Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2012 Panel Sessions
Travel writers' panel session with Zhang Su Li and Don George, from the National Geographic Traveler.
A panel session on whether creative writing be taught. You'll have to scroll down quiet a bit, I'm afraid. But it's worth the effort!
Quill Magazine
Q: If you weren’t doing what you are doing now, what else could you imagine doing?
ZSL: I'd be a jazz singer in an 'underground' smokey room jazz bar, sitting on a high stool by the baby grand. Or I'd be a National Geographic journalist, a veterinary surgeon, or an Odissi dancer.
Q: When you think of travelling / writing, do you look at the big story/picture first, or do you look at the details? Are the details really necessary to you?
ZSL: The way I travel and the way I write are very different. I travel without a 'formula'. But in writing, I have a flexible formula - I focus on the big picture first - the overall concept of the story, and the message I want to convey. Then, I get down to details and crafting of the writing to enhance that concept. Detail is very important to me for 2 main reasons:
1) It is often in the details that the truth lies.
2) Details are subtleties that make more impact on the subconscious, therefore, remain there longer.
Q: Tell us about an event of your travels when you were the happiest. A one single event.
ZSL: I was standing on a busy road littered with rubbish, animal carcasses, live peacocks, dogs, pigs, donkeys and cows, when a dirty beggar child in rags watched me surreptitiously while peeling an orange. Every time I looked at her, she would concentrate very hard on peeling her orange. I teasingly thrust out my palm at her (as I've encountered so many beggars thrusting theirs at me). Totally without contemplation, this beggar child split her orange in two and placed one half onto my palm. And I forgot that I was on my way to the Taj Mahal. When I eventually got to the most stunning and elegant display of love in history, I wondered if it would have been quite as joyful to look at had it not been for half an orange. (See, it is in the details)
Q: Tell us about an event that gave you trouble.
ZSL: On an empty stomach, I took some rather dodgy Indian gin from an auto rickshaw driver, and felt as sick as a dog a few minutes later. It was quite late at night and the journey back to my hotel was through a pitch dark jungle. I was slumped, almost unconscious on the back seat. When we eventually stopped, 2 other men came to drag me out of the auto rickshaw...
Q: Give us a metaphor that represents your career.
ZSL: Roller coaster ride.
Q: How did copywriting help you in writing your novel?
ZSL: It keeps me focused and not lose sight of the objective and concept of a story while I worked on the details. Writing needs practice and endless crafting. When I first started in advertising, my creative group head was a merciless torturer. I will forever be grateful to her.
Q: What do you read?
ZSL: Regretfully, I'm not one of those people who have the time to read 52 books a year, so I have to be more selective. For fiction, I usually go for the prize winners. My non-fiction preference is for history books, Indian culture and National Geographic.
Q: Explain the process of how you pen down your thoughts. Do you have to write using the computer, or do you scribble on napkins?
ZSL: I use the computer, as I get a kick from the feel of the keyboard under my fingertips. And the clicking sound is addictive too!
Q: Why did you decide to write a book?
ZSL: I didn't make a conscious decision. The opportunity came to me as a coincidence. However, if it were a conscious decision, it would undoubtedly be because I want to thank all the strangers I met on my travels that helped me without expecting anything in return, and changed my life with big as well as small, seemingly insignificant gestures. I have no idea how to contact them, as most of them were poor and have no access to Facebook, but at least I can pass their kindness to my readers through my book.
Q: Could you have written a book without the experience in your field of expertise?
ZSL: No. Because I'm not a genius.
Q: What if you wrote fiction? Can you imagine writing for a radically different genre or should writers only write what they know?
ZSL: I have started the next book, which is fiction. It is radically different from 'A backpack and a bit of luck', but it is still about humanity, which is what I think I know something about, after having travelled extensively. However, I don't think all writers should write only what they know. After all, what is the imagination for?
Q: Who do you write for?
People who would be affected positively by what I write. If I could offer a different perspective to one person at a time with my writing, and gradually change the world, that would be a dream come true.
Q: Who do you do what you do for?
ZSL: Myself
Q: What do you look for in a story?
ZSL: 2 things:
1) a good story line, preferably bizarre, like 'Perfume' by Patrick Suskind or the 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel.
2) but if the story line is basic, the writing must be well crafted, with a unique style.
Q: Can literature and books have the power to bring people together? To unite mind frames.
