Notes from the Other China, a new book

Arts & Sciences Culture & History
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Hello there fellow Forumosans,

I’ve recently written what I believe to be a fairly intriguing and humorous look at East Asia - Taiwan included - called Notes from the Other China - Adventures in Asia. I was fortunate enough to have it picked up and published by a company called Algora Publishing located in New York. It’s currently available on Amazon.com and will soon be sold on Barnes&Noble’s website as well. It just came out this week.

Not that I’m plugging it.

For such an (ahem) idiosyncratic place, I found that Taiwan books tended to be rather dry and estimated that reading types might like to be informed while also being entertained, and so that’s what I set out to do. I talk about (and with) Taiwanese Mormons, the concept of face, what (exactly) it can be like to deal with Chinese formal procedure, the government’s use of Nazi imagery in campaign ads, etc., Vice President Annette Lu, an exploding whale, Chinese culture’s casual disregard for logic, reason, or self-assessment, the fact that people in this part of the world are (bless them) both directionally and geographically challenged, and lots of other interesting and wholly peculiar tidbits.

The book also deals with the Koreas, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, and Nepal. It’s a cultural expose cum memoir cum travel narrative, and although that may make it sound disjointed or ambitious, I assure that it’s simply seamless story-telling from cover to cover. Honest. What? Why are you looking at me like that?

It may be a while before it’s in stores here, but nevertheless, as they say in the world of rap (I prefer jazz), “Yo! Check it out!”

Thanks,

Troy Parfitt, author

PS: There will soon be a website up and running that a good friend of mine is putting together. To see his own thoughts on Taiwan (and he has some decent, quirky bits on there), go to blog.islaformosa.com

Thanks again for the interest.

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Welcome Ed and hanks for the heads up on your book. I look forward to reading it.

A ‘not too dry’ book about Taiwan you might like to read is "FORMOSAN ODYSSEY’ by some guy listed as John Ross. Its a pretty good read and full of interesting’ tid bits about the island.

Good Luck to Ya!

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[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Welcome Ed and hanks for the heads up on your book. I look forward to reading it.

A ‘not too dry’ book about Taiwan you might like to read is "FORMOSAN ODYSSEY’ by some guy listed as John Ross. Its a pretty good read and full of interesting’ tid bits about the island.

Good Luck to Ya![/quote]

TC, it’s not a secret he’s Almas John. The fact has been brought up many times on many threads.

And yes, good book though I think John holds back too much. He’s more interesting than he let’s on in the book.

As for you Ed, dammit, can’t anyone time these things so they coincide better with new Lonely Planets. We were scrambling to find western travellers accounts of Taiwan.

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MM -
Uhhh…yeah…whatever. Just trying to work within the rules. No real need for your comment.

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Ed, curious if you wrote the book first or approached a publisher with a proposal.

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Sounds pretty good.

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Yes, I probably should have mentioned John Ross’s book Formosan Odyssey. That’s a good one. (And there are other good ones, of course, but they are more of the historical/political discourse variety. I have here a copy of Odyssey signed by John himself. He mailed it to me after a few correspondances last year. He’s a nice guy and I found the bits he wrote on foot binding and Taiwan’s savage, head hunting past to be particularly engaging. I believe he’s in the process now of repackaging it and sending it out for a second round. I’d love to see it on the shelf again. I gave him a “thank you” in my own book as he was very supportive. I think his book, more than mine, is very reflective of what it’s like for an expatriate to live here and if anyone reading this hasn’t read his book, they might want to consider it.

As for the question: I wrote the book first and then sent it around. I was lucky. I got a quick response. I don’t think I did it the way you are supposed to, though. You’re supposed to write a proposal and the first few chapters or something, so again, I got lucky.

I suppose it’ll be in bookstores at some point here. For the time being (it just came out) it’s only at Amazon.com meaning it can’t be delivered here. Look for it on Amazon.jp (Japan) in a while. They deliver, and fast. I ordered a book from them two weeks ago and it was here in three days!

I may have a book launch sometime too. I’ll announce it here if I do. I’d like to do a short reading and have a few copies to give away as prizes or something.

A super typhoon, eh? A good day to sleep.

Troy

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Hi Ed.

Yeah, apart from ‘Odyssey,’ there’s not a lot of stuff in that vein - i.e. insightful and entertaining accounts of Taiwan and its culture (from a Western perspective). I’ll be looking forward to it becoming available here, and the book launch, if you go ahead with it.

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Thank you Ichi Zukini. If you identify yourself at the book launch, should I go through with it, please allow me to buy you a beer, or biru, as I believe you call it in your native tongue. Or perhaps a cup of sake would be more to your liking.

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[quote=“Ichi Zukini”]Hi Ed.

Yeah, apart from ‘Odyssey,’ there’s not a lot of stuff in that vein - i.e. insightful and entertaining accounts of Taiwan and its culture (from a Western perspective).[/quote]

Modesty prevents me from mentioning my own humble tome:

taipeitimes.com/News/archive … 0000101263

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To read a well-expressed review on another well-written Taiwan book, be sure to follow the link provided by Mr. Crook above. The unmentioned, humble tome is called Keeping Up With the War God - Taiwan, As it Seemed to Me . This collection of essays came highly recommended to me by a friend of mine who lived in Taipei for a few years. He characterized it as being chock-full of witticisms, insights, and stinging truths about the Republic of China, adding that it would therefore be much to my liking. I will certainly read it when the opportunity presents itself, which is to say: soon.

