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Eating Kimchi and Nodding Politely Stories About Love Life Death
From the This collection took me two years to write. I went through a lot while living abroad, but I wrote this collection with a selective eye for experiences that could translate well in any country. Themes like love, sex, death and discovery flow in and out of all of our lives. I'm just hoping you read these stories and get from it not just a smile from some clever phrasing, or a few chuckles (yeah those are there too) but a sense of intimacy with with the things that we all share.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
77 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 6, 2012
It was a bit ironic that the day I started reading this “novelette” length journey in South Korea and the author’s first experiences with its culture and foods, especially kimchi, I had just journeyed almost three hours there and back to a special Asian shop where I live in Berlin which has the best kimichi bar what my Korean amah of sorts used to make. I love kimchi. It’s the one food that I actually crave in the world, so I was quite interested in the author’s perspective. I agree: it’s an acquired taste.
I started the book expecting to read of the biases, stereotypes and generalizations so many Americans traveling to foreign countries tend express. Sometimes they don't even seem to realize they are doing it, and I kept expecting to have those biases, some of them understandable, at least be mitigated as the author learned more about another culture, which for me should lead to respect of some level if one has an open-mind. The American ethnocentric mindset is one I encounter all too frequently and find tiresome, yet to be honest, other nationalities do it also.
Nothing was ever uninteresting but I had a mild problem regarding editing errors and continuity, and not just because it is a collection of flash memoirs and different events that happened. You might read one entry, for example, just beginning at the first year when he spoke little or no Korean, yet in the next he was fluently or nearly so, then back again. You had an entry where he says he doesn’t want to get involved with anyone, yet the next, it begins with him having sex without any explanation between them or within the entry itself. I felt the continuity of the work, even with the flash memoir type pieces, could have been better were there some kind of explanation between them, or they might have been put into a different order.
“Eating Kimchi And Nodding Politely...etc.” is an occasionally entertaining account of an American traveling abroad from his own country, with all the idiosyncrasies that might entail. As an American myself, an American Indian, who has traveled extensively around and world and currently lives in Germany, I could recognize some of the critical perceptions yet surprising insight those can provide both into a different people and ourselves.
Originally posted at Flying With Red Haircrow, and there is also an interview with the author http://flyingwithredhaircrow.wordpres...
I started the book expecting to read of the biases, stereotypes and generalizations so many Americans traveling to foreign countries tend express. Sometimes they don't even seem to realize they are doing it, and I kept expecting to have those biases, some of them understandable, at least be mitigated as the author learned more about another culture, which for me should lead to respect of some level if one has an open-mind. The American ethnocentric mindset is one I encounter all too frequently and find tiresome, yet to be honest, other nationalities do it also.
Nothing was ever uninteresting but I had a mild problem regarding editing errors and continuity, and not just because it is a collection of flash memoirs and different events that happened. You might read one entry, for example, just beginning at the first year when he spoke little or no Korean, yet in the next he was fluently or nearly so, then back again. You had an entry where he says he doesn’t want to get involved with anyone, yet the next, it begins with him having sex without any explanation between them or within the entry itself. I felt the continuity of the work, even with the flash memoir type pieces, could have been better were there some kind of explanation between them, or they might have been put into a different order.
“Eating Kimchi And Nodding Politely...etc.” is an occasionally entertaining account of an American traveling abroad from his own country, with all the idiosyncrasies that might entail. As an American myself, an American Indian, who has traveled extensively around and world and currently lives in Germany, I could recognize some of the critical perceptions yet surprising insight those can provide both into a different people and ourselves.
Originally posted at Flying With Red Haircrow, and there is also an interview with the author http://flyingwithredhaircrow.wordpres...
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July 12, 2013I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
At the beginning of this novella length memoir Alex Clermont found himself in the same position many Americans have themselves in since the economic depression. With the downsizing of the publishing company he was working for causing him to become unemployed Clermont had no choice but to look for a new job in more creative places. And he found one. With no other options in the States, Clermont decides to move to Korea and teach English, and this selection of short stories share a few of the experiences he had there.
I love travel memoirs, especially ones that, rather than being a 400 page anthem about someone’s life over the course of a year in chronological order, are simply a selection of stories about, for lack of a better expression, being a stranger in a strange land and learning how to cope. Clermont’s memoir includes a variety of stories with the potential to be an excellent addition to that category of travel memoir, but unfortunately lacks certain qualities a stronger editor could have fixed.
