Sound Bite
By turns irreverent, informative and amusing, a dauntless young man captures precisely the experience of the expatriate in Asia. Notes is a humorous yet insightful romp based on the authorÃ??'s decade-long experience as an English teacher in Taiwan, the "other China," and Korea, with expeditions to other parts of Asia. His encounters are puzzling and sometimes infuriating, but with a lively appreciation for the absurd he cuts through the frustration to moments of splendor and stirring human warmth.
About the Author
As an imaginative young man Troy Parfitt, stranded in provincial Canada, wanted something more, something different in life – and yes, he’s found it! Parfitt, who now speaks Mandarin Chinese and some Korean, has taught English in South Korea and in Taiwan for ten years, and has traveled extensively on his own. He currently teaches at Taiwan’s foremost private high school.
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About the Book
Parfitt takes a look at Korea's fever-pitch nationalism and gives an assessment of the worldÃ??'s only Chinese democracy, has a run-in with a Nepalese rhinoceros ' and one or two equally volatile Vietnamese tour guides ' and ponders the actions...
Parfitt takes a look at Korea's fever-pitch nationalism and gives an assessment of the worldÃ??'s only Chinese democracy, has a run-in with a Nepalese rhinoceros ' and one or two equally volatile Vietnamese tour guides ' and ponders the actions and reactions of the people he meets. In these pages he shares his encounters with language students from all walks of life, hotel-keepers, and ' sometimes weirdest of all ' his fellow travelers, in some of the less commonly visited parts of Asia. In a style that may be compared to early Bill Bryson ("You can't help but enjoy his writing, for its cheer and buoyancy, and for the frequent demonstration of his peculiar, engaging turn of mind." ' Ottawa Citizen), Parfitt endures the jolts of traveling where there is no real travel industry, touring where there is no real tourist industry, and teaching map-reading skills where there is no Western-style logic and adults freely admit they can hardly find their way to work and back. He shares it all with the reader, over a beer, and all is well again with the world. Then he's off to look for more. Steering clear of politics, Parfitt focuses on the individual humans he meets. This is a glimpse of real life in the shadow of China, neither a dry-as-dust academic treatise nor a heroic tale of surviving the Cultural Revolution. Simple people greet the author with everything from spontaneous gestures of friendship to sudden slaps, from openness and warmth to rock-headed obtuseness, and the picture emerges of a fractured, diverse humanity muddling along and still getting by ' together ' in spite of all. Traveling with this mild-mannered Canadian, we go through much that is puzzling, frustrating, and down-right infuriating, yet we always comes through with a smile. Readers find they have enjoyed a diverse journey that covers a very broad terrain.
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Midwestbookreview.com (Reviewers Book Watch) | More »
Midwestbookreview.com (Reviewers Book Watch)
Troy Parfitt is an English teacher and Notes From The Other China: Adventures In Asia is the story of this Canadian's professional and personal experiences over more than a decade in East Asia in general, and Taiwan (the 'Other China' in particular. The focus is not upon the politics, but upon the individuals Troy encountered, and the cultural context in which those personal and professional encounters took place. Troy combines memoir with travel commentary and cultural analysis with respect to the Koreans, Japanese, Pilipinos, Thais, Cambodians, Nepalese, and Vietnamese he has met, as well as the Taiwanese with whom he lived and worked. The first half of Notes From The Other China provides informed and informative insights into Korea's nationalism leading up to the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis, Japan's sex culture, Marcos legacy in the Philippines, Taiwan's type of democracy, and how traditional Chinese culture is in the process of modernizing. The second part of Notes From The Other China is a beautifully described travelogue as Troy journeyed from Hanoi to Saigon, from Vietnam to Nepal. Of special note is his commentary on what is regarded in Asia as the 'American War' in Vietnam. Also available in a hardcover edition (9780875865836, $34.95), Notes From The Other China is an especially recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library 20th Century Asian History & Culture reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Burroughs' Bookshelf
©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR | More »
©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR
A native of New Brunswick, Canada, Parfitt has lived and worked in Asia for ten years as a teacher of English; he currently teaches at a private high school in Taiwan. The majority of his time abroad has been spent in Taiwan — the "other China" — but he's also worked and/or traveled in South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, and Vietnam. He describes his experiences and shares observations of the everyday people, challenges, and rewards encountered in his work and travels.
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Pages 250
Year: 2007
LC Classification: DS10.P38
Dewey code: 915.04'43--dc22
BISAC: TRV003030
BISAC: HIS003000
Soft Cover
ISBN: 978-087586-582-9
Price: USD 22.95
Hard Cover
ISBN: 978-087586-583-6
Price: USD 34.95
eBook
ISBN: 978-0-87586-584-3
Price: USD 22.95
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