Radio ChopstiX: An American DJ in China

Rick O'Shea

Description

Already a best seller in China!
"Radio ChopstiX-An American DJ in China" is an amazing story from Rick O'Shea, an American who became the most famous foreigner radio DJ in China! Starting as a street painter in Canada, he followed a radio career in Florida and Hawaii, where he invented the most imaginative radio station ever- "Space Station KULA."

Fate can lead you to unimagined places and experiences. Radio waves carried him to Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. China's national broadcaster, CCTV, said that he "changed radio history in China." Millions know who he is, but few know his story.

And for the first time, he writes about his relationship with one of China's most famous writers, San Mao, whom he knew for ten years up to her tragic death in 1991.

Radio ChopstiX is a creative radio story and more. Rick has experienced life in China from a much different and original perspective. He became a piece of modern China's history as a part of the bridge between China and the world; an "unofficial Ambassador to China!" (updated April 2013)

Sujets

• Travel
• East
• Asia
• China

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 02 août 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9781456604554
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 9 Mo

Extrait

Radio ChopstiX: An American DJ in China
 
 
By Rick O’Shea
 
 
Copyright 2013 Rick O'Shea,
All rights reserved.
 
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0455-4
 
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
 
 
 
This book is dedicated to the memory of my father, who told me in high school that I had a talent for writing.
To San Mao. I promised Echo that I would write this book.
To Ron Nickell, who guided me into the professional radio world.
To the listeners of my radio programs who have been with me for so many years in the US and China.
To all who have helped me along the way.
And to those of you who have followed your inner voice in life!
Rick

 
 
Foreword
Sitting on a creaky mattress in a youth hostel on the Southern coast of Portugal, I was feeling totally alone and a little bit homesick when suddenly I heard, “Grand Funk Railroad is one of the best bands around, and they’re also from Detroit.”
Surprised and thrilled to hear an American accent, I looked up, and there was a guy around my age talking about music to a bunch of mesmerized Europeans. I walked over, introduced myself to the young man who would become the famous Rick O’Shea, told him I’m from New York and that Grand Funk stunk! It was the start of a friendship that would last more years than I can count.
Rick and I were both adventurous spirits who were exploring Europe alone. We wound up traveling together for a while throughout Portugal, exploring the coastal city during the day and talking about our favorite subject, rock music, at night while drinking local port wine.
When I got home at the end of the summer my adventure had come to an end—but Rick’s was just beginning. I stayed in touch with him as he ventured to Canada, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai and, finally, Beijing; visiting him as much as I could. Rick and I sang “My Girl” in a pub in Toronto (until they kicked us out because our singing was so bad!) We rode the Conch Train in Key West, and explored the fish filled waters of Hilo, Hawaii in a glass-bottom boat. He was the best man at my traditional Chinese style Hong Kong wedding ceremony and interviewed me on Hong Kong radio.
Through it all, Rick has never wavered from being the bold, daring and creative guy that I first met in Portugal all those years ago. He’s lived a life that most people just dream about and I’m sure he’s not even close to being finished.
Whether you already know about Rick from his radio and TV work or are finding out about him for the first time, you’ll have a great time with him as he takes you through his globe-trotting creative adventures. It’s an incredible story!
I’m proud to be his friend.
Howard Gimple
New York, New York
Author of the novels Deadly Refuge, Tiebreak, and Death & Tennis
Table of Contents
Ch 1 - Sunset on the Great Wall of China
Ch 2 - “Motown”- Radios, Cars, and Music
Ch 3 - Island Painter
Ch 4 - Radio for the Beaches
Ch 5 - Space Station KULA
Ch 6 - Taiwan, China
Ch 7 - Hong Kong, China
Ch 8 - Hong Kong People
Ch 9 - Shanghai, China
Ch 10 - Beijing 1997
Ch 11 - “J Wu”
Ch 12 - WorldSpace-The Real Space Station
Ch 13 - Echoes of San Mao
Ch 14 - The Joy Continues
Ch 15 - Doors Close, Windows Open
Ch 16 - Audrey 222
Ch 17 - Windows is Shutting Down
Ch 18 - Good Luck from China
Ch 19 - Sunrise on The Great Wall of China
 
