Polly Evans

I tried to finish it, I really did, but I just couldn't. To me it seemed the author put a great deal of effort into writing a book to say how much she disliked being in China and how unpleasant the experience was. If she didn't like it there, why should I like reading about it?

This is not to say that all travel books should be nothing but positive - negative with a sense of humour works really well (Bill Bryson has moments like this). Negative with the author having learned something is also good. But to me, this was like reading a series of well written (but very negative) reviews at Tripadvisor.com.… (més)

Polly Evans an Englishwoman decides on a two month journey touching on different areas of China. I applaud her effort and her courage to jump into an unfamiliar culture and world. The girl does have whit .... but was it me? Was her sense of humor somewhat grating making me cringe at times?

To me, the tone of the book looked down ... almost mocked the Chinese culture. I do have Chinese blood running through me, so the Chinese culture is not exactly alien to me. But for those of who know me well, I'm an adopted Mexican because of my workplace and feel a bond with the French. And I'm born in the United States. I am a master assimilator.

Since I was running around China 18 months ago, I did enjoy reminiscing with her which made the book much more palatable to me. I'm considering reading her book on adventures to Alaska or New Zealand and see if they have the same effect.

I can take away that people actually paid for her to write about her trip. Hey, I can take trips and write too. In fact, for those people who actually read my reviews, I'll let you be some of the first to know of my next travel adventure.

In September, I'm going to the Philippines! And then China. I want to most see this village in China where my grandfathers were born. (my grandmothers too?)

Shall I write a book about this adventure?
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Some Funny Anecdotes

Evans' book "Fried Eggs with Chopsticks" is a very quick read. Nothing of particular interest happens. There is no typical plot development, climax, or resolution. It's just a book of observations that Evans makes while traveling through China in less-than-luxurious conditions.

The comedy comes from the gap between what Evans wants and what she gets. For example, every chapter Evans wants a gourmet meal, but ends up getting something like soggy vegetables. She expects a comfortable bus ride between two cities, but ends up watching somebody throw up out the window.

There are some interesting historical notes scattered throughout the book. It was interesting to read about attempts to embalm dead communist leaders, like Mao Zedong, and it was interesting to read, albeit briefly, about the history of Shanghai. I think Evans could have improved the book greatly by adding more historical anecdotes and less complaining.

The complaining gets a little over the top at times. Nothing seems to fit her psychologically. Even though that creates the comedy, it drags on quite a bit and becomes tiresome toward the end of the book. Many travel books have an "aha" moment where the author makes a self-discovery and a unique observation. This had nothing of the sort. It set out to be a comedy of errors.… (més)

After she read that the stereotypical Kiwi male was a dying species, Polly Evans got herself a motorcycle licence then flew to the other side of the world for a journey around New Zealand to see if she could still find examples of the hard-living, hard-drinking, ingenious New Zealand bloke of pioneer days.

I have read some of Polly’s previous books – Fried Eggs with Chopsticks, Mad Dogs with an English woman and On a Hoof and a Prayer – and really enjoyed them. In KIWIS MIGHT FLY Polly Evans decides, despite having no previous motor biking experience, to hire a 600cc road bike and ride New Zealand from top to bottom. She gets her licence on a sedate little motor bike only days before departing England and is quite overwhelmed when she first meets her two-wheeled travel companion. Still, she is not game to say it scares her and that she is a novice, and so she accepts delivery and sets off.

There are two journeys in the book; the first one is Polly’s journey to be a proper bike rider. As we read how she talks, reasons and pleads with the bike; it becomes is an important back story and results in a series of unplanned adventures and some hilarious problems. The second journey is the search for the real New Zealand male. Is he a myth, a SNAG or he-man?

Polly Evans meets some really interesting people, both male and female. As is her customary style, she relates pertinent, and often unusual, historical facts to give her readers background information. She starts in the north island with giant trees, sweaty Santa’s in Auckland, through boiling mud pools in Rotorua, and then finishes in the museum and café society of Wellington. In the second half of the book she travels by ferry to the south island and meets rugged men turned tour guides, and weather that doesn’t listen to the daily forecast. She finishes in the beautiful, more English than England, city of Christchurch.

I think she treated Christchurch unfairly my experience of the place was that if my husband said let’s move there I would have the house packed in 2 hours or less!!! We travelled from north to south only a year or two after Polly, and both thought Christchurch was a wonderful city and by far our most favourite of New Zealand. Polly made a few surprisingly derogatory comments of various places, which I felt was a bit unfair seeing as she only spent what seemed like 2 minutes there. I am surprised that anyone could go to Queenstown and not mention the glorious wineries in the region.

I have the only book of hers I haven’t read ready to go. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TAPAS is about her bicycle trip around Spain. I have this loaded on my Kindle to read on my upcoming trip to New Zealand

Posted in Non-fiction | 1 Comment
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