ZSL: Yes, because I think, no matter how independent a person is, everyone needs affirmation and support to a certain extent. And literature brings like-minded people together to create bigger ripples. It is of course, debatable, whether it's for the 'better' or 'worse'.
Q: What is the difference between what you were doing yesteryear, and what you are doing now that you have written a book?
ZSL: With shame, I have to admit that due to my procrastination, not much has changed - I'm still in my comfort zone of advertising. But I will, as soon as I've answered this question, get on with what I should be doing, which is, continuing 'Madam Laxmi's Pleasure Palace', and looking towards a future in writing only what I believe in.
ZSL: I'd be a jazz singer in an 'underground' smokey room jazz bar, sitting on a high stool by the baby grand. Or I'd be a National Geographic journalist, a veterinary surgeon, or an Odissi dancer.
Q: When you think of travelling / writing, do you look at the big story/picture first, or do you look at the details? Are the details really necessary to you?
ZSL: The way I travel and the way I write are very different. I travel without a 'formula'. But in writing, I have a flexible formula - I focus on the big picture first - the overall concept of the story, and the message I want to convey. Then, I get down to details and crafting of the writing to enhance that concept. Detail is very important to me for 2 main reasons:
1) It is often in the details that the truth lies.
2) Details are subtleties that make more impact on the subconscious, therefore, remain there longer.
Q: Tell us about an event of your travels when you were the happiest. A one single event.
ZSL: I was standing on a busy road littered with rubbish, animal carcasses, live peacocks, dogs, pigs, donkeys and cows, when a dirty beggar child in rags watched me surreptitiously while peeling an orange. Every time I looked at her, she would concentrate very hard on peeling her orange. I teasingly thrust out my palm at her (as I've encountered so many beggars thrusting theirs at me). Totally without contemplation, this beggar child split her orange in two and placed one half onto my palm. And I forgot that I was on my way to the Taj Mahal. When I eventually got to the most stunning and elegant display of love in history, I wondered if it would have been quite as joyful to look at had it not been for half an orange. (See, it is in the details)
Q: Tell us about an event that gave you trouble.
ZSL: On an empty stomach, I took some rather dodgy Indian gin from an auto rickshaw driver, and felt as sick as a dog a few minutes later. It was quite late at night and the journey back to my hotel was through a pitch dark jungle. I was slumped, almost unconscious on the back seat. When we eventually stopped, 2 other men came to drag me out of the auto rickshaw...
Q: Give us a metaphor that represents your career.
ZSL: Roller coaster ride.
Q: How did copywriting help you in writing your novel?
ZSL: It keeps me focused and not lose sight of the objective and concept of a story while I worked on the details. Writing needs practice and endless crafting. When I first started in advertising, my creative group head was a merciless torturer. I will forever be grateful to her.
Q: What do you read?
ZSL: Regretfully, I'm not one of those people who have the time to read 52 books a year, so I have to be more selective. For fiction, I usually go for the prize winners. My non-fiction preference is for history books, Indian culture and National Geographic.
Q: Explain the process of how you pen down your thoughts. Do you have to write using the computer, or do you scribble on napkins?
ZSL: I use the computer, as I get a kick from the feel of the keyboard under my fingertips. And the clicking sound is addictive too!
Q: Why did you decide to write a book?
ZSL: I didn't make a conscious decision. The opportunity came to me as a coincidence. However, if it were a conscious decision, it would undoubtedly be because I want to thank all the strangers I met on my travels that helped me without expecting anything in return, and changed my life with big as well as small, seemingly insignificant gestures. I have no idea how to contact them, as most of them were poor and have no access to Facebook, but at least I can pass their kindness to my readers through my book.
Q: Could you have written a book without the experience in your field of expertise?
ZSL: No. Because I'm not a genius.
Q: What if you wrote fiction? Can you imagine writing for a radically different genre or should writers only write what they know?
ZSL: I have started the next book, which is fiction. It is radically different from 'A backpack and a bit of luck', but it is still about humanity, which is what I think I know something about, after having travelled extensively. However, I don't think all writers should write only what they know. After all, what is the imagination for?
Q: Who do you write for?
People who would be affected positively by what I write. If I could offer a different perspective to one person at a time with my writing, and gradually change the world, that would be a dream come true.
Q: Who do you do what you do for?
ZSL: Myself
Q: What do you look for in a story?
