Documents, Plane Tickets, Books, Colds

It seems like I was sick last year at this exact same time -- I remember dreading getting on the plane to China for a semester at 北京大学 while showing flu symptoms. After we arrived back in Louisville, I started feeling sick again. Feels like an annual cold, but mine are never light -- usually accompanied by swollen glands, clogged ears, and low fevers. Good times! Really irritating, since we are going to a cabin this weekend with Mom, Bob, Marian, Mike, Sven & Brynja. I hope it is gone by Friday, and not worse.

Talked with Zhang Weimin last night, and our documents are in the mail! Should take 4-5 days for them to arrive, and then we can apply for our visa. We are still holding off on purchasing the plane tickets, since we need to make sure the documents are exactly right for the visa. Of course, plane tickets have gone from $650 to $850 (one-way) in the last 2 weeks, but that can't be helped.

I just finished reading Peter Hessler's "Country Driving", a narrative non-fiction about his time in China. I enjoyed the read, but sometimes I felt some like he had some rather narrow, standard-fare views on Chinese policy, culture, etc. Or that possibly he was simply condescending and reducing a nation using silly anecdotes distilled into gross generalizations. The problem with this book (and author) doing this is that he is a distinguished and well-respected journalist, thereby creating the mythos in many readers that a window has been opened, offering a "rare" glimpse behind the "iron grips" of the Party. Most seemed to reinforce the grand narrative that the Western media seems to thrive upon, of Chinese people vs. Chinese government.

I highly recommend anyone who is interested in thinking critically about China, perspectives, and/or ethical/responsible writing to read these comments, posted on a page showing an interview with Hessler. If you scroll down a little, you will see the start of the comments by Jack Cameron -- who I think is very accurate and brings extremely important issues to light in a manner that academia and the media is unaccustomed to exposing. It is a long read, but very worth reading.

That being said, I did enjoy "Country Driving". Kim, meanwhile, has barreled through "I Know This Much is True" by Wally Lamb. Feels like we are re-discovering reading for enjoyment now that school is (for now) over.