The main criticism I had with this memoir is cohesiveness. While I understand Clermont’s desire to keep stories out of chronological order many of these stories lacked the context to really be stories, with some of these entries lasting no longer than a paragraph or two with no real story to explore. Where many authors of this style get bogged down with unnecessary details Clermont doesn’t include enough. Reading a travel memoir should give the reader to experience that foreign land through the eyes of the author, but not once in Clermont’s memoir did it feel like the story was transported off the page and into South Korea. I wanted to see, feel, smell, and taste a place I’ve never had the opportunity to visit, but Clermont’s stories don’t deliver.
There was also a lot more emphasis on relationships (emphasis on sex) than on the teaching aspect of his trip which, as a teacher of English myself, I was looking forward to reading about. These stories of relationships also suffer from a lack of details. While I’d love to read about courting issues of different cultures and making a cross-cultural relationship work (or not) Clermont’s stories simply state things are different and moves on without much substance. In fact, several stories deal with the same woman who is described as a one night stand/easy hook up and a meaningful love-match in the same story but no bridge about how Clermont and this woman got from one point to another.
Clermont has real potential here for an excellent (even full-length) travel memoir, but his stories need some fleshing out before his readers will be able to immerse themselves in his expeience.
At the beginning of this novella length memoir Alex Clermont found himself in the same position many Americans have themselves in since the economic depression. With the downsizing of the publishing company he was working for causing him to become unemployed Clermont had no choice but to look for a new job in more creative places. And he found one. With no other options in the States, Clermont decides to move to Korea and teach English, and this selection of short stories share a few of the experiences he had there.
I love travel memoirs, especially ones that, rather than being a 400 page anthem about someone’s life over the course of a year in chronological order, are simply a selection of stories about, for lack of a better expression, being a stranger in a strange land and learning how to cope. Clermont’s memoir includes a variety of stories with the potential to be an excellent addition to that category of travel memoir, but unfortunately lacks certain qualities a stronger editor could have fixed.
The main criticism I had with this memoir is cohesiveness. While I understand Clermont’s desire to keep stories out of chronological order many of these stories lacked the context to really be stories, with some of these entries lasting no longer than a paragraph or two with no real story to explore. Where many authors of this style get bogged down with unnecessary details Clermont doesn’t include enough. Reading a travel memoir should give the reader to experience that foreign land through the eyes of the author, but not once in Clermont’s memoir did it feel like the story was transported off the page and into South Korea. I wanted to see, feel, smell, and taste a place I’ve never had the opportunity to visit, but Clermont’s stories don’t deliver.
There was also a lot more emphasis on relationships (emphasis on sex) than on the teaching aspect of his trip which, as a teacher of English myself, I was looking forward to reading about. These stories of relationships also suffer from a lack of details. While I’d love to read about courting issues of different cultures and making a cross-cultural relationship work (or not) Clermont’s stories simply state things are different and moves on without much substance. In fact, several stories deal with the same woman who is described as a one night stand/easy hook up and a meaningful love-match in the same story but no bridge about how Clermont and this woman got from one point to another.
Clermont has real potential here for an excellent (even full-length) travel memoir, but his stories need some fleshing out before his readers will be able to immerse themselves in his expeience.
January 5, 2013
Traveling halfway around the world to live and work in another country, whether for the short term or longer is by no means an easy task. Some might do it out of a sense of adventure or variety is the spice of life thing; others might do it out of economy and necessity. Whatever the reason, it is the road less traveled in that famous Robert Frost poem.
That’s exactly what Alex Clermont did and what he eloquently describes in Eating Kimchi and Nodding Politely: Stories About Love, Life, Death and Discover from an American in South Korea. Clermont who came to Korea to teach English offers insights into a way of life which has become the norm for thousands of expatriates who have followed suit.
Having lived and worked in Korea since 1990, I could identify with many of the trials and tribulations Clermont went through during his sojourn in Korea. There is something to be said about those who make a life-defining decision to travel halfway around the world to teach English. To be sure, when I decided to come to Korea in December 1990, that life-defining moment changed my life forever.
