Polly EvansRezensionen

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.

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?

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.

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

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TAPA’S is the first travel book written by Polly Evans from her series of adventures across the world. Set in Spain IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TAPA’S was quickly joined by other travelogues set in South America, New Zealand, China and Canada. For some unknown reason this was the last of her books that I have read, and I am glad I saved it for last as I don’t think it is her best work. She starts off really well and had me in stitches as she brings Hong Kong alive and her reasons for leaving. However, once she has purchased her bike and arrived in Spain she seems to change gear [pun intended] as she sets off on two wheels across the country.

I do like how she brings the history alive of each place she visits, and real interesting stuff too – not just facts and figures. Spain has a long, fascinating and often blood thirsty history. Unfortunately Evans is only able to skim the surface but the trip is her focus after all. I loved reading about the Queen who dragged her husband’s dead and decaying body around Spain, another king who kept pickled heads (I kid you not!), as well as the history behind the Basque separatist movement, why pork is so popular, the origins of flamenco dancing and just how influential the Moorish civilisation was on Spain.

Trouble is, she spends quite a lot of time complaining about her experience. In her other books she meets some really extraordinary people and seems to like the people she meets despite the cultural differences. Evans seemed to not find much to interact with Spanish over, she seemed unhappy with the lodgings she picked, the towns she went to and the people she met. When she did see something that fascinated, such as the elderly pensioner ladies all dressed in black but with brightly tinted hair, her she related it with clarity and wit and brought the people alive.

Evans the arrogant traveler takes on China: I really liked "It's Not About the Tapas" so when I saw this I was expecting something fresh and fun. Well, Evans actually planned her trip for Spain, (granted with a lot of wine--but at least she had a map and Spanish dictionary!) But for Fried Eggs, she seemed to think she could just plop herself in rural China and everyone would come running to meet her every need--even if she couldn't be bothered to learn the language or take along a pocket Mandarin Dictionary. She didn't even know the word for RICE!!!

I needed a good long scrub after reading her incessant descriptions of spit, snot, phlem, vomit, nose picking and public bowel and bladder elimination sprinked in every chapter. I never needed to read a description of vomit as it's spattered on a bus window, or know what someone's butt looked like as they poo. Some things should be left to the imagination (or not!)If you think I'm graphic, then this isn't the book for you, she goes into GREAT detail. Honestly, there was just lots of stuff I didn't need to know, but not nearly enough of what I wanted to find out.

I felt she did some historical research--as seen in her constant swings into random history lessons--but she didn't plan for the realities of current life in China. I can't imagine going solo in rural China without even knowing the words for "rice, noodles, vegetables, chicken, beef, and pork" in Mandarin. I winced at her describing how she wandered about restaurants pointing at people's dinners to let the waitress know what she wanted. How rude! Granted I found the copiously flowing phlem to be disgusting, but her behavior was equally rude and ignorant. I felt she really enjoyed feeling superior to the rural Chinese and their way of life. She certainly didn't give me any reason to visit China based on her experiences. Truthfully, If I was stupid enough to travel to China as unprepared as she did, I wouldn't write a book celebrating my ignorance. I would have been embarassed.

I had to force myself to finish as I lost interest (and my appetite) about half of the way through. I had considered traveling to China, but after reading this I was initially scared off--but then I realized Polly Evans had not done her homework or prepared herself for the trip and I shouldn't let that keep me home. Perhaps it would have been better for everyone if she had hired a travel companion that spoke Mandarin, or at least hooked up with a tour company that could line up the ferries and other transportation for her. I also would have liked a chapter on what she might have done differently since she seemed to have such a miserable time.

Travel notes from a Brit traveling around China. Nice to read an account by someone that knows China's history yet embraces her present with respect.

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

Opening Sentence: ‘…I flew out on Friday 13 January and returned home on 1 April.…’

This is the third travel adventure by Polly Evans that I have read and I enjoyed the experience. This time she takes us with her to the Yukon Territory in the far north west of Canada so she can learn about sled dogs. We are introduced to the people she meets, get a vivid feel for the places she goes to, with interesting snippets about the history of the places she visits.

