Snapshots of China

For the longest time, my friend, Alison Mullins, and I both toyed with the idea of writing a book, but we could never figure out how. How do you write about an entire culture, and all the mini cultures within it? How do you sum up thousands of years of history? Complex political and social issues? Family dynamics? Unique individual stories within 1.4 billion people?

 

Well, Alison figured out how, and for the past year or so, she’s been writing. It started as simple writing exercises inspired by our friend, Miranda Regan. Alison would ask me to send her two random words of my choosing. Then, she would write a short story. There were two conditions: 1) The story had to include both of the randomly-chosen words and 2) The story had to be about China.

China is rather known for its complex culture. When I first got off the plane, I had no idea what to expect, and I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I didn’t know what questions to ask to help me understand the culture, and I certainly didn’t know how to navigate the culture. When I looked online for information about China or read books about China, the information was almost always presented through the scope of politics or the information was formal, dull, and stilted. None of that helped me actually understand my students’ backgrounds or what was considered normal in their culture. The unique thing about this book is that you actually get to see real Chinese culture woven into the stories. You’ll see what the average student might struggle with, you’ll see what family dynamics might be like, you’ll see what people use to pay for their groceries, and how they communicate with friends.

 

After a long time writing and a long time editing, it’s done. Those writing exercises turned into a short-story collection that shows 42 snapshots of what China is like and what the people who live here are like as well. From the foreigner torn between staying or fleeing the country during covid. From the street sweeper who dreams of a better life for his children in an unrecognizable world. From the young artist who dreams of being creative where there’s no space for creativity. From the Grandma who struggles to catch up with the speed of China’s development. From the English students who try their best to learn a new language. From the foreigners who arrive fresh off the plane in a new culture.

 

I can’t even count how many times I’ve read this book, but when I flip through it, I’m still struck by how honestly—and sweetly—Alison has portrayed this country we live in. All the stories are technically fiction, but are all based on true events and true things we both have seen while living here. (It’s up to you to guess what is pure fiction and what is pure fact.) If you’d like to take a look at these 42 snapshots of life in China, the book is available for purchase on Amazon in black-and-white, color, and Kindle versions. I might be biased, but . . . I think you should check it out.

 

Alison Mullins’s website: https://alisonmullins.com

Snapshots of China on Amazon:

 

 

ResourcesMegan HutchinsonESL Teacher, ESL Resource, EFL, ESL, Teaching in China, Teaching ESL, Teaching Abroad, Teaching ResourceComment