ZSL: 2 things:
1) a good story line, preferably bizarre, like 'Perfume' by Patrick Suskind or the 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel.
2) but if the story line is basic, the writing must be well crafted, with a unique style.
Q: Can literature and books have the power to bring people together? To unite mind frames.
ZSL: Yes, because I think, no matter how independent a person is, everyone needs affirmation and support to a certain extent. And literature brings like-minded people together to create bigger ripples. It is of course, debatable, whether it's for the 'better' or 'worse'.
Q: What is the difference between what you were doing yesteryear, and what you are doing now that you have written a book?
ZSL: With shame, I have to admit that due to my procrastination, not much has changed - I'm still in my comfort zone of advertising. But I will, as soon as I've answered this question, get on with what I should be doing, which is, continuing 'Madam Laxmi's Pleasure Palace', and looking towards a future in writing only what I believe in.
Borders List
Top 10 in Borders Kuala Lumpur for travel narrative.
"Travel Narrative of the month", Borders Singapore.
"Travel Narrative of the month", Borders Singapore.
Harper's Bazaar
HB: Which do you think is the sexiest city ever, and why?
ZSL: St Petersburg right after the political change. Middle-aged men and women in drab, navy or brown Mao jackets gradually emerged from oppression to witness the young walk around proudly, dressed in symbols of a new era – Mango, Zara, Apple i-pods. Every few yards was a street band playing jazz, classical or R&B music. The city was buzzing with newness and self-expression. That, to me, made it the sexiest city ever.
HB: Give us your top three travel tips.
ZSL: Forget to bring your map, your camera, and anything that reminds you of home.
HB: Always...
ZSL: …look as though you know what you’re doing, especially if you don’t.
HB: Never…
ZSL: …give up on trying to make reservations at El Buey in Spain. Their smoked salmon ice-cream, liquid ravioli and pan-fried watermelon are worth cancelling your wedding plans for.
HB: Which best travel reads do you recommend?
ZSL: Your own journal.
HB: Who is your dream travel partner?
ZSL: Richard Branson.
HB: Don't leave home without...
ZSL: A monogramme LV passport holder. You’ll get through immigrations in Paris faster.
HB: Name 3 beauty products or style items a girl should have on her whilst travelling.
ZSL: Confidence, a smile, and a huge bottle of water.
HB: Which is your best destination yet, and why?
ZSL: India. It is to me, a land of abundance. There’s actually never enough of anything in India, yet, there’re always enough because wherever the human spirit prevails, all else is of little significance.
Marie Claire
We caught up with Zhang Su Li for a short chat on her work, her regrets, and her book, A bakcpack and a bit of luck. It is a recollection of the author’s adventures and trips. Written from the heart and from an Asian viewpoint, it reminds us that there is still a great deal of good out there in the world if we care to open our hearts to the possibility of goodness and to trust others.
MC: What inspired you to write these stories in the first place?
ZSL: An earthworm. It ruined my chances of passing my biology exam, so I failed to get into veterinary college. I turned to travel and writing, and discovered that those were my true loves. I never thought of putting the two together until I began discovering more and more, that there’s an abundance of kindness in this world that’s not always obvious. And since I hadn’t the foggiest idea how to contact those people I met on my travels, this book is an expression of gratitude to them.
MC: Your life sounds like a lot of fun.
ZSL: Yes, my life is fun, but it isn’t easy. Writers are perceived to have a ‘better’ job than the average desk-bound employee because we can go to work straight from bed without dressing up. We can sleep all day, and work at 3 a.m. if we felt like it. But nobody knows about the times we lie in the ditch wondering if we should be in a steady job with EPF. To me, writing is a wonderful thing to do because I love it. If I were a toll-booth attendant, or a plumber, and if I loved doing it, I’d be happy too. I believe that having a life with a lot of fun depends entirely on whether we’re doing what we love best.
MC: If there was one thing about your life that you could change, what would it be?
ZSL: My age - I’d like to be 20 years old so I have the next 50 or 60 years to do what I’m doing now.
MC: Describe yourself in 5 words.
ZSL: Courageous (only of late), compassionate, meticulous, stubborn and easy-going.
MC: What inspired you to write these stories in the first place?
ZSL: An earthworm. It ruined my chances of passing my biology exam, so I failed to get into veterinary college. I turned to travel and writing, and discovered that those were my true loves. I never thought of putting the two together until I began discovering more and more, that there’s an abundance of kindness in this world that’s not always obvious. And since I hadn’t the foggiest idea how to contact those people I met on my travels, this book is an expression of gratitude to them.
