I've been reading some of Peter Hessler's books lately. Mr. Johnson and I both just cruised through his latest, Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory.
And I have the first chapter of all of his other books on my iphone. (Kindle, let me say again is amazing application!) The thing that I love about Peter Hessler's books is that he presents China so honestly and accurately, but without any sort of judgement. And, he gets to know people. He can communicate fluently and read the language. It makes for some of the best books I've read on China.
Oh, there are other books that offer accurate representations about China too. Accurate observations about the smells, and toilets, and other aspects of day to day living. But they don't stop there. They are also judgmental. They often misrepresent. And they are usually written by an author who flew in for a six month trip across the Middle Kingdom to write a book about it, or by an expatriate who lived here reluctantly and/or opulently and learned just enough language to be deadly. After finishing, for example, Lost on Planet China, I turned to Mr Johnson and proclaimed I could have written it. I really think I could have. I have been to most of the locations he writes about (he has a whole chapter dedicated to Qingdao, which is why I picked it up in the first place). But the author's perspective is jaded. There is almost no cultural insight. I can't imagine anyone who reads it would ever want to visit China. (Get me hopped up on cleanliness issues, or corruption, or catch me in the midst of a difficult cultural adjustment period and I could write a similar scathing report.) But what would be the benefit? And, who would want their name on something so snidely composed anyway? (J. Maarten Troost, that's who. And, before I get comments about how his book shouldn't be taken seriously since it's supposed to be light hearted and funny travelogue, let me just report that I thought it was neither.)
So I come back to Peter. How would Peter describe my situation today?
It's 8:00 am. We're sitting at our kitchen table. Four of us: Mr. Johnson, myself, his colleague who arranges expat housing for his company and our landlord. Our goal is to hammer out the details of the next two-year rental agreement. The landlord arrives with a box of local cherries, but no apology for being late. (Mr. Johnson's co-worker had confided that she had to call twice to reminder her. Once last night as a reminder. And again this morning for her wake up call.) To be accurate it's 8:15. The meeting was to begin at 8:00. ("I should have told her 7:30," the colleague whispers sagely.)
Before she even sits down the landlord says, "You like it here. It's a nice house. Why do you want to lower the rent?"
She's surprised when I understand her.
"It's too expensive," I explain, not waiting for the colleague to translate. "We've looked around, and we could get a much bigger house or a newer one for the same money. We think the rent is too much for this house."
"It's not your money, why do you care?"
"No, not our money," I concede. (But, there is a monetary benefit to us if we come in under our housing allowance.) "But the company will give us some money if our rent is lower."
And then... without batting an eye or flinching, without hardly a moment's consideration, she blurts: "I'll give you money not to lower the rent."
Hmm... see my problem. How would YOU blog this incident? And, What would Peter do?
