3 comments about Culture Shock! Japan (Culture Shock! Guides).

1. As an administrator in a ESL school, where 10% of our students come from Japan, and at least 10% of our ESL teachers trainees plan on going to Japan to teach English, Culture Shock Japan was an wonderful discovery for me! P. Sean Bramble unveiled the cultural mystery step by step from every aspect of life. It's a great reference book for anyone, no matter whether you are planning a trip to Japan, moving to Japan for a long period of time, your work involves dealing with Japanese culture like mine, or you are simply curious about this modern and ancient eastern country. One of my favorite things about the book are the hilarious little stories that Bramble collected from his own 12 years of experience living and working in Japan, which gave me many giggles through out the reading.
   
   Those stories are particularly funny to me, because they often echo my own experience of of culture shock when I first immigrated to the United States from China 7 years ago. Although, I am completely annoyed when people get confused between Japan and China, there are after all lots of similarities when it comes to clashes between Asian and western cultures.
   
   I also admire the fact that the author was willing to take the risk of being accused as negative or judgmental to honestly point out the frustrating reality of living and dealing with a new culture in a tongue in cheek manner. Unlike promotional travel books, which only portray the wonders of a destination, this book gives unvarnished insight into a country where modernity meets ancient traditions, efficiency is created by rules but also destroyed by rules. It gives insider's advices on how a new comer can be prepared to begin understanding, embracing, and even having a bit of fun with the culture he is about to clash into. As I closed the book, I felt as if I had just finished a tour lead by an experienced open heart with a true sense of humor. I am now much more ready for a real trip to Japan.



2. 
   The book does contain usefull information, but it left me with an awkward feeling after reading.
   It describes the 'typically Japanese things' from a personal western point of view, without explaining why, how, what, etc.
   -Japan is a weird and silly country, but there are nice temples-
   Or is it the writer that is the culture shock ?
   If you want an objective book about Japan, keep searching.



3. I was stationed overseas for about 1 1/2 years before I read the book. Many questions I had were answered. This book explains a lot of the everyday things you'll see/notice in Japan. Not much of a history book (which wasn't what I was looking for @ the time) but a very modern explanation of all the strange things Japanese people do.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone that is going to live in Japan for an extended period of time.

No comments about A Court on Horseback: Imperial Touring and the Construction of Qing Rule, 1680-1785 (Harvard East Asian Monographs).

1 comments about The Warlord's Fish.

1. Chuan makes his third appearance in Virginia Walton Pilegard's The Warlord's Fish, this time as an artist's apprentice for a Chinese warlord in superbly crafted story for young readers about the compass. Chuan's cleverness blends with an artist's talents in putting together a tool which will buy their freedom in this involving story.

4 comments about Hey, Joe: A Slice Of The City-An American In Manilla....

1. For any foreigner who wants a primer on Filipino street culture, and especially life in Manila, this book is an excellent read. Lerner provides a sympathetic and insightful, if somewhat superficial, treatment of Filipino culture and Manila's street life. Lerner achieves a level of insight into the lives of the average man-on-the-streets that eludes most foreigners who have lived in Manila for decades.

   The stories are not particularly deep, and contain very little profound insight into Filipino culture or life. But for what it is--an affectionate, honest, no-holds-barred description of life in one of SE Asia's least pleasant capital cities--the book succeeds. For anybody looking for amusing anecdotes about the foibles and ironies of life in the biggest of Filipino cities, this is a very good read. If you're looking for profound cultural insights, you'd best keep looking.




2. Ted Lerner has a wonderful ability to capture into words both the poignant and hilarious contrasts between Filipino and U.S. culture. And he indeed represents the reactions of the "wide-eyed" foreigner. This is not the jet-setting rich of Manila that he is observing - this is the life of the other 97%.. He's a student of the sweet science and the deft turn of phrase. Lerner is just the man to put this into words

   This is a guy who rides "jeepneys" to work and back - something very, very few foreigners do. It is this kind of lifestyle that opens up the culture to him. But it's a culture that is easily recognizable to almost any foreigner that has spent significant time in the Philippines. As a five-year resident of Manila, I thoroughly enjoyed Lerner's writings.

   A reader unexposed to the events described by Lerner will be enlightened; but the reader who recognizes and identifies with his observations will laugh out laud at times or even shed a tear or two.




3. This book , which could also be called Good Morning, Zir(Sir, which is what I heard alot from locals there)tells it all about a city the world has not yet given itself the precious time to know. Manila is filled with gross poverty and stunning wealth, a city where a CEO will make $60,000 a year, not much as CEO's go in the US but is opulent there. A city where a maid makes $600 a year but still has to pay the same price for food and electricity and entertainment as you and I do. I spent time there this year , my first visit, since we were going to meet my inlaws who could not make it to my wedding to their daughter and was slapped in the face by the ghastliness and the elegance that live side by side there. The poverty is bad but what struck me the most was the unbelievable haze that stays in the air & will not move. Surrounded by smog in an Asian capital with as much intense history as this city has stays in your mind as you leave the airport. This city , with perhaps the freest press in the Asian world, millions of English speakers and yet troubled, uprooted traditions will fascinate you and the author relates issues well with brevity and clarity. Read 'America's Boy', about Marcos and also 'Ghosts of Manila' too if you want to get the feel of this awful, wonderful place that God looks upon, not angrily, as men do, but with compassion and patience because His people live there.



