Hey Comrade, Pull My Finger: 5 Years Living and Working in China

by Texas John

Go on the real life adventure as Texas John finds himself on a televised Chinese game show, a drink competition with a pimp, the only foreigner working at a company, fighting crime, and entangled in numerous ridiculous, irritating, and sometime frightening situations. These encounters bring John a clearer understanding of the culture and country he has found himself in.

The book has real-life examples of what to do and not to do in China, and explanations of the nation's culture and people. Go on the journey with Texas John and see how he learns about social harmony, principles of Confucius and the importance of "face", as he pursues his never ending search for adventure in the Middle Kingdom.

185 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2014

Reviews

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book, except the author was a bit negative on the Chinese. It is clear by the end of the book he had enough of the cultural differences and just wanted to return home to America. The main catharsis of his discontent was some major Visa problems. The author learned how to speak Mandarin and probably survived in China a lot better than foreigners who do not learn the language. He does describe many incidents and how the Chinese think differently. For instance, he gives some examples wherein he shows that the Chinese generally do not think outside the box. It is not that creative problem solving is discarded; it is just that the Chinese generally accept certain things to be the way they are. Anyway, this was a good book, as it was entertaining and informative.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of really funny and relatable anecdotes, and I like how he tied back some of the stories to learnings about Chinese culture. However, the book really could have used a good editor!

[John Wolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was supposed to be a humorous look at life in a foreign country. But I didn't find it very funny.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know who Texas John is, but I know that I laughed like a hyena and learned more about the Chinese from this book than from any other book I've read.

I down loaded this because it was free and I'm cheap and I always check out books about Americans teaching English abroad because some of them are quite interesting. Then I looked at the stupid cover picture and the dumb title and the moronic nom-de-keyboard and I thought life's too short to waste on another pile of drivel by some idiot who went someplace, got a job teaching English, stayed drunk the whole time, and embarrassed himself and his country. I really wish I could remember why I started reading it.

It doesn't matter because once I started I was hooked like a large-mouth bass. This guy is funny and he can write. Furthermore, he stayed in China an amazing five years. A year is a long time for most Americans to stay in China and many fold after a few months, which is why there are always lots of teaching jobs. And I owe him an apology because he didn't stay drunk the whole time, but seems to have genuinely made a effort to do the job he was being paid for. Actually, the man is mature, intelligent, and thoughtful, but don't tell him I said so. Clearly he prefers to pass himself off as an irresponsible goofball and that's fine.

While he breaks the chapters down by year, this is basically a collection of stories. Most are funny because he's the kind of guy who finds the humor in situations even while he's cussing and pulling out his hair (or someone else's hair.) So as entertainment, the book is well worth your time. What sets it apart is that each story is followed by a "Cultural Take" comment where he explains what this incident taught him about the Chinese and the way they think.

Most Americans in Asia simply accept that the locals behave oddly (to us) and order another round of drinks. Why did this author care why his Chinese colleagues, friends, and enemies act the way they do? It's because he's a salesman. He worked part time in sales while in school and then went into professional sales and then became a headhunter, which is also sales because you're selling the company to the candidate and then selling the candidate to the company. And he loved sales and realized that it fits his personality. He took a job teaching English only because that was the easiest way to stay in China for an extended period.

So he was technically an educator, but that saleman's personality never went into hibernation and a salesman (a real one, not just an order taker) has to know what the other guy is thinking. Unless you get inside the other person's head, you can't sell him anything. So every time he interacted with the Chinese, his mind was asking, "Why are they acting like this? What are they thinking?" And with observation and some help from Chinese friends and co-workers, he started to understand Chinese culture and how it molds individual and group behaviors. That's not to say he fell in love with the Chinese way of thinking and acting. He didn't always love it, but he did start to understand it. And now he passes five years' worth of understanding along to the reader in a hilarious, fascinating book that entertains as it educates.

If you're going to China or have contact with Chinese in any way, this book is invaluable. I've even read books by Chinese authors claiming to explain Chinese culture to Westerners and I always finish more confused than I started. I finally realized that the Chinese don't want us to understand them. You have to learn about them from an insider who knows the ropes and who's better with ropes than a Texan? I would love to see this book marketed to professionals doing business in China. It would help them far more than the crap they're reading now. I hope Tex is at work on a book about his experiences in Latin America. I'll even be willing to pay for it.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read the author talks about his five years in China as an English teacher. I like the way he presents things. He tells a story and then tells us the cultural reasons behind the behavior of various Chinese. Wish the book was longer.

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not your usual and I enjoyed every page. There is some really funny stuff throughout the book and so it kept me laughing. I'll bet his English classes were fun.