Lost on Planet China - a book worthy of a million subtitles

I love a meaty book. My old roommate, Kate, would classify our book club books according to what meat dish she thought it resembled. I can't for the life of me remember what the similarities were now but I remember her seriousness and our laughter.

So if I were to classify this book, meat-wise, I would liken it to barbequed dog - something you could find yourself eating in China and think 'hey, this is sort of familiar and is absolutely delicious', but can't quite place it. The same rings true for this stunning book: Lost on Planet China: the strange and true story of one man's attempt to understand the world's most mystifying nation, or how he became comfortable eating live squid by Maarten Troost (Random House, 2008). Being in China, from Maarten's account, is something you think you would enjoy, and given that the Chinese are people too with hopes and dreams and a wicked sense of humour, that you could relate to them, all to find out in the end that there's something different about China, something perhaps only a Chinese person can fully comprehend.

I think this is best explained in his description of a visit to the sacred mountain Tai Shan: "I had often been cautioned that in China I should put my regular glasses aside and replace them with special lenses that allow me to see things in the Chinese context"(pg 83). I won't spoil the amusement you will experience when you read about the contrasts between the two lenses. As someone who once lived in South Korea, I can completely relate. In Korea you will see a lot of things in the course of your day that you simply must accept as normal for Korea, otherwise you might go crazy or develop a superior attitude about your nationality. For example, little children are encouraged by their elders to pee in the street gutter in public instead of finding a restroom; live sea creatures are sold in bowls of water in the market place, flailing about; school kids wearing t-shirts with English phrases on them like 'I like to fuck'; and ajumas (older women) going through your trash every morning to make sure that you're recycling properly.

Getting back to Maarten's book, I must say I am a fan and will most likely be buying it for some unsuspecting relative for xmas. It's the sort of book that is risky for relationships in that I have a tendancy to ignore my LOML and snap at him when he interupts me when reading this book. Course I may be biased in that I've read his other books, Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned With Savages and heartily enjoyed them both.

Maarten Troost not only goes to China and gets 'lost' in it, but he writes with a true sense of humanity, an understanding of current economic and political trends, and a sense of adventure.
Here's a video from Google Talk of Maarten discussing this book. Enjoy!