Whats up, Chuck?

Even though according to you, Im short-sighted, narrow-minded, and an Ugly American, living in my own little world, I took your advice and begin looking for copy of Jan Wongs memoir China Blues. It wasnt so easy in the beginning because the real title of the tome is Red China Blues (hint: its always best to know the full title of book when one is recommending it as essential reading to others).

I found some excerpts from Wongs book, and while her accounts of such devout, Maoist activities as hauling pig manure and her resulting personal-political revelations are compelling, again, I fail to see how reading this book would have helped Phil navigate, negotiate, or better cope with his situation at the summer camp near Dongguan in any way. Please explain your logic.

As you have avoided all of my previous questions, I assume youll do so again

But for the sake my trying to understand you better, Chuck, what country do you come from?

Where do you teach in China? (a public institution or a private, for-profit training center, and in what location?)

For any of your students who were born after about 1976 (and I assume you have a few), you might also recommend reading Jan Wongs Red China Blues to them as well. Students of this generation are often as clueless about this era of Chinas history as any recently-arrived foreigner.

But again, how do Jan Wongs testimonies regarding her growing disillusionment with Maoist philosophies -- and her discoveries of their harsh, contradictory realities help young foreign teachers process and cope with unscrupulous and unethical school owners who dodge any educational/professional responsibilities in 2006? I truly fail to make the connection.

Please enlighten this short-sighted, narrow-minded, cloistered/sheltered, Ugly American!