MC: Your life sounds like a lot of fun.
ZSL: Yes, my life is fun, but it isn’t easy. Writers are perceived to have a ‘better’ job than the average desk-bound employee because we can go to work straight from bed without dressing up. We can sleep all day, and work at 3 a.m. if we felt like it. But nobody knows about the times we lie in the ditch wondering if we should be in a steady job with EPF. To me, writing is a wonderful thing to do because I love it. If I were a toll-booth attendant, or a plumber, and if I loved doing it, I’d be happy too. I believe that having a life with a lot of fun depends entirely on whether we’re doing what we love best.
MC: If there was one thing about your life that you could change, what would it be?
ZSL: My age - I’d like to be 20 years old so I have the next 50 or 60 years to do what I’m doing now.
MC: Describe yourself in 5 words.
ZSL: Courageous (only of late), compassionate, meticulous, stubborn and easy-going.
MPH
MPH: The idea of being a travel writer sounds very romantic, but is it the reality?
ZSL: Well, I find it hopelessly romantic. But if your idea of romance is a smooth-sailing, fully paid for holiday where everything is arranged for you, and all you have to do is write about it in a villa facing the ocean, then you should go on a tour package where some other poor fool of a writer has done all the research and exploring for you. In travel writing, there’s a lot of trial and error, a lot of getting lost, figuring out the system, going hungry, looking for a decent toilet to pee in, etc etc... That, is the reality. And it’s the reality that I love.
Because my idea of romance is wandering aimlessly, discovering that I had stumbled upon the lost land of Atlantis, or taking a chance on a stranger who helped me and expected nothing in return. My idea of romance is watching a dirty, lice-infested beggar child outside the Taj Mahal peel an orange, and when I teasingly thrust my palm out to her, she split her orange and handed me half. Romance to me, is an old woman who offered me marshmallows from a brown paper bag at the Zentralfriedhof Cemetry in Vienna. And the stranger who rescued me from trouble and changed the course of my life. All these experiences to me, make the Taj Mahal even more stunning, the Zentralfriedhoff, more magnificent, and the Great Wall of China more humble.
MPH: How to write sound travel articles.
ZSL: It depends on your personal objective, and who you want to appeal to. There’re many types of travellers and readers. For example, the serious traveller, the tour package traveller, the business traveller and the armchair traveller. These different targets have different lifestyles and priorities, each seeking something different. So, it’s best to decide which type of traveller you are interested in, because the writing for each is very different.
MPH: How to determine sellable travel article ideas.
ZSL: If I knew the answer, I’d be living in Bora-Bora instead of Bangsar. Well, I guess if you want to write purely for money, then research into what the public wants from a travel article. Study successful travel writers to understand what makes them successful. Of course, this can only go so far. Sometimes, it’s because of sheer luck, feng shui or fate.
However, I can tell you what guides me - it’s to write from the heart. Because I love writing, and also because I want to share the wonderful experiences that have enriched my life. After that, I craft the idea until it’s
a) unique
b) adds value to the readers’ lives
c) broadens their perspective on the concept of travel
A writer has so much power. We can use that power to add value to people’s lives, change perceptions for the better, to encourage and to inspire. We can also write books that sell but not necessarily make the world a brighter place. That’s entirely up to the writer how he or she uses that power.
MPH: How to target suitable travel publications.
ZSL: You’ll need to identify certain things
1) What’s the objective of your travel writing
2) What’s the concept of your travel writing
3) What’s the style of your writing
When you’re clear about all the above, select the travel publications that have similar objectives and styles as your writing. Then shortlist the ones that give you the best deal, and those that will fulfil your long term goals.
ZSL: Well, I find it hopelessly romantic. But if your idea of romance is a smooth-sailing, fully paid for holiday where everything is arranged for you, and all you have to do is write about it in a villa facing the ocean, then you should go on a tour package where some other poor fool of a writer has done all the research and exploring for you. In travel writing, there’s a lot of trial and error, a lot of getting lost, figuring out the system, going hungry, looking for a decent toilet to pee in, etc etc... That, is the reality. And it’s the reality that I love.