Ch 1 - Sunset on the Great Wall of China
In the center of Beijing, between The Great Hall of the People and the National Museum of China, faces are hard to see because everyone is wrapped up in warm clothing in the middle of winter. Many scarves cover the faces of those who have gathered here. The Mongolian winds are freezing my exposed face as I stand in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Every night at sunset the PLA Guards take down the red national flag, which flies above the north end of Tiananmen Square. Chairman Mao looks directly across Chang An Avenue over the Square at the ceremonial flag lowering.
I’m joined by hundreds of local residents and tourists who brave any weather to watch the ceremonial procedure. As I stand in the icy air, waiting for the flag to begin its descent, a PLA guard surveying the crowd sidles up next to me, keeping his eyes on the people now surrounding the flag’s podium. I can sense the guard’s eyes now focusing on me and I am thinking that perhaps I have done something wrong. What did I do? Do I look suspicious in the crowd that is mostly Chinese? He then moves closer and then turns to face me directly. He asks in a low firm tone, “Ni hao are you?”
I pause for a few seconds, smile and answer, “Very cold but just great, thanks… and ni hao are you?”
In that instant, in the freezing wind, a warm bond is established between Chinese and foreigner; between military and civilian; and between radio personality and faithful listener. “Ni hao are you?” I had coined this expression and used it on China Radio International for a decade. On that cold day, it came back to me in a most unexpected way!
Soon after that exchange, the China flag was lowered and briskly folded in the traditional manner, as it has been many thousands of times before, in exactly the same way, every day.
The 20 or so guards who supervise the flag lowering marched in tight formation and then retreated back across Chang An Jie with the folded flag to their post in the Forbidden City. The crowd in the cold wind dispersed quickly as night fell, and a few minutes later I walked through the yellowing tile pedestrian tunnel that goes under Chang An Jie and approached The Forbidden City. Standing directly in front of the imposing picture of Chairman Mao, which greets all who enter The Imperial Palace, I am humbled by the history that precedes me on this very spot. It’s one of the most famous sights in the world, and I am proud that I have lived in this neighborhood, living close to history, for years.

(Rare night lighting on the entrance to the Forbidden City)
Through the years, many have urged me to write this book about my experience of being on the radio in China during this important modernization period; the opening up of the world’s most populated country and my contribution to and witnessing of that change.
San Mao, one of the most beloved Chinese writers, told me years ago, “You must write a book. You touch people with your creative radio work, but radio is invisible and disappears quickly. A book will last longer.”

(a letter from San Mao, or “Echo” in English)
And now, I’m writing this book from my apartment in the center of Beijing in an old walk-up apartment that is a remainder of a hutong; a traditional housing courtyard in Beijing. In fact, many buildings around me are disappearing and being replaced with new futuristic buildings. The particular building I live in has a connection to an art academy that was nearby. Many respected and revered artists and their relatives have lived in this building since the 80’s and the dark red brick is traditional in old Beijing. And since my life has been that of a multi-media artist, it seems a kind of fate that I ended up here in this community of artists. I feel right at home.
I’m not going to discuss politics or the financial power of China, nor will you learn about doing business with China from me. It’s a personal journey of how I escaped the regular life of suburban Detroit and became the first foreigner to live in China and do a daily music and talk program on the radio. It was on the air every night for 11 years and became a part of the lives of millions.
I never thought I’d be in the entertainment business. Growing up, it had never really crossed my mind. If anything, I was somewhat shy and introverted. OK, not totally introverted, but definitely not an extrovert. No one ever said to me, “Hey, you should be a DJ!” In any group situation, I’ve always been and I think still am, pretty quiet. I’m not the type of person that needs to be the center of attention but I transform when I’m on the radio! It’s like I’m free of gravity, a part of the atmosphere around us, and wanting to attract the attention of invisible listeners. Off air, I enjoy just blending in with a crowd and not being noticed. Of course, that can be pretty difficult for a white guy in China. But get me in a studio behind a microphone and I unleash another part of myself…
In 1996, I came to China to do a nationwide nightly radio program. It’s the story of a different kind of international relationship between China and the West; the unofficial kind that’s not between political statesmen, boardroom businessmen, or foreign teacher and student. (Some have used the expression “unofficial ambassador to China.”) It’s all about the invisible bond between millions of Chinese and their radios. Delivered bilingually in Mandarin and English, JOY FM on China Radio International grew to be an incredibly popular radio program in Mainland China. We delivered the message of “always look for the joy in life.” It was not just the name of a program; it was the essence of what we did on the radio. We encouraged a generation of students and workers to strive for a better happier life.
------------------------------
“Loved by Chinese and foreign listeners alike, Rick has changed radio history in China”- CCTV (China Central TV)
“You are a friend of China, thanks for what you have done for us”- Jing Yuan Zhao in Beijing
-------------------------------
Now…11 years and 4,100 radio programs later, I’m not on the radio in China anymore. Suddenly, I’m off the radio to become just another face in the crowd. But the guard who asked “ni hao are you?” reminded me that I had left an impact on one of the largest