Seeing Asia Through Books

Although I've only been to Asia once (this is no longer true...), I've been increasingly interested in it's people and places (especially East Asia) over the last two or so years, years that have been increasingly wrought with economic, social, and political issues between the US and China. Recently, someone asked me where it all began. I thought about it briefly before realizing I had no idea. The answer would require some digging.

In the fall semester of 2017, I took Popular Culture in Modern Chinese Societies. That's as far back as I can find directly linked to an interest in Asia. The class covered environmentalism, left-wing cinema, the Cultural Revolution, wuxia (a genre of Chinese martial arts), Chinese sci-fi, the Internet, the rise of Hong Kong, and a variety of other topics. While touching on the political, the focus was on the lives of normal Chinese attempting to navigate a complex world (and country) in a way that led to a "good life" -- to loosely borrow the Aristotelian phrase.

From there I went on to take Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary East Asia in the fall of 2018, which explored Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Hong Kongese cultural issues. The East/West divide became increasingly apparent in this context. It also proved an interesting class for students of an all-male college -- one that enrolls too few students in Gender Studies courses.

Revisiting the syllabi for those classes got me thinking about books I'd read during that year of classes and since then that have influenced my interest in the continent at large but especially the eastern edge. After this trip I should have three of the Four Asian Dragons (also known as Four Asian Tigers) under my belt: South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan -- just leaving Singapore. While these countries were leaders of industrialization when the designation was given, China may now be more powerful than any of the Dragons.

Still, Asia is an enormous place with an unclear Western border, a shrouded past, both extreme diversity and homogeneity. Recently, several questions helped me realize how little I knew about the topic at large:

1. What's the difference between Inner and Outer Mongolia?

2. What's the official language of Nepal?

3. Is Tibet its own country? Was it ever?

4. What form of government does Taiwan have?

Despite the never-ending stream of unknowns (several of which I probably should have known), I've read a shelf's worth of books that have shed some light on the situation. The rules about what's an "influence" here are pretty loose, with several books being more about style, traveling, and language than Asia-related content.

The first is the Three-Body Problem, a popular Chinese sci-fi novel by Cixin Liu. It was the first Asian novel ever to win a Hugo Award for Best Novel. Even Obama loved it. It was the first sci-fi novel I'd read by a Chinese author, for school or otherwise. Many of themes and tropes remained the same as the sci-fi I'd been overly invested in throughout high school, but I learned more about Chinese history than I'd expected.

(Note: Chinese names are formatted as last name, then first name -- in contrast to the Western style. This is important for author names and for being a decent traveler.)

The second is Blocked on Weibo: What Get’s Suppressed on China’s Version of Twitter (and Why). Although it was assigned in an educational setting, it covered topics that are of great interest to netizen millennials who've grown up only knowing freedom on the Web. It was sobering to see the limits placed on Internet users, but impressive to see how young people constantly pushed the boundaries and thought innovatively. It also served as a reminder of the responsibility we have to use and appreciate the Internet.

After that semester, I took the winter break before studying in South Korea to read Thunder from the East, which was my first introduction to Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn. They're a Pulitzer Prize-winning couple who co-write books when they're not reporting for The New York Times. I was quickly drawn in by their style: telling the stories of normal people and using those stories to move seamlessly into political and economic discussions. The primary focus of the book is an argument about how the Asian Financial Crisis was beneficial to contemporary Asia, a claim not everyone agrees with.

Their non-fiction style lead me to Ian Frazier. He spoke on campus during my final year and read a piece from one of his books. I bought Travels in Siberia the same day. I wanted to know how a normal white guy from a small town in Ohio could write intelligently, responsibly, and insightfully about a place so different. I was captivated from the first page by his bold traversing all over Siberia, and the way he wrote. I especially appreciated that when arguments and issues came up while traveling, he didn't shy away from writing about his not-always-so-mature response. Good writing demands honesty.

I finished Frazier's book while I was in Saudi Arabia and shifted my attention away from Asia to read Exit West, a novel about Middle Eastern people who seek better lives in the West. While it's not directly referencing the Far East, it reminded me of Chinese interests in sending so many young people abroad, seeking new and better.

In my final semester and the run-up to graduation, I didn't read as much as I should have. There was more beer and less free time. I did, however, quickly burn through Unruly Places by Alastair Bonnett, a book about the strange and far-flung places few people venture to. It grabbed me because I've been to a sum total of zero places in the book. I've gotten close to two: 1) Kijong-Dong, also known as Peace Village, just on the North Korean side of the DMZ and 2) Mecca, which is several hours drive from Riyadh.

I spent quite a bit of time discussing this book (among others) with my German professor, who is beyond knowledgeable and who I respect greatly. Being able to discuss politics, geography, history, music, social issues, and literature with him is something I hope that life and school have prepared me to do in China -- or anywhere. A friend of mine was recently in the Netherlands, where they follow US news (and politics) with great interest. Not many people I know in the rural Midwest follow China in that way. This list is an attempt to bridge the gap between the American Heartland and the Fifth Asian Tiger.

