Beijing for Beginners: An Irishman in the People's Republic

By Gary Finnegan

This chronicle of the author's attempts to adjust to an altogether alien culture makes for an often hilarious travelogue of Beijing, peppered with fascinating insights into Chinese history and its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1905785445
• ISBN13: 9781905785445
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Liffey Press
• Length: 235 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Real Beijing

A great book for anyone who's ever been to China, thought about going there, or just wanted to know what it would be like to live abroad. Finnegan describes his day-to-day discoveries and trials as a journalist-turned-ESL-teacher, living in the capital of China just as the 2008 Olympics are about to take place. While Beijing for Beginners is a laugh-out-loud read as Finnegan and girlfriend attempt to learn Mandarin and communicate with locals, dodge puddles of spit, and navigate chaotic Beijing city streets, Finnegan also delves into the deeper issues facing China. He researches as best he can through heavily censored Chinese media, and talks with Beijingers to understand their views on family, marriage, Communism, pollution, and how they see themselves in comparison to the rest of the world. Reading about Finnegan's adventures, I felt like I was experiencing Beijing too. The best aspects of Finnegan's writing are his unpretentious nature and his self-deprecation. As suspicious as he is of Beijingers' motives whenever he is offered hospitality or a random act of kindness, Finnegan generally comes to the conclusion that he, and perhaps the western world as a whole, have a lot to learn from the Chinese about generosity and trust. I highly recommend this fabulous read!