Because my idea of romance is wandering aimlessly, discovering that I had stumbled upon the lost land of Atlantis, or taking a chance on a stranger who helped me and expected nothing in return. My idea of romance is watching a dirty, lice-infested beggar child outside the Taj Mahal peel an orange, and when I teasingly thrust my palm out to her, she split her orange and handed me half. Romance to me, is an old woman who offered me marshmallows from a brown paper bag at the Zentralfriedhof Cemetry in Vienna. And the stranger who rescued me from trouble and changed the course of my life. All these experiences to me, make the Taj Mahal even more stunning, the Zentralfriedhoff, more magnificent, and the Great Wall of China more humble.
MPH: How to write sound travel articles.
ZSL: It depends on your personal objective, and who you want to appeal to. There’re many types of travellers and readers. For example, the serious traveller, the tour package traveller, the business traveller and the armchair traveller. These different targets have different lifestyles and priorities, each seeking something different. So, it’s best to decide which type of traveller you are interested in, because the writing for each is very different.
MPH: How to determine sellable travel article ideas.
ZSL: If I knew the answer, I’d be living in Bora-Bora instead of Bangsar. Well, I guess if you want to write purely for money, then research into what the public wants from a travel article. Study successful travel writers to understand what makes them successful. Of course, this can only go so far. Sometimes, it’s because of sheer luck, feng shui or fate.
However, I can tell you what guides me - it’s to write from the heart. Because I love writing, and also because I want to share the wonderful experiences that have enriched my life. After that, I craft the idea until it’s
a) unique
b) adds value to the readers’ lives
c) broadens their perspective on the concept of travel
A writer has so much power. We can use that power to add value to people’s lives, change perceptions for the better, to encourage and to inspire. We can also write books that sell but not necessarily make the world a brighter place. That’s entirely up to the writer how he or she uses that power.
MPH: How to target suitable travel publications.
ZSL: You’ll need to identify certain things
1) What’s the objective of your travel writing
2) What’s the concept of your travel writing
3) What’s the style of your writing
When you’re clear about all the above, select the travel publications that have similar objectives and styles as your writing. Then shortlist the ones that give you the best deal, and those that will fulfil your long term goals.
Women's Weekly Singapore
WW: Give us a brief bio about family– how many people in your family, what number are you in the sibling chain, what do your parents do, how old are they?
ZSL: Four. My brother is 3 years younger. My mother was a school teacher and my father was a pilot with MAS.
WW: Give us a brief bio about yourself – what was your first job, how did you go on to copywriting, which was the most famous copywriting work that won an award/ which award/ which year?
ZSL: My first proper job was as an optician in London. I came back to Malaysia one holiday, in 1991, and met the creative director of Ogilvy & Mather who asked me to help out (for fun but no money) 2 weeks later, she offered me a job as a junior copywriter. I took it and moved back to live in Malaysia. My most famous advertising campaign was for TV and radio - Polo Mints, won the Golden Kancil Best of Malaysian Advertising, and a Cannes Finalist Certificate in 1998. This campaign scored almost 100% recall in consumer research groups.
WW: When did you start travel writing, where was the piece sent to and how much were you paid?
ZSL: I started travel writing when I was 13, mostly on journeys between KL and Burgess Hill, my boarding school in Sussex. But I never thought about publishing my writing. ‘A backpack and a bit of luck’ is my first published work.
WW: What is the current job that gives you the moolah to go on all those travels to write books like Backpack?
ZSL: Job? What job? Heehee... seriously, I would work for about a year or two, as a creative group head, or creative director. Then I resign and go travelling for a month or two, come back and get another job that pays reasonably well.
WW: What drew you to the places and people mentioned in Backpack?
ZSL: Sometimes, it’s a a piece of wet tissue that I throw at the world map on my wall. Sometimes, it’s the travel agent’s recommendation, as most flights are fully booked when I decide to travel. The destination is rarely my choice, as I don’t plan ahead. When I travel, all that is on my mind is the desire to have good experiences, and also to learn from a different culture, and to see life from a different perspective. I am somehow led by an invisible force to people who are kind and helpful to me, and who fulfil those desires.
WW: What was the two or three funniest incidents you would highlight from your book?
ZSL: In 40 degree heat in a South Africa, my friend thought she had malaria. When I went into her hut, I found her lying in bed, weak, red faced and sweating profusely . I discovered that she had turned the air-conditioner to ‘heater’ mode by mistake. And it was on ‘High’. She had been baking in that heat for 2 hours! She recovered from 'malaria' right after I switched off the heater.
