I grew up poor and one of the greatest inspirations for me to leave the streets was the writings of Daniel Defoe (“Robinson Crusoe”) and Mark Twain (“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”). If you haven’t figured it out yet, both novels dealt with travel and adventure, and these books were an opening to the mind and a way out of a dreary existence. Any reader could read Defoe or Twain and feel the need to take a voyage to far-off places. Heck, just dream and go around the world! For me, it was Mark Twain who broke down prejudices with “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and after all, this book inspired me to learn, do, write and travel more. My first obvious interest began with the writers from the West. But as I was growing older, it was a magical time. It was the 1980s and Asia was finally opening up to the Western markets. From this point, I got crazily inspired as I discovered the Eastern writers, oh, and what fun it was! This was when a Chinese author called Sun Tzu came into my life with “The Art of War.” This book was about business and strategy. It taught me plenty in my youth and it was possibly one of the greatest inspirations for me to come to China — other than Bruce Lee, wanting to see the Great Wall and to learn kung fu. I read about Mao Zedong and understood that other than being a great military tactician and warrior, he was also a superb writer-poet. Journalists like Edgar Snow brought the Sino-Japanese War to life with his book, “Red Star Over China.” There were no limits when it came to books. I could be transported into any culture I wanted, taste any food I desired, and live many lifetimes, which was the most interesting part of it! Later, I began to read Morehei Ueshiba from Japan and learned of the existing art of aikido (a martial art). Books got better and better, as I got older and older! A feeling for the senses, the tastes I experienced, the loves conquered and those destroyed. Those were the feelings books brought to me and into my life. In the university, I picked up on Lu Xun’s experiences as a doctor and writer when he was in Japan. He was so inspirational, that when I came to China I went to visit his home in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. I learned that his books had been translated (impressively) into 24 different languages. I also understood that he did what a writer should do: to inspire. That is why I became a writer, to feel inspired and keep others inspired and motivated. I am not at the level of Thomas Friedman or Dan Brown, but it doesn’t mean I’ve given up on my dreams. | 