She has a steep learning curve as well; starting off with learning how to clean up the dog poo of 108 dogs, then feed them without leaving anyone out and then how not to allow the dogs to beat her in mind game for leadership. As she learns how to control a sled and dog team, she comes to love the icy beauty of the harsh Canadian wilderness, and the cheeky huskies. Advice is handed to the reader, such as the different ways of reacting to a hungry bear and a mother bear; how to know when a moose really wants you to back off, and how to not get asphyxiated if your car breaks down.

As she mushes through the snow in minus 44 degrees in the Yukon Quest dog race, and walks the trail taken by pioneers in the gold rush to pan for gold, she teaches you about things you never ever thought of and brings Canada alive for you. Canada is STILL on my wish list of countries to visit one day, but realistically I think this is as close as I am going to get. Polly Evans has lots of photo’s of her Yukon adventure on her webpage – also from her other adventures – which really bring the stories of daring do alive for me.

“…More extraordinary still was the fact that I was starting to enjoy the weather. The Yukon light was mesmerizing with its late blue dawns and the buttery glow of noon. One morning as I stood in the dog yard in temperatures of 30 below, I noticed that the snowflakes falling on my fleece were single, intricate crystals, breathtakingly perfect in their formation. Above my head, jagged gems of hoar frost glistened on the boughs of the spruce. And then, sometimes, at night, the northern lights weaved green and red across the starry skies…”

I really recommend Polly Evans’s books – she manages to portray a country, its peoples and its history without patronising or judging as many travel writers manage to do. I am so glad that I have two more of her books on my TBR pile ready to go.

Acquired via BookCrossing 22 May 2010 (BookRing)

I enjoyed this, the third of Evans' travel books I've read, in which she travels around China. She's made an attempt to learn some Chinese and tries it out on people, and as usual she gives us an engaging and human view of travel, including boredom, homesickness and the need to travel 15 hours to have a beer with someone who speaks English. I like her descriptions of the people she meets and the situations she gets into (including a hilarious encounter with Michael Palin) but I do feel that her descriptions of the landscape fall a bit flat - it's not her natural strength (details in the landscape, human encounters, are) and it dislocated the reading experience a bit. But overall a good and well-written read and I'll continue to look out for her future endeavours and books.

Evans travels across China by mule, plane, boat, bike, train, and car. She eats things she never realized were in the food category and she meets people living lives she never realized were in the lives-lived category. I liked this book much more than Evans' other book, It's Not About the Tapas.Pet peeve: The subtitle says the book will be "hilarious". C'mon. You are just setting yourself up for disappointment if you go into the book expecting hilarious. Amusing, yes. Humorous, yes. But hilarious?

Acquired via BookCrossing 27 Jun 2009 - picked up at Mozfest

I think I've read a later book by this author about travelling in New Zealand. Anyway, in this one she sets out to cycle 1000 km in Spain, in two chunks, north and south/middle. This arrangement seemed a bit odd to me but there you go - the actual narrative was good, with a lot about her learning to actually ride the bike without falling off and interesting encounters with wildlife, dogs and residents. A jolly read and a likeable author.

Polly writes about her journey around China - the paranoia, the people, the food...
She visits Beijing, Yangshuo, Shangri-la, amongst other places using every type of transport imaginable.

An enjoyable read, especially as she visited many of the places I did in China.½

I read this book while I was a student in china 2 years ago. when I was done with it I started passing it around to all my friends who lived in country with me, Koreans, Europeans, Japanese, Chinese. We passed the book around the way you might pass around videos online of a man falling legs apart on a metal pole. Painful to watch but you can't look away. you laugh and groan at the same time.

This is one of the worst accounts of china I've ever seen. Every single person I gave the book to was offended at some level, none more so than the actually Chinese people who read it. It so simplified and denigrating to the culture Polly was experiencing I couldn't help but cringe at every new chapter. The observations she makes about the Chinese people tend to be off the mark almost every time, and in many cases are just flat out wrong.

I obviously hated this book, and I really hope no one reads this expecting to get a true account of what china is like. It is a wonderful place, with more than it's share of real attributes and real vices, but none of which were mentioned in this shallow work. Most of all i am offended by the arrogance involved in a person who thinks she can go on a 3 week vacation to a place then write a book about it thinking she has any expertise, or any real knowledge of the place. it's a book of first impressions because she never thought to investigate any deeper than her own judgmental surface.

