CHINA
Country Overview:
"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."
My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.
How Can China Remedy its Post-Coronavirus Reputation?
I wrote an article that surprisingly got published despite the “sensitive” content it covers
The Daily Telegraph - China Response
I thought this was a really well-written response to the typical rhetoric that China typically puts out:
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
(有志者事竟成)
Having just finished three weeks of traveling in Southeast Asia due to the extended Spring Festival holiday, I was eager to return to Beijing to get back into my routine, despite the ongoing fight against COVID-19. My first priority was getting back to the gym.
After unpacking, a quick lunch and a shower, I put on my gym clothes, strapped on my Nikes, and scootered through the quiet streets of Beijing. Upon arriving at my gym, I noticed that the lights were off, and a lock was placed over the double doors. With a heavy heart, I approached and saw a sign that read: “According to the regulations of the relevant departments of Beijing Municipality, to prevent and control the epidemic, all sports business units and public fitness venues are closed.”
Frustrated but eager to find a way to workout, I went home and called multiple gyms around the city. “Sorry, we’re waiting for the notice to re-open” was the common response. So, like many people around China dealing with the epidemic, I did some workouts at home. Pushups, situps, jumping jacks (which I’m sure my downstairs neighbor didn’t appreciate) and stretches. But I knew this wouldn’t suffice over an extended period of time. I needed a better solution.
Living in the hutongs, my mind immediately thought about the brightly colored (usually blue and yellow) public workout equipment strewn across the city. I visited two before I finally found the holy grail of public workout equipment at Qingnianhu Park, just above the second-ring road.
Greeting the baoan at the gate with a smile under my N95 mask, I asked if there was a fitness area here. He said yes, and I asked if it was sufficient. He shrugged and said, “well, it’s not small.” I had to see for myself. He took my temperature, gave me a thumbs up for wearing shorts, and I made my way into the park. After crossing a bridge and nodding at a number of masked Chinese running past me, I finally saw the brightly colored equipment. Parallel bars, ab machines, pullup bars, monkey bars, a tricep dip machine, I couldn’t believe my eyes. This was the greatest outdoor fitness area I had ever seen.
For the past few days, each morning, I’ve gone to the park to workout and what early morning workout isn’t complete without elderly ladies stretching and gossiping with each other. Although we haven’t made it to a first-name basis, they’ve been kind enough to keep an eye on my jacket while I run around the lake and compliment me on my ability to brave the weather in shorts. I spoke with one of the ladies at the park, and she said: “Even though I’m 55, I’m not nervous about the virus. I come here every day to stretch, walk, and talk with my friends.” When asked what she is doing to keep busy, she said: “I cook at home every day! I like to make new dishes.”
I’ve always admired the tenacity and dedication Chinese people have to staying fit. Whether it’s the old ladies dancing together in public squares, or young Chinese going for a run on the streets, people in China are finding positive ways to deal with the current situation. Even despite the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, the park I went to had numerous people running, stretching, working out, or simply taking a walk to enjoy the cold, but beautiful morning.
The ongoing epidemic might have impacted restaurants, local businesses, and offices. However, Chinese people’s optimism still remains, both in the hope of winning the fight against the coronavirus and in continuing to live normal lives despite the changes in the capital. I also spoke with a mother who was exercising with her son, and she said: “It’s safer to stay at home, but it’s important to get out of the house and have some fun.” The boy, who told me his English name was Kevin, said: “I like parks. But now we just need to wear masks to come here.”
Despite the virus, the cold, or the recent snow in the capital, Chinese are still determined to stay fit and stay positive, and its thanks not only to the baoan for doing temperature & mask checks at the gate, but also the government for keeping the parks open. They offer respite from the many hours spent at home and a way for people to stay healthy, even if you have to share a machine with an elderly lady in a puffy down jacket.
China's Development
Here is an article I wrote about China’s “developing country” status and what it will take for China to become a developed country in the future
Is the West’s ‘Red Scare' About China Valid?
Here’s an article I recently wrote about Red Scare and China
Books I Read in 2019
Since I work in news and a lot of the writing I do is non-fiction, all the books I read this year were fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of them and yes, I read 3 Murakami books this year and loved them all. Will definitely be reading more of his work in 2020. I’ve also made a goal to read 20 books next year, 15 fiction and 5 non-fiction. I’ve written a review for all of these books which can be found here. Any recommendations for both genres are welcome!