The same can be said for Clermont and the experiences he describes in his book. From describing his first taste of Korea when he samples kimchi for the first time to his triumphs as an English teacher, the book is engaging and illuminating.
Although this reads like a memoir, there is much more on a creative nonfiction feel to the stories. Instead of, “I did this” and then “I did that” there is a lot more creative freedom going on here. That’s what I liked most about Clermont’s book. If you are planning to take the road less traveled by coming to Korea to teach English, I highly recommend this book.
That’s exactly what Alex Clermont did and what he eloquently describes in Eating Kimchi and Nodding Politely: Stories About Love, Life, Death and Discover from an American in South Korea. Clermont who came to Korea to teach English offers insights into a way of life which has become the norm for thousands of expatriates who have followed suit.
Having lived and worked in Korea since 1990, I could identify with many of the trials and tribulations Clermont went through during his sojourn in Korea. There is something to be said about those who make a life-defining decision to travel halfway around the world to teach English. To be sure, when I decided to come to Korea in December 1990, that life-defining moment changed my life forever.
The same can be said for Clermont and the experiences he describes in his book. From describing his first taste of Korea when he samples kimchi for the first time to his triumphs as an English teacher, the book is engaging and illuminating.
Although this reads like a memoir, there is much more on a creative nonfiction feel to the stories. Instead of, “I did this” and then “I did that” there is a lot more creative freedom going on here. That’s what I liked most about Clermont’s book. If you are planning to take the road less traveled by coming to Korea to teach English, I highly recommend this book.
October 6, 2012
A few lines from the introduction of Eating Kimchi … jumped out at me as getting to the heart of what the book is about. He described these pieces as “creative non-fiction based on the real things that were happening to me in my new, unusual, home” about “emotions and situations that are universal. Things like death, love, sex, friendship, and food are not confined to one country.”
Although a collection of essays, from very short to relatively long, that each stand alone and were not designed to have an overarching theme, they still form a coherent whole. Clermont didn’t arrange the essays in chronological order, but instead ordered them in a way that I thought made the flow better. Many wouldn’t consider this a travel book, yet it has many of the qualities that some travel books have: a foreign locale with insights contrasting the local culture to the author’s own, and an attempt by the author to better understand himself based on his reactions to his new environment. However, the author is more open and forthcoming about his personal struggles and how they relate to his experiences than the typical travel book, taking Eating Kimchi … more into the ground usually trod in a memoir. An excellent read, both for its insights into life in Korea and how it shines a light on the human condition in general.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
Although a collection of essays, from very short to relatively long, that each stand alone and were not designed to have an overarching theme, they still form a coherent whole. Clermont didn’t arrange the essays in chronological order, but instead ordered them in a way that I thought made the flow better. Many wouldn’t consider this a travel book, yet it has many of the qualities that some travel books have: a foreign locale with insights contrasting the local culture to the author’s own, and an attempt by the author to better understand himself based on his reactions to his new environment. However, the author is more open and forthcoming about his personal struggles and how they relate to his experiences than the typical travel book, taking Eating Kimchi … more into the ground usually trod in a memoir. An excellent read, both for its insights into life in Korea and how it shines a light on the human condition in general.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
July 8, 2012
I read this book over the course of just two settings. When the author contacted me with a copy of this book for review, I was pretty excited. I love memoirs and books that put the writer into a new country. I dug in... and put it down after 45 minutes the first time.
The good: This guy has a story to tell.
The bad: He never really gets around to the good parts.
There's something here but the sloppy-looking execution of this book never really gets us to the good stuff. It feels very slapped together, unedited and unorganized. I'm okay with it being a narrative. I like narratives, but it very much needed someone to pull this story together, flesh it out and make me want to like the author more.
This is more of a 2.5 star book that really needs some editing and an interview with the author by a ghost writer to make it great. I hope the author continues to grow and do more. There's definitely something there but the story and the culture were lost a bit in the translation to print.
I'll look forward to the author's other works, he has a good style, it just needs work.
Recommended for those die hard travel memoir folks.
The good: This guy has a story to tell.
The bad: He never really gets around to the good parts.
There's something here but the sloppy-looking execution of this book never really gets us to the good stuff. It feels very slapped together, unedited and unorganized. I'm okay with it being a narrative. I like narratives, but it very much needed someone to pull this story together, flesh it out and make me want to like the author more.