During my travels around the UK, I took a job as a waitress in a Jamaican restaurant in Oxford where the proprietor and chef was a moody 250 pound rastafarian. He often chased the Nigerian kitchen help around the restaurant with a machete.
WW: Which of the places mentioned, would you recommend to others to go to?
ZSL: Well, it really depends on what one wants out of travelling. If it’s a meaningful experience you’re after, then I’d recommend India. I believe that India is a land of abundance. There’s never enough of anything, yet there’s often more than enough.
WW: Practically, all chapters of the book mentions food – from cicadas for tea to marshmallows in a graveyard. How big is food as a part of your travels?
ZSL: To me, food means 2 things:
It’s an ice-breaker that gets people to open up, talk and laugh. It’s such a big part of culture that I would not think I’ve truly experience a culture if I haven’t tasted deep fried grasshoppers, goats’ eyeballs, or prairie oysters (bull’s testicles).
WW: Surely, not everybody’s lovely – which ones were horrid and why? (need not be from the book).
ZSL: Truth is, i’ve encountered so many lovely people that I think the nasty ones are forgotten. I can remember only one nasty person. I was sitting by a lake in a residential area in Helsinki. A hoity toity middle aged man with something obviously up his @*rse, told me off for sitting there, saying it’s private property. To add insult to injury, he said slowly, “Do...you...understand...English?” I was so put off by his arrogance and ignorance that I just walked away. I didn’t bother to explain to him that I was staying with my brother who owned a house there, and the lake was his property too. Or that I had spent 4 years in a very good English boarding school. I have also witnessed people being horribly ugly to others - tourists who take advantage of grassroots locals, and sometimes even cheat them.
WW: How does your family feel about all this gadding about? Not freaked out?
ZSL: Gadding about? Gosh, I never saw it that way. Well, I’ve always been stubborn, and after so many years, my mother has stopped nagging me. It also helps that I don’t tell her everything, like some potentially dangerous situations I’ve been in. But you see, those incidents, though I would never have actively searched for them, turned out to be the best experiences I’ve had - experiences that have contributed to who I am today, which I’m happy about. Besides, I’ve always landed on my feet, and have always been financially comfortable. So, it did take some time to convince my mother that I was doing the right thing (for myself). Now, my family is okay about my ‘gadding’ about.
WW: How do you take in all the info so that you can write about them, eg, do you keep a daily journal, take copious pix and let the images jolt the memory?
ZSL: I never write notes. And I hardly ever take pictures. I do take my camera with me, but I forget to use it. I’d rather see, hear and feel, than spend time recording for the future, what I could have wholeheartedly seen, heard and felt at that moment. I think this is why I’m able to write so vividly, about events, people and places years after. Part of‘The Dance of Life’ happened 12 years ago, and I still feel it as though it happened yesterday.
WW: How do you approach people? What are three opening lines that surely work – such that people will invite you into their homes to eat strange things with them?
ZSL: I don’t actually approach them. They strike a conversation with me first, and that sets off a chain of events I never planned for. I’m pathetic at planning, and I have no sense of direction, remember? But I do have a good nose for sniffing out genuine people from the psychopaths. (Hope this line does not go into the book of ‘famous last words’)
ZSL: Four. My brother is 3 years younger. My mother was a school teacher and my father was a pilot with MAS.
WW: Give us a brief bio about yourself – what was your first job, how did you go on to copywriting, which was the most famous copywriting work that won an award/ which award/ which year?
ZSL: My first proper job was as an optician in London. I came back to Malaysia one holiday, in 1991, and met the creative director of Ogilvy & Mather who asked me to help out (for fun but no money) 2 weeks later, she offered me a job as a junior copywriter. I took it and moved back to live in Malaysia. My most famous advertising campaign was for TV and radio - Polo Mints, won the Golden Kancil Best of Malaysian Advertising, and a Cannes Finalist Certificate in 1998. This campaign scored almost 100% recall in consumer research groups.
WW: When did you start travel writing, where was the piece sent to and how much were you paid?
ZSL: I started travel writing when I was 13, mostly on journeys between KL and Burgess Hill, my boarding school in Sussex. But I never thought about publishing my writing. ‘A backpack and a bit of luck’ is my first published work.
WW: What is the current job that gives you the moolah to go on all those travels to write books like Backpack?