Special Mention: I read Thirst, Scott Harrison, while in my last semester and it helped me make an informed decision about getting a real job or heading to China. Harrison leaves a fast-paced nightlife career in NYC to volunteer on Mercy Ships, which transforms his life. While his journey is primarily religious, he sees the world (and travel) from a stance I can understand and appreciate, especially as I push myself to see and experience more challenging and remote places. I cried on a plane while reading it so take that as you will.

I then picked up Anthony Bourdain's early work, Kitchen Confidential, in an attempt to better understand how to write less like an academic and more like a human -- more like Scott Harrison. Bourdain greatly informed my writing style and life with his book and perspective. There is so much I respect about his bad attitude, trash-talking style, and brutal honesty. Several of my Philosophy classes could have benefitted from his books. After that, I went on to read the graphic novel he co-authored, Jiro: a story about a Japanese sushi chef fighting for his life in a futuristic, food-crazed LA. Some reading is just for fun.

Jiro was on my radar because The China Questions, a collection of academic essays from leading experts at the Harvard Institute, got pretty boring. After a 9-5 day, I managed an essay or two a day and needed a break half-way through the book. "Boring" is also quite unfair, as the essays were incredibly insightful and covered important topics that created a strong base for the reading I did later: society, history, economics, politics, the environment, and others. Although academic reading isn't my go-to reading normally, having expert opinions was beneficial. The book now serves as a heavily doggy-eared reference book that I keep close by.

The academic world, looking back, must have drained me more than I thought: I shifted to fiction. First, Joy Luck Club. Now a movie, the book details the lives of a group of Chinese friends and their relationships with their daughters, who were raised in the States. I figured, despite it being fiction, it provided female influence and perspective on Chinese life, love, and culture. There's never been a time that I've had too much female input.

Finishing that took me back to the Middle East. I read (and was stunned by) The Kite Runner, the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. I now refuse to ruin it by watching the movie. While Afghanistan is clearly not in Asia, the book helped me better understand the challenges of immigration, assimilation, and living in a different country. On top of that it reminded me of the intricacies of other cultures and cultural norms that require attention and care -- something we often forget in the US.

From there I was done with fiction again and interested in reading more about China as a country. As the days ticked by, and China gets closer, I also realized I still knew too little. I didn't want to buy another book and while I waited on my new library card, I picked up Thunder from the East again (a testament to the book). After a few chapters I actually looked at the Notes section -- for once -- and found an even more relevant book: China Wakes.

This turned out to be an earlier, China/Taiwan/Hong Kong version of Thunder from the East, and is much more focused on the People's Republic of China (PRC). Throughout the book it was quite clear that the work Kristoff and WuDunn did while reporting from China was not appreciated by the Communist Party of China (CCP), especially government officials in Beijing. This made their work more challenging and their efforts more admirable. Additionally, while the book is full of riveting anecdotes and examples with economic and political implications it was also came out in 1994, which resulted in many statistics and predictions becoming outdated.

Note: While reading China Wakes, I came across a note about The Explosion Chronicles, by Yan Lianke. Kristoff claimed Yan as one of the controversial authors of the time -- which was enough to make me check it out -- but I have no idea why. I didn't have time to read it before it was due back. It also looked kinda boring, if I'm honest. Judging a book by its cover happens.

So, I needed to update my perspective; enter Shanghai Free Taxi. My brother, en route to Tokyo, came across this book and sent me a photo of the cover. I went straight to the library and requested it. An NPR journalist, Frank Langfitt, who's covered China for 20 years, operates a free taxi in exchange for stories -- and those stories lead him all over the country and into a number of interesting situations. My kind of book.

It starts off strong. With more swearing and a focus on food, I could have believed Bourdain was writing (my highest compliment, essentially.) It captures what I always try to: people living their lives, mostly seeking a sense of normalcy in a chaotic world. It's 2019 release date means it's more up-to-date than much of the China literature I'd read before. It's 2019 release date also makes some of the stories both more harrowing and captivating, covering relevant topics like Trump, VPNs, current economic policy, and hot social trends.

Note: Back in school, I read Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher. Well, read some of it. I can't remember what pulled my attention away from it, but what I did read of it was both fascinating and intriguing. For anyone interested in language and linguistics, I would recommend it. If I could go back in time, I'd take more linguistics classes. The more I read and travel, the more I understand how important language is to understanding and connecting.

That's it for now... time to start Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain (compliments of Prime Day).

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Despite, time running short there are a few things still on my list, which is constantly growing (and I'm always on the look out for good suggestions):

1. Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: A peace corps worker goes to a remote village in the Ivory Coast for two years. I want to know how she interprets her experience and I'm always skeptical of Westerners in similar situations, so I have high expectations. I hope it helps me write more responsibly about my time in China.

2. Family: Far from Siberia, Ian Frazier writes this time of his time in small-town Ohio, a situation I imagine to be similar to living in 9,500-person Sugar Grove, Illinois, where I'm working in the run-up to my year abroad. There may be nowhere more different than China.