Comments for Ni hao (Hello)! Welcome to Xinran's English blog

Comment on Xie xie da jia —Thanks everyone by CHARRIEZ

CHARRIEZ — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 14:04:01 +0000

Hi
I’m a french woman , living in Provence .I travel two times every year in south west China ( Yunnan and Sichuan), I work to build bridges between our two cultures , especially introducing french people in Pu’er tea .

How can I join and help MBL?

Comment on Wo Yao Qu ‘Ba Xi’ Le! – I am going to Brazil! by Sandra Greenheck

Sandra Greenheck — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:06:43 +0000

Dear Xinran,

I read The Good Women of China and Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother, both touching and moving books. This later book will be invaluable to my adopted Chinese daughters. We adopted our first daughter in 1997, she has many unanswered questions and curiosities about her biological parents. We have told our five adopted Chinese daughters many times that their mother’s loved them very much but had extenuating circumstances that lead to them being abandoned. They were lucky that their parents chose life for them by abandoning them where they would be found immediately. Three of our adopted children also have special needs and we realize that perhaps their parents would have kept them had they not had these issues. These daughters bring so much joy and happiness to our family that I can not come close to describing. Their playfulness and laughter is music to our ears.
Thank you for you books for me and the sake of my children.
Sandra Greenheck

Comment on Xie xie da jia —Thanks everyone by Peihua Ku

Peihua Ku — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:45:09 +0000

Xinren, Can you please tell me if your books are available in Mandarin Chinese? I am hoping my mother could read them too.

Peihua Ku

Comment on Touring still touches me so deeply by Maggi Brown

Maggi Brown — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:45:47 +0000

Dear Xinran,
I am halfway through reading your book about the abandoned girls. I am shocked and think all should know about this tragedy that is happening in China. I do blame governments for continuing to pertetrate age-old ideas that boys are better than girls by granting the poor farmers more land with their boy babies and nothing when girls are born. To help bring about a more equitable situation and to help overcome this travesty against human rights, what can we in the west do??

Comment on Xie xie da jia —Thanks everyone by CRAIG LEWIS

CRAIG LEWIS — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:58:45 +0000

Having always had a hugely strong interest in China since I was very small making paper lanterns for Chinese New year till present day where I’ve recently returned from teaching english in Deyang, Sichuan province for 6 months, “China Witness” was one of the first things I bought upon my return to the UK.
I just want to say how deeply jealous I am of the lucky individuals who were able to meet these fascinating people with you on your journey and to be able to witness a real part of China that is slowly disappearing. I am only 19 years old, and as a young person I think that it is extremely important to document these peoples stories before it is too late. China feels like a second home to me and my love for her grows deeper each day and it is through books like yours that I really gain an understanding of how China is the way it is today.
Since reading your book I have been eagerly awaiting any new material you may publish in the future and am also very eagerly awaiting a visit to Wales where I live so that I may one day be able to thank you personally.
I was lucky enough to travel to many different cities and provinces, as well as small towns and villages during my time in China, but I was never able to get the same experiences that you as a native Chinese would. As a foreigner who speaks very little Chinese, any interest I pay to the old peoples stories is immediately visited with suspicion and caution and I felt great disappointment and frustration that during my time there I was never able to get a better understanding of the people in the country I love. It is because of your book that I was able to revisit some of the places I visisited in my mind and read the stories of the people that I used to meet.
It is also because of your book, and books by other authors such as Jung Chang and Adeline Yen Mah that I have decided to devote my education towards learning the Chinese language and Preservation of Relics so that one day I will be able to return to China using the language and my skills to help preserve the old for the future generations, both Chinese and Foreign alike.
Please let me know if you will be visiting Wales for any events anytime in the future, as I would very much like to attend!
祝你好運 (zhù nǐ háoyùn) Good Luck,
Craig Lewis, age 19, Wales, UK

Comment on Wo Juede Hen Teng –— I felt very painful! by Samantha Leese

Samantha Leese — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:50:55 +0000

Dear Xinran,

How are you? I’m sorry to leave this as a comment on your blog instead of emailing you properly. I am a writer for Glass magazine (www.theglassmagazine.com). It is a London based arts and culture quarterly distributed by Conde Nast.

I am working on a piece about Chinese women writers and I would love for you to be included.

I first read the Good Women of China some years ago, and remember being particularly struck by the story of the girl who kept a fly as a pet.

Please let me know whether you would be willing to give an interview on your work and your views about women writers from China in general.

I am based in Hong Kong, so we can arrange a time to speak on the phone or I can write you my questions if you would prefer. Please email me at the above address to let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

All the best,

Samantha

Comment on Wo Juede Hen Teng –— I felt very painful! by Voong

Voong — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:26:18 +0000

Dear Xin Ran,

I read your book Skyburial. At the end of the book, you mentioned that you have tried to get in touch with the subject of the story. I am curious whether you did manage to get in touch with her and if so, what has happen to her.

Kind regards,
Voong.

Comment on Bang-bang mang! Jiu-Ming! (Help, please! Help!) by Lucci

Lucci — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:15:01 +0000

Just finished reading your book, and I felt personally sensibilized by it. I’m from Brazil and now I feel a huge interest in knowing China.

I just have one question… why are women like the water, after all? which theory do you agree with?

thank you for your books, Xinran! You rock!

beijinhos =)

Comment on Bang-bang mang! Jiu-Ming! (Help, please! Help!) by Steve

Steve — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:03:42 +0000

I would like to purchase “China Witness” for a Chinese friend of mine. Is there a Chinese language edition? How do I order?

Comment on Xie xie da jia —Thanks everyone by Sara Nobre (Portugal)

Sara Nobre (Portugal) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 11:41:59 +0000

Dear Xinran,

I’m writing you from Portugal and I just finished to read your book “The Good Women of China” (Mulheres da China, in portuguese). Thank you for this book. There are some books that, somehow, change our lives: books that awaken us to realities that increase our sense of gratitude for the life we have; books that urge us to leave the world better than we found, increasing our sense of duty to the “other.”
Do you plan to visit Portugal?
Regards,
Sara Nobre