ZSL: Job? What job? Heehee... seriously, I would work for about a year or two, as a creative group head, or creative director. Then I resign and go travelling for a month or two, come back and get another job that pays reasonably well.
WW: What drew you to the places and people mentioned in Backpack?
ZSL: Sometimes, it’s a a piece of wet tissue that I throw at the world map on my wall. Sometimes, it’s the travel agent’s recommendation, as most flights are fully booked when I decide to travel. The destination is rarely my choice, as I don’t plan ahead. When I travel, all that is on my mind is the desire to have good experiences, and also to learn from a different culture, and to see life from a different perspective. I am somehow led by an invisible force to people who are kind and helpful to me, and who fulfil those desires.
WW: What was the two or three funniest incidents you would highlight from your book?
ZSL: In 40 degree heat in a South Africa, my friend thought she had malaria. When I went into her hut, I found her lying in bed, weak, red faced and sweating profusely . I discovered that she had turned the air-conditioner to ‘heater’ mode by mistake. And it was on ‘High’. She had been baking in that heat for 2 hours! She recovered from 'malaria' right after I switched off the heater.
During my travels around the UK, I took a job as a waitress in a Jamaican restaurant in Oxford where the proprietor and chef was a moody 250 pound rastafarian. He often chased the Nigerian kitchen help around the restaurant with a machete.
WW: Which of the places mentioned, would you recommend to others to go to?
ZSL: Well, it really depends on what one wants out of travelling. If it’s a meaningful experience you’re after, then I’d recommend India. I believe that India is a land of abundance. There’s never enough of anything, yet there’s often more than enough.
WW: Practically, all chapters of the book mentions food – from cicadas for tea to marshmallows in a graveyard. How big is food as a part of your travels?
ZSL: To me, food means 2 things:
It’s an ice-breaker that gets people to open up, talk and laugh. It’s such a big part of culture that I would not think I’ve truly experience a culture if I haven’t tasted deep fried grasshoppers, goats’ eyeballs, or prairie oysters (bull’s testicles).
WW: Surely, not everybody’s lovely – which ones were horrid and why? (need not be from the book).
ZSL: Truth is, i’ve encountered so many lovely people that I think the nasty ones are forgotten. I can remember only one nasty person. I was sitting by a lake in a residential area in Helsinki. A hoity toity middle aged man with something obviously up his @*rse, told me off for sitting there, saying it’s private property. To add insult to injury, he said slowly, “Do...you...understand...English?” I was so put off by his arrogance and ignorance that I just walked away. I didn’t bother to explain to him that I was staying with my brother who owned a house there, and the lake was his property too. Or that I had spent 4 years in a very good English boarding school. I have also witnessed people being horribly ugly to others - tourists who take advantage of grassroots locals, and sometimes even cheat them.
WW: How does your family feel about all this gadding about? Not freaked out?
ZSL: Gadding about? Gosh, I never saw it that way. Well, I’ve always been stubborn, and after so many years, my mother has stopped nagging me. It also helps that I don’t tell her everything, like some potentially dangerous situations I’ve been in. But you see, those incidents, though I would never have actively searched for them, turned out to be the best experiences I’ve had - experiences that have contributed to who I am today, which I’m happy about. Besides, I’ve always landed on my feet, and have always been financially comfortable. So, it did take some time to convince my mother that I was doing the right thing (for myself). Now, my family is okay about my ‘gadding’ about.
WW: How do you take in all the info so that you can write about them, eg, do you keep a daily journal, take copious pix and let the images jolt the memory?
ZSL: I never write notes. And I hardly ever take pictures. I do take my camera with me, but I forget to use it. I’d rather see, hear and feel, than spend time recording for the future, what I could have wholeheartedly seen, heard and felt at that moment. I think this is why I’m able to write so vividly, about events, people and places years after. Part of‘The Dance of Life’ happened 12 years ago, and I still feel it as though it happened yesterday.
WW: How do you approach people? What are three opening lines that surely work – such that people will invite you into their homes to eat strange things with them?
ZSL: I don’t actually approach them. They strike a conversation with me first, and that sets off a chain of events I never planned for. I’m pathetic at planning, and I have no sense of direction, remember? But I do have a good nose for sniffing out genuine people from the psychopaths. (Hope this line does not go into the book of ‘famous last words’)
Copyright © 2016 Zhang Su Li. All rights reserved.