A Peking Diary, by Lois Fisher

This is a gem disguised as a book. Lois Fisher is an American married to a German journalist who was invited to live in China circa 1973. The book describes her experiences as a foreigner in a country which, at the time, was not used to foreigners. It's interesting to read about her personal observations as she deals with a culture that's so different from Western cultures and, at the time, so intertwined with the ideology of the Communist Party.

I fell in love with the writer's attitude towards the novel and the unknown, a mindset that should be adopted by all international travelers. She tries as much as humanly possible to blend in with the locals and experience the life led by the locals in Beijing (better known as Peking at the time the book was written). Of course, she was bound to fail in that attempt because she could be easily spotted as foreign and then received special treatment from store clerks and government officials. Nonetheless, she tried hard and in the process she managed to take from China the best it had to offer.

The book is subtitled as a "personal account of modern China", but given that it was written 30 years ago, it's hardly a reflection of what the country is today. Still, it's definitely worth reading if you want to explore the history and the development of this amazing country and its wonderful people. I guess after reading this, I feel that I need to read a more current personal account and I'm feeling drawn to Peter Hessler's "River Town". That is likely to be my next literary victim.