*Most disappointing book I read this year was The Plague. Was expecting something more exciting given the premise, but didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would
** Toughest book to read was Kafka’s collection of short stories
Fatherland - Robert Harris
The Chrysalids - John Wyndham
Empire of Dragons - Valerio Massimo Manfredi
South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami
Dune - Frank Herbert
The Outsider - Albert Camus
Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert
One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The Gilt Kid - James Curtis
The Sound Of Waves - Yukio Mishima
Money: A Suicide Note - Martin Amis
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
Rendezvous With Rama - Arthur C. Clarke
The Plague - Albert Camus
The Dog Stars - Peter Heller
Anthem - Ayn Rand
The Metamorphosis & Other Short Stories - Franz Kafka
1Q84 - Haruki Murakami
China's Soft Power
I wrote an article about China’s soft power. They need to step their game up
"Laborotics" Published!
My short story “Laborotics” has been published on Zealot Script - Emerging Worlds! You can read it there, or download a PDF copy for free here. You can follow their Twitter @ZealotScriptUK
New Year's Resolution - Read 12 books in 2019 - DONE
Here are the 12 books I’ve read so far this year, along with a short review, to achieve one of my 2019 New Year Resolutions:
Literary Submissions
Writing is the easy part. The submission process, on the other hand, is an entirely different ball game. Whether you're submitting to literary agents, a publishing house, a literary magazine, or an online journal, they're each going to have a different process and want things formatted just the way they like it.
Here's the process:
Let's say I want to submit a short story for submission. First, I need to find who publishes short stories and in what medium (some are only print, only online, or both). Then, I'll need to go through the list and first check if they are interested in publishing stories in the genre I've written. If yes, I'll find "Submissions" on their website, and the first thing I do is look at the top of the screen to check for this:
"There are currently no open calls for submissions at this time."
If that isn't on the screen, read through the criteria. Often, word count is the biggest hindrance. Also, I’ve noticed that almost every site seems to be looking for “LGBQT writers/content”. Just an observation. If you manage to meet their requirements, you then start reading how they want the story submitted. Generally, they'll want an e-mail, have an online form, or some type of submission account like Submittable.
Formatting is the biggest pain, especially when trying to find a literary agent because each agent wants a specific amount of pages in a certain format, either as an attachment or pasted into an e-mail. Short stories are easier since you're sending an entire piece of work and most follow the Shunn formatting guide. However, there are often weird requirements where you'll have to go in your document and change things. For example, some want no personal information on your work while others want everything, including an address. Some will only accept a .doc format while others want a .pdf or .rtf. Some want a single - and others want double --. Once you've managed to fiddle with your original piece according to the specifications, you can move on to the cover letter.
The cover letter is generally the body of the e-mail you send to those you're submitting to. It should include your name, title of your work, word count, genre, and previous publications. Some magazines/agents/journals want a short bio written in 3rd person, while others don't. Some want your nationality, others don't. Once you've finished with that, and attached the perfectly formatted file, recheck their site to make sure you type the e-mail subject line exactly how they want.
Once you've finally completed all of this and press send, you'll immediately be sent an automatic reply that goes something like this:
"Thanks for your submission! Due to the number of submissions we receive, we don't have time to respond to every e-mail. If you don't hear from us within 2-6 months, please consider submitting your work elsewhere."
Cheers, thanks…
Then you do this again, and again, and again. There are a lot of free submissions out there, but there are also lots that charge a “$3 reading fee” and writing contests that charge an entry fee. Sometimes, you'll get lucky and people will want to publish your work, and other times, they won't. In any case, it's worth going through such a tedious process because it gives you the possibility to share your work with a larger audience and at the end of the day, isn't that what we're all trying to do? It’s a hassle, and I’d suggest making a sheet in Excel to keep track of everything, but ultimately, it’s better than not going for it.
Here Then Gone - a short story
Just finished my first short story, “Here Then Gone”, about a microchip in the future that automatically ends a person’s life when they turn 75 years old. You can download it for free here
Review of Contraception
Murder, Mayhem & More recently reviewed my novel, Contraception. Check out the review here
It’s Real!
Friend bought my book and I think she was more excited than me to see it in real life. Crazy to see a Microsoft Doc transform into a published novel
You can check out some reviews of the book at Readers' Favorite
Contraception - Print Available
Print version of "Contraception", a story about overpopulation in the future, is available from Amazon and can ship worldwide! Get your copy today!
Contraception is Finished!
It is with great pride that I can officially say that my novel Contraception is finally finished.
Right now, the E-book is available for sale ($2.99/￥20) on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and a few other sites.
The print version will be available on Amazon in a week and can ship world-wide! If you buy it, please leave an honest review - I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Article on China.org
I wrote an article here about the most complicated character in the Chinese language