I was keeping a journal but I was afraid my girl friend would find it and what was the use, no one will ever believe the things I wrote about, not even you.

because they are blind to the reality that they are not interesting to anyone but themselves. 

Warhol rules...

anyway from my experience usually the one who shout loder has nothing to say. People living interesting lives are usually too busy to write them down...

When I get home back to Puerto Rico, most of my friends will show some polite interest at first, but soon make it very clear that they are not really interested.

While I do know that if one were to talk about China experiences all the time, it could get boring, but one time we were talking about teachers in general, so when I was about to talk about my work as a teacher, the wife of one of my friends went "Oh no, here he goes again....".

There are a few books around which i have been given as gifts that go with the Chinese/Western communication problems, and there was a book which I really liked call "Silk and Steel" which is an account of the authors two year experiences in China as a teacher ca. 1986. That was interesting, as he was among the first, and he was also seeking to study Kung Fu, so it was a very interesting read.

But for the most part, it is a "day dream" that few will endeavor to make real, and fewer still will be read.

I just take it as an indication of how unique our lives are at the moment!

Memoirs are therapeutic, it's a personal sharing of life experience. It's simply to tell the story from the writer's perspective, which is of course the first person perspective.

The personal experience is more accurate because it shows what happens to the person physically,emotionally and psychologically,which is the best way to understand a story. 

Just don't read them if you are not interested, nobody is forcing you.

I wrote a memoir. It was mostly about the interesting people I met here. The reviews have been quite positive but I mostly did it for myself. I have no illusions about getting rich off of it. It was fun to write and proved I had what it took to sit down and write a 170+ page book.

I really don't see anything wrong with writing a memoir about living in China.  As the above author wrote it is worth doing so if only for yourself, to try to make sense of one's own experience here.  However, if it is well written then its probably worth at least some other people reading.  I'm guessing a fair amount of Chinese might enjoy reading it if its done well.  Some people say reading such a book would be boring but I'd say having an attitude of not caring about someone else's experience is even more boring. 

I'd happily write a memoir about the crazy times I've had in China. I think it's similar to writing a blog but obviously a lot longer and requires a lot more dedication. I think if someone has spent several years here and has just arrived home and all the experiences are digesting through their system, I can imagine it can be quite tempting.

I actually think more publications on life here could be very useful and a real wake-up call for the world (assuming the right people read them of course).  You see to those of us that have been here long enough, we're just not surprised anymore by the sheer hell of daily life here, the constant prejudice, and the hurdles that are continually thrown in the path of foreign enterprises.  Yet every time I go back home I still hear loads of people saying things like "Oh it must so exciting where you are" and "Things must be great for you in china - so many opportunities" - they just don't get it.  It would be nice if people outside of expat forums actually knew the kind of problems faced here before signing contracts, paying money, and sending sacrifices over for their "chance of a lifetime".

if someone wants to write about their experiences, why not? There are enough blogs/tweets/pictures (selfie anyone??) posted online by people who have nothing to say. Everyone who has lived and worked in China has a different perspective on life there and different insights. It might help to dispel  some illusions about the country.

Let us not forget Facebook.  It's successful because people put on there when they are on the bog wiping their arses.

If that shit can be successful, never write-off this idea of writing about China etc.

If anyone is interested in non-related travel writing I would recommend Blood River by Tim Butcher.

Sets the bar...

Well it's not exactly a memoir but there's a book called "Struggling in the US: Move to China!" by an expat who moved to Beijing in 2006. The guy seems like a total twat but the book contains so many funny stories, anecdotes, insights to the local ways, etc., that it works as a memoir/guidebook.

That guy seems unique since he picked up the language quickly and got all sorts of jobs in acting, etc., he managed to get immersed into the local scene. A memoir from someone who manages to get somewhat integrated into the local ways would be interesting, one from someone who works for an MNC or ESL teacher, drinks at the local expat bar, doesn't mix, there's nothing interesting about that even though they're probably a bit adventurous.

i know that book and also that twat. He likes to tell Chinese gals that all laowai are shit and losers and he is the big guy: pathetic. His profile is on shanghai stuff, besides.

I tend to just write them here . Maybe if I got serious I will print them off and send it to a publisher . But what title could I use ?     This is China?, proof they do walk among us ?, Or maybe So you lost your mind?