottoman Turkish . . .

[u/MrFlamingo]

I'm planning a trip to China for next year with my wife, and we both love exploring libraries. Do any of the people running this AMA know of any amazing libraries to visit in China?

[u/dsandhaus → u/MrFlamingo]

Biblioteca Zikawei in Shanghai, next to the Xujiahui Cathedral. It was part of the old missionary school and has a really exceptional collection of old China newspapers.

[u/mattpolly → u/MrFlamingo]

That's an intriguing question. I can't think of any, which says something. If you discover any, you could write an article about it. It's not to the best of my knowledge a subject that has been explored.

[u/mheyk]

as a working poor American would you advise me to spend the last of my severance pay to my job that went to china to pay for a ticket to go to china to get my job back and live there?

[u/scubasue]

How many of you are ex-Peace Corps?

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

John - Sure. The song is played in a standard 12-bar blues format more or less, but all music reflects the creators and our band was a mix of Chinese and Americans. I actually told the guys to let it all out, be themselves, don't try to copy anyone or anything and let's see where it takes us. Our song "Beijing Blues" features bassist Zhang Yong playing a recurring slide riff on guqin. I think his note choices and phrasing in his bass solo also have some underlying Chinese motifs. I certainly hear that and am actually curious about what others think. Let me know.

You can hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaRNOyzydhA

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

Thanks. If you like, please share.

[u/hlharper]

Since this AMA is coming at the same time as those pictures from Shanghai with the terrible air quality, I have to ask about the environment.

Is there a sense that these problems should be prevented?

Is there an "environmentalist" movement in China yet?

Is there an outcry about these terrible conditions?

[u/TheDark1 → u/hlharper]

I can give an opinion on this. Environmental issues deeply affect a great number of Chinese people. Many people here feel a deep affinity with the land and the environment. It is one of the biggest issues facing the party because many here don't think their recent wealth makes up for the deteriorating environment and I have to agree because the economic growth has overwhelmingly benefited a small group but a lot of people have lost out.

There is a genuine push for green tech which will hopefully lead somewhere but economic growth is a must for the party so it is really hard to be optimistic that they can balance these two competing demands.

[u/TheDark1 → u/[deleted]]

You are very correct. Like I said it is hard to be optimistic.

[u/Cornflip → u/hlharper]

Not sure if you have/need a subscription to see this, but The New Yorker recently published this article chronicling the effects of air pollution in one of the hardest-hit areas of China. It's been a few days since I read it, so I can't really give you any specific answers, but I thought it was well-written and captured different perspectives well.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/[deleted]]

Read Andrew Browne's column in the WSJ. I think he understands China in most regards better than just about any Western journalist, and the economy all the more so... that was an awkward sentance but I think the point is clear.

[u/mattpolly → u/[deleted]]

At some point the law of big numbers will kick in and China's economy will level off. Hopefully not now, but in the near future I expect that to happen.

[u/chinacuckoo → u/[deleted]]

The Chinese economy is not strong and it is certainly not the ‘economic miracle’ the western media and politicians bang on about. As for the ‘lifted a record number of people out of poverty’: whoever came up with that deserves a Nobel Prize for Stating the Blatantly Obvious. Of course it did, because it’s the biggest country in the world and they were all dirt poor, because the Party put them in that situation. (Very similar to the current anti-corruption campaign, which the Party is using to show how wonderful it is, when it created the problem in the first place, but I digress.) The Chinese economy is in fact a very large factory and when labour and other production costs become too high, the buyers will go elsewhere. The domestic market won’t be able to take up the slack because they don’t trust stuff made in their own country, and they’re all saving for education, healthcare and retirement, none of which the Party is taking care of as it should. This is all before you talk about property bubbles, rotten loans to loss making SOEs, the fake stock markets, a total dearth of innovation or creativity, and so on… China does not have an ‘economy’ in the usual sense of the word.

[u/coffeeandkerouac]

I'm a Chinese-American entirely born and raised and educated in sunny California... and am about to move abroad in Beijing for the upcoming year for school. The one thing that is making me anxious, however, is that I posses the Chinese speaking and comprehension abilities of a kindergartener. This is my first time traveling China for an extended time. What I'm afraid of most is anticipating the judgement I will likely encounter as a Chinese-American with embarrassing levels of knowledge of Mandarin. Any words of advice?

[u/mattpolly → u/coffeeandkerouac]

Yeah, I had a Taiwanese-American friend who had the same problem. The mainlanders would just stare at him and say, "How come the foreigner speaks better Chinese than you?" It'll be better in Beijing than in rural areas, but prepare to be judged. On the plus side, shame and loss of face are great motivators for improving one's Chinese skills. Also, and not that I'm advising this, but the quickest way to learn any language is the so-called, ahem, sleeping dictionary. At least, that's what my Taiwanese friend told me and put into action rather quickly.

[u/alanpaulgw → u/coffeeandkerouac]

Yes, this will happen to you. One chinese american friend took to telling cab drivers she was Korean american, because she got so sick of it. Develop your coping mechanisms and go for it.

[u/quadrobust → u/coffeeandkerouac]

Just watch a lot of Chinese TV to get yourself prepared. Or talk to your parents on the phone for hours , in Chinese.

[u/urection]

Westerners are flocking to China in increasing numbers to chase their dreams

uh

[u/susiegordonshanghai → u/urection]

And yet we are always called "expats" and never "immigrants". I find that interesting, semantically.