By Bill Holm
This book is a collection of essays and letters written by Bill Holm describing his experiences while he was on an exchange program teaching English at a university in China. It speaks of the cultural differences between here and there, the frustrations of living in China, the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people, and the love-hate relationship Holm builds with China.
When Holm talks about coming home crazy, he does not mean insane. An anthropologist who taught with Holm said, “In Asia, you either lose your inner moorings, start to sink, go some kind of crazy, and just let it happen, or you will leave sooner than you expected and not learn anything.”
A few months later, Holm knew exactly what his friend was talking about. He woke up crazy in the way his friend described. It is waking up knowing the day would be a good day, though nothing would work, the comforts of the United States would be unavailable, and everything would go wrong differently than would be imagined.
Holm’s writing is honest, down to earth and fun to read. He has an interesting sense of humor, and the descriptions draw one right into the scenes, as if sitting next to him.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone.
Speak Your Mind