This is more of a 2.5 star book that really needs some editing and an interview with the author by a ghost writer to make it great. I hope the author continues to grow and do more. There's definitely something there but the story and the culture were lost a bit in the translation to print.
I'll look forward to the author's other works, he has a good style, it just needs work.
Recommended for those die hard travel memoir folks.
November 9, 2013
This book is both limiting in its subjectivity and interesting in its unique perspective. "Eating Kimchi and Nodding Politely" is told from an African American viewpoint. The author, Alex Clermont, neither initiates his move to South Korea nor sets out to be a teacher, yet accepts both as an escape from his love/hate relationship with his home country.
Alex is on a personal journey, but his isolation is pierced at times by the kindness of those he meets while in Korea. One can feel his insatiable ache throughout the stories, which make him more sensitive to the emptiness in others and lends a poetic feel to the narrative.
Alex is on a personal journey, but his isolation is pierced at times by the kindness of those he meets while in Korea. One can feel his insatiable ache throughout the stories, which make him more sensitive to the emptiness in others and lends a poetic feel to the narrative.
August 3, 2014
I thought I'd like this since I lived in Korea for nearly three years. Clever title. The short story is a bit of memoir by an American who escapes his life by working in Korea.
But there is something jarring and discordant when in 70-odd pages he expresses love for teaching English to kids and then tosses out "I f**d her the first night" and talks about meeting his sexual needs with one-night stands. If you're going to write about two distinctly different subjects, either watch the language or write a longer book.
But there is something jarring and discordant when in 70-odd pages he expresses love for teaching English to kids and then tosses out "I f**d her the first night" and talks about meeting his sexual needs with one-night stands. If you're going to write about two distinctly different subjects, either watch the language or write a longer book.
April 17, 2013
Although Clermont's work isn't the most scholarly piece, I enjoyed how he caught the essence of how extremely profound cross-cultural communication can be when language is boiled down to it's essential elements.
Here's a snippet from the book:
"The slim newlywed wore his bookish ways on his sleeve and despite being the same age as me, shyly shared his knolwede like I was a high school student. I listened with genuine interest. As we walked up a hill, I asked him how it felt to be married.
He sighed and said, "I have escaped my solitude."
Here's a snippet from the book:
"The slim newlywed wore his bookish ways on his sleeve and despite being the same age as me, shyly shared his knolwede like I was a high school student. I listened with genuine interest. As we walked up a hill, I asked him how it felt to be married.
He sighed and said, "I have escaped my solitude."
November 19, 2013
Hmmm...parts of this book were good. I liked the short-story, snippet style of the book, and it made for a quick and entertaining read. But overall, it was just too inconsistent for me to take it seriously. Some stories were great and others were not great. I ended up empathizing with the author, but somehow grudgingly, and not through a sense of joy, wonder or satisfaction.
May 14, 2013
A wry series of vignette's of the author's time in South Korea- I learned about a country I didn't know much about and chuckled at some of the author's experiences.It was a quick, enjoyable read.
* I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
* I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2012
Eh... it was short and semi-entertaining but I guess I would have just preferred a book to random short stories.
March 27, 2016
Not too thrilled with this one. Some of the stories are interesting, but I honestly do not know where the author was going with this.
May 10, 2013
Short but an interesting insight into life in Seoul!
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May 11, 2022I wanted to see the writing of an American expat in Korea and how their experiences compared. Some things were familiar, and some were unique to him. It has a few mentions of culture and the country, but it is largely about his experiences there. It was decent for what it was. I read through it quickly, but there was not anything particularly remarkable. The writing is fairly engaging, but I think the pieces of the book could have fit better together (the chapters/shifts in subjects could be rather jarring).
February 16, 2016
Delightful. I am happy to know more about Korea and to have been shown around by Mr. Clermont. His narratives are intimate and yet maintain a polite distance at the same time. He is a gifted writer and compassionate observer of humanity.
April 19, 2017
Entertaining little stories
I loved this book! I wish it was longer, that's the only complaint I have. Little snippets of life as an American in Korean. Very entertaining.
I loved this book! I wish it was longer, that's the only complaint I have. Little snippets of life as an American in Korean. Very entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews