In the book, Iron & Silk, Mark Salzman relates his experiences while teaching English to Chinese medical students during 1982-1984. It is a non-fiction work, an easy read, and very enlightening. (And there’s a movie!)
I enjoyed the time I spent with Mark in China, especially meeting the people he met. There were his master martial art instructors. There was the little old lady that had lived in the United States. There were the children who were more than intrigued with his height, his complexion, and most notably, his nose!
Just like my recent “trip” to Afghanistan through A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was taken back by how people are living in other parts of the world at the exact same time that I am living in America. Again, through my journey of Iron & Silk, I find myself extremely thankful to have been born in America at this particular time in history. That is perhaps the most important thing I am experiencing as I travel to these Novel Destinations.
