BootsnAll Travel Community

RE: http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/05-06/forget-me-not-n...g-kashgar-china.html

This piece is descriptive and does bring the reader into the author's sense of place. It is a great view into something that is perhaps foreign to many. Small snippets of observation, like when the bride is helped into car, are excellent in helping the reader understand the emotion and politics of the situation.

However, there are some elements of the piece that alienate readers, or at least me.

a) The author mixes profanity with his prose. I find this beneath the general quality of the piece and distracting. Surely there are better words that can be used to capture the sentiment. Profanity can be used, and effectively at that, but the general tone of the piece is not one of vulgar simple language. Therefore vulgar simple language weakens the piece.

b) The author spends a potion of the article explaining why he will not use the phrase Allah U Akbar. While it is the author's right not to use such a phrase, I do think the method used in presenting his viewpoint undermines his credibility and can turn readers against him. After reading that except, I wondered more about the author's either atheist or anti-Muslim leanings, instead of appreciating the details about which he writes.

True Slip, I felt exactly the same way.

Fascinating article. My personal take on this is that it seems like a piece from something larger. I would have taken a bit out. There's a part where he sees French back packers that he doesn't like. This seems to be a part that would only fit in if this were in a book where that was explained elsewhere.

There's also a part where his companion sings a song a plays with a ladybug. "That's a nice song." Who cares? I would have cut that out as it didn't appear to lend to the rest of the information.

I completely disagree with Slip's take on the chanting issue. I felt that the author explained quite well why he didn't do that, none of the explanation being anti-muslim or atheist in the slightest. The reader should take some responsibility here. Toward the begining was written "They are married in God's eyes.", as a matter of fact. Also the reasons given for the aversion to the chant had to do with violence.

What I would question is immediately before that part, he says of the Chinese gaurds, "I wished the Uygers would beat them and stomp them into the ground." Well if they did that, would they be able to chant their little chant first then? But that's Barukh all over.

Anyway, I tend to agree about the swearing being a distraction, but that's me all over as well. Even in Conor's blog, one that I praise up and down, there is this flog to the head with an F word now and again that I hate. But, that's just me.

To sum up, I liked the article minus the personal stuff that didn't seem to fit in. Waiting for the book.

Addendum to previous comment.
When I say "the reader should take responsibility" I mean in a general sense, not that Slip specificly is some kind of irresponsible reader. I only take a different viewpoint on the implications here.

My P.O.V. on this article is that the portion that mentions Allah seems straightforward to me personally. Of course others may wonder about the author, if he has any personal bigotries.

Writers have responsiblity to not place stumbling blocks for readers, also readers have responsiblility to make a good faith attempt to get what the author is saying without imputing bad motives...my opinion. That's all I was getting at- and I'm certainly not jabbing at Slip, or anyone here.

What I do when I comment and post is I go for being concise. Sometimes I think to myself, you better explain this, or that, and sometimes I think well hopefully people won't attribute bad motives. In this case it's been pointed out to me that a clarification of my post is warranted.

After reading your story and hearing your voice I found myself disliking you as a person. Perhaps it was the profanity which cut the prose with acidity, perhaps it was because you are a liar, perhaps it was your way of plagerizing, perhaps because of the hatred you have in your heart , perhaps it was because this family invited you into their lives and you brought nothing, no gift except your bigotry and if I could use your own word "childish" attitude. I could barely finish a story that revolted me.

Olya,

Please criticize the article and not the person. Posting personal attacks are against the posting guidelines.

That said, the author used to be a regular on BnA, but is not anymore. So your comments will miss their mark.

Thank you,
Slip

Thank you and apologies. I will be more careful next time.