Opening Sentence: "...I gazed with goulish fascination at the withered, waxen corpse..."

Polly Evans opens her trip through China with a visit to Chairman Mao’s mausoleum in Beijing. From here she travels by train, bus, ferry, plane and taxi’s across various parts of this huge country. With a very basic, verging on almost useless, understanding of Chinese she is often the only Caucasian in a sea of curious locals. Getting a meal in a restaurant involved walking around the other guests and pointing at their food.

She gets in touch with the real China – from sharing odorous outdoor toilets, dodging flying snot to being gassed in enclosed in trains and buses with smokers. She also spends a day at a Kung Fu School, visits a whole town of Wang’s and climbs mountains. Into this wonderful mix of good and bad she throws wonderful snippets of historical information – how eunuchs were chosen and created. How European ballet dancers are to blame for the foot binding operation, and the various cruelties of emperors and empresses – both real and fabled.

Fried Eggs with Chopsticks is a wonderful insight into modern China – how the past has helped make the present.

At age thirty four Polly Evans decides she wants to learn how to ride. So naturally you fly half way round the world to Argentina. This is the story of Polly’s adventures as she spends two months traversing the wilds of Argentina seeing the sights from Patagonia and Iguazu falls. While learning its fascinating history, and of course leaning to ride a horse or two along the way.

Evans has a relaxed way of writing that was easy to follow. She has a great sense of humor and a wonderful understanding of the history of the country which she blends together to tell her story. I have learned more about Argentina reading this book then I have ever learned in school. There were some really good laugh out loud moments and some amazing characters that Evans met during her travels.

Another thing I really enjoyed was at no point did you feel her judging the people of the nation she visited. Also she did activities that are attainable by the average person. Those are my two pet peeves with some travel writers; they can be so condescending about the people and do activities that cost bucket loads of money.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and I will definitely be picking up her other travel books (she has written about cycling around Spain, motor biking round New Zealand and traversing China by any means possible). If you like travel books or are planning a trip to Argentina then I recommend you reading this book.½

Opening Sentence: "... As a child, I longed to ride a horse...."

What a wonderful travel tale this was. Polly Evans lives in London and decides that it is time to learn to ride. Rather than learn at some clapped out riding school in the country, Polly flies to Argentina.

I was just spellbound by her adventures, horses are just the excuse to get to Argentina, the country is what kept me reading. Yes she learns to ride a horse, yes she plays polo and spends a day rounding up cattle - but along the way the reader learns about the vast landscapes of the huge country - from mountains to plains, glaciers to deserts. A history that is violent and full of senseless cruelty yet riveting. A people who are proud of their land, their culture and sleep every afternoon.

Polly Evans is very laid back and easy to read. She shares tons of information and makes it all very interesting. Her humour bounces off every page - without being offensive and superior to the people she is visiting like so many travel writers do. I learned so much while reading this - the reason behind the Falklands conflict; how Evita Peron's body took many years, and travelled great distances before finally being laid to rest; visited two horse, Gato and Mancha who travelled from Buenos Aires to Washington DC in the 1920's with their master; and wonder at the waterfalls of Iguazu.

I don't often read travel books, but we chose this for our book club. Practically everyone else hated it, but I really appreciated a writer who is prepared to say that she hated the trip and had a pretty miserable time! Despite lessons before she started her journey, she seems to have been unable to master any Mandarin, and was reduced to pointing to other people's dishes to order in restaurants. She was clearly horrified by the Chinese habit of spitting in the street, and by many of the things she saw. It seems to me (I've never been there) to be an honest account of travelling as a European through some of the lest touristy areas.

To get away from a hectic life and job in Hong Kong, Polly Evans decides to bicycle 1000 miles in Spain. As she speaks Spanish rather well after a student sojourn some years previous, she manages better than many might on the back roads and in the small villages. Still, there are encounters with dogs and protective mother pigs, surly innkeepers and overly helpful townsfolk. She touches upon landscape and scenery, historical events and tourist attractions. Interesting but not compelling.