Maarten doesn't speak or read Chinese so imagine his surprise when, after ordering a meal in a restaurant by pointing to words he can't read on a menu, the server brings him a tureen loaded with fresh, live squid and some sauces in bowls. Having been in China for a few weeks, he has started to abandon his previous misgivings about eating unfamiliar dishes and soon discovers how tasty fresh squid - after he has ripped off their heads and shells - are. 

Lost on Planet China by Maarten J. Troost is an enjoyable and funny story of one man's travels in China. His writing was so descriptive (but without being elaborate) that I could clearly see exactly what he was experiencing, whether an albino boy begging on a bridge, an evening singing karaoke or  (gulp!) a tureen of decapitated squid heads with black eyes. A thoroughly satisfying read which we have available in print book and cd audiobook format.

~ Lisa