4. Lerner captures the feeling and essence of the Philippines(PI) right on. I've been there many times, and when Lerner describes the marketplace, the cockfights, the pig butchering, the dog menu, and/or the bars, he puts you side-by-side with the locals. Poverty and wealth, dirt and brilliance, and ignorance and fine education, all live side-by-side in some kind of lop-sided arrangement. Through it all, the visitor will realize the strength, courage and ability of the people to survive, and many just by a day-by-day existence. The latest reports indicate that the birth rate is leveling out - thank goodness - just too many people for the nation to sustain a reliable food supply and general health care. Of course, there are random thefts, killings, and terrorism, but the vast majority of the people are happy and smiling, honest and straight, helpful and kind, and the word 'resilience' comes to mind. The visitor just has to use common sense, and certain places you don't visit at night, such as Tondo, or as Lerner bravely does, ride a bicyle in Manila, or exercise strenuously, and take in too much of the funky air. I enjoyed the book totally and had some hearty chuckles and insight, and would recommend this book to anyone travelling in Asia, or even enjoy in the armchair at home. Lerner is a good writer and keeps the reader wanting more. The illustrator, Vicky Villanueva Firestone, brings the words to life - good job!

No comments about Cultural Dimensions of Expatriate Life In Australia.

5 comments about The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters.

1. Age of Kali is a fascinating read. I have been to or lived at many places Dalrymple writes about in this book and so I can relate to what he says.
   I must admit that insights that he brings out are much deeper than my own even when I spent years living in those places. The most interesting chapters are that of Vrindavan, Sri Lanka and Hyderabad. The section on Bombay was a bit of a drag, particularly when after having written so brilliantly so far he got stuck with Baba Sehgal and Shobha De (the latter only a few English speaking people know anyway) and missed the pulse of Bombay.
   Both Bihar and Pakistan were equally depressing (not because of Mr Dalrymple), though insightful at the same time.
   This is a great read, cover to cover but appears more of a collection of essays written at different times rather than a fluent continuous travelogue. Imran Khan's story could have been cut short by several pages and the author's journey into Reunion Island, though fascinating in its own right, seems like a chapter from another book.
   There are flashes of brilliance in a wonderfully written piece but also dots of passable text.
   Overall a brilliantly written book about an extremely complex people and difficult times with the elegance of a master story teller and pathos of a native.



2. Wonderfull stories from India and Pakistan - unusual and well-told, but my Lonely Planet edition began to fall apart the moment I opened the book. After three days, all the pages fell out. Sorry about that, sez LP. Uh, yeah, thanks.



3. Some writers work harder than others. They write better than others. And they do it in a way that's so fluid and relaxed. William Dalrymple surely is one of those. You could pick up a Dalrymple book blindly, and expect to enter a world that's interesting, rich, crazy, chaotic and wonderful all at once.
   
   I've read most of his books. And I'd say you just couldn't go wrong with William Dalrymple--or the Age of Kali for that matter.



4. There are only a few things I'd like to add to the existing reviews of this book:
   
   1. In this book Mr Dalrymple is not really a traveller/travel writer, but more of a political journalist. He visits various regions and discusses their political situation/problems, with an in-depth look at the Bhutto Dynasty in Pakistan wrapping up the book. If you're looking for travel literature about India, look elsewhere!
   
   2. In addition to the stories from a few chosen regions in India, the book also has quite a bit about Pakistan in it, as well as a visit to Reunion, which actually is a piece of French territory, very close to Madagascar. The link to India is fairly weak, and it seems as if it was just included to make the book sufficiently thick.
   
   For what it is, though, it's a decent piece of literature!



5. This book was a fascinating and sad eye-opener, especially for someone who knows so little about India outside of one major city. The author has done his research. Bill Bryson couldn't have done better.

No comments about Guide to the Lakes.

1 comments about Northeast India: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint - Travel Guides).

1. Northeast India is a diverse, colorful, intriguing and extensive locale, and "Footprint: Northeast India" covers everything you'd want to know about the location. From the highest mountains of the Himalayan mountains, to the sights and indigenous peoples, to the birthplace of Buddhism and the world's most expensive tea. "Footprint: Northeast India" is a superbly organized, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' 350-page travel guide packed from cover to cover with full color photos and great information, making it very highly recommended for all who have an interest in the region and needs a place on every personal and community library travel guide reference shelf.

2 comments about The Treasures and Pleasures of Thailand and Myanmar: Best of the Best in Travel and Shopping (Impact Guides).

1. The Treasures And Pleasures Of Thailand And Myanmar: Best Of The Best In Travel And Shopping is an absolute "must-have" for international travelers looking to obtain quality goods or souvenirs from Thailand at a reasonable price. Intended as a supplementary resource and not a general-purpose travel guide, The Treasures And Pleasures Of Thailand And Myanmar focuses specifically upon obstacles, negotiation techniques, and tips and tricks for those interested in shopping for everything from gemstones to textiles to artworks and much more. From learning how to walk away from the "touts" that try to lure tourists into overpriced stores (overpriced because the store must pay the tout a 10% to 40% commission for the service!), to a step-by-step introduction to the art of haggling, to knowing how to avoid paying thousands of dollars for what might be a cheap knock-off gemstone, to why even the locals may not always obtain the best deals (some shopkeepers can give tourists a lower price than their repeat local customers - who would expect the same bargain every time they walked through the door) to dealing with cultural differences and much more, The Treasures And Pleasures Of Thailand And Myanmar zeroes in on exactly what the money-conscious tourist in Thailand needs to know.



2. My partner and I just went to Thailand( Bangkok and Chiang Mai) for some hardcore antique shopping spree to decorate our house and expanded our collection. The information given was very useful and of course along the way we found more little shops not covered in the book. But the book definitely directs you to the right neighborhoods as far as antique goes(what we were after)
   I highly recommend it to people who are after quality goods wether it's jewelry or furniture or antique or whatever. and Thailand has SO MUCH to offer!!!

No comments about Displacing Desire: Travel and Poplar Culture in China.