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Well, I’ve just finished reading Keeping Up With the War God, and I have to admit that I was deeply impressed by it. It is, quite simply, a jewel of a book, worth reading even if you’ve been in Taiwan for ages - like me. In fact, I was so taken by its style and quality that I wrote a review of it on Amazon.uk. I urge you to read it (the book, not the review). And if anyone is thinking of writing their own Taiwan book, I urge you to do it. Writing a book is no cake walk, but it can be very rewarding on a personal level.

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Hi Ed,

Many congratulations on the “birth” of your new book! It’s not many people that can combine being in the right place at the right time with: having an idea; confidence; research; sitting down every day and actually writing; finding a publisher; and (not easy) working with a publisher. From start to finish, not easy. I’ve read some of your writing before, and I’ve heard some of your experiences firsthand, so I’m really looking forward on getting my hands on a copy.

Now’s my chance to buy something from amazon.com!

Sharjah

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Howdy,

If you’d like to get a free sample of Notes from the Other China, kindly go to Google and type in Notes from the Other China - Adventures in Asia. At the top of the page that comes up, directly under ‘Book results for Notes from the Other China - Adventures in Asia,’ you’ll see a link that will take you to an abreviated version of the book. Once there, read away. You might want to do it soon as I have no idea how long it’ll be there.

In other news, the book’s (my) website should be completed soon. We’re going to feature a “B-Sides Blog” where you can read more free articles - ones that didn’t make the cut. Of course, if you at any point feel compelled to order the book, far be it from me to stop you.

Thank you for your interest,

Troy Parfitt

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Howdy folks,

Eslite Bookstore has informed me that customers can go into any one of their 50 branches and order Notes from the Other China and that they will happily order it for them from Amazon.com. This would be cheaper than ordering it directly. The total price (which includes shipping, apparently) would come to $NT920.

Or,…

If you’d like, you could purchase a promotional copy from me directly (by mail) for, say, wubai kuai. I would mail the book to you for free provided that you live in Taiwan. Anyone interested in this (limited offer, I suppose) should e-mail me at tryparfitt@yahoo.com.

Hao ma?

Be sure to check back here for updates periodically. I’m going to work on getting it into Caves, and Page One has told me they will look into stocking it.

Also, I posted some extra material on a blog at Amazon just in case you’d like to get a sampling of what to expect. Please keep in mind that this material did NOT make the book and that it has never seen an editor’s pen. It’s also somewhat more low-brow than the stuff in Notes. Here’s the link: amazon.com/Notes-Other-China … 779&sr=1-1

As ever, thank you for your interest.

PS, does anyone have any ideas as to where I could have a book launch in Taipei? I was thinking of doing a reading or something and then maybe giving away a couple of free copies. Any suggestions? A pub would be good. Maybe I’ll hire some betel nut girls.

TP

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Kudos to you, Mr. Lakewood, for finishing something, naming it as you did, and finding a publisher. The men from your part of the world have a bit more of the ole’ minerals than most, from what I hear. I hope you sell thousands of copies.

I’d also like to know where Steven Crook’s very (from the review) fine book can be purchased in Taipei–anyone know?

Finally, I fully echo those who praised JGR (almas john)'s Formosan Odyssey. It is a fascinating read, well worth picking up. Almas, when will the updated version be out? Book royalties can boost the grog fund quite nicely, you know.

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I’d like to pick up all three books, Ed’s (I’ve emailed him), Stephen Crook’s, and JGR’s. Where can I get the latter two?

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DB, I’ve seen Stephen’s book and John’s book in Caves bookstore. I’m not sure which Caves though - definitely not Taipei. It may have been Caves in Tainan. But presumably, if the books are still in print, you could order them through any Caves (and probably other stores as well). Ordering books at Caves is a pretty easy process; just fill in a form, wait a week or so and they’ll give you a call to tell you the book has arrived.

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Why not ask Stephen Crook directly? He’s on f.com here under – surprise, surprise – StephenCrook.

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Thanks Tomas,

Yes, I suppose there is something of a story telling tradition associated with Atlantic Canada (if that’s what you were referring to). I don’t know where I get it from really. Well, actually I do. I’ve been a reader since I was about five. Oh, and thanks for the compliments re the title. Usually people just blink when I say Notes from the Other China. A couple of expats even asked me what the “other China” was. And here I thought I was being clever. Anyway,… thanks for the lift. It’s all very daunting actually. The promotional campaign for this book is, by and large, me and I don’t have the time, money, or resources to really do an adequate job. So, thanks.

I’m going to be at the Forumosa night happy hour thingy this Thursday at Carnegies. (sp.?) I’ll bring a few promotional copies, and I’ve asked the manager if I can do a short reading. Waiting for a response. If not I’ll just bother you all and impress everyone by knowing all the words to Uncle John’s Band. Apparently, it’s Grateful Dead night, so I figure I can read during the 15-minute long jams between verses.

Hopefully, I’ll see you all there.

Edward Lakewood