Slowly, purposefully, I point my finger upwards at the dripping umbrella above my head while staring at the umbrella seller. She is young; her two black pigtails are tied with simple red cotton and she is trying to sell me an umbrella. It has not quite occurred to her that, although it is raining, I […]
Rod MacKenzie
CRACKING CHINA was previously the title of this blog. That title was used as the name for Rod MacKenzie's second book, Cracking China: a memoir of our first three years in China. From a review in the Johannesburg Star: " Mackenzie's writing is shot through with humour and there are many laugh-out-loud scenes". Cracking China is available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle or get a hard copy from www.knowledgethirstmedia.co.za.
His previous book is a collection of poetry,Gathering Light.
A born and bred South African, Rod now lives in Auckland, New Zealand, after a number of years working in southern mainland China and a stint in England.
Under the editorship of David Bullard and Michael Trapido he had a column called "The Mocking Truth" on NewsTime until the newszine folded.
He has a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Auckland. if you are a big, BIG publisher you should ask to see one of his many manuscript novels. Follow Rod on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Rod_in_China
Posted inLifestyle
Be more careful when taking on the train, my China
After dinner in summer the subway stations in Shanghai, like Dong Chang Lu, fill up with families and friends who come here to sit and chat, most of them wearing pyjamas. These are the real dandy jarmies, with red and blue stripes; the dads look like walking rock candy sticks. Many grandfathers prefer old green […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Top secret Wrigley’s chewing gum
After a gruelling session of learning oral English at the campus on Dong Chang road in downtown Shanghai, the eight or so kids in my class jumped at the chance of playing Blind Man’s Buff, you know, where one kid is blindfolded and has to catch one of the others. It was ten in the […]