false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172439747m/175997.jpg 175997 3 Desperate to escape South Texas, Stephanie Elizondo Griest dreamed of becoming a foreign correspondent. So she headed to Russia looking for some excitement—commencing what would become a four-year, twelve-nation Communist bloc tour that shattered her preconceived notions of the "Evil Empire." In <i>Around the Bloc</i>, Griest relates her experiences as a volunteer at a children’s shelter in Moscow, a propaganda polisher at the office of the Chinese Communist Party's English-language mouthpiece in Beijing, and a belly dancer among the rumba queens of Havana. She falls in love with an ex-soldier who narrowly avoided radiation cleanup duties at Chernobyl, hangs out with Cuban hip-hop artists, and comes to difficult realizations about the meaning of democracy. <i>Around the Bloc</i> is the absorbing story of a young journalist driven by a desire to witness the effects of Communism. Along the way, she learns the Russian mathematical equation for buying dinner-party vodka (one bottle per guest, plus an extra), stumbles upon Beijing's underground gay scene, marches with 100,000 mothers demanding Elián González's return to Cuba, and gains a new appreciation for the Mexican culture she left behind. 170035 9 3 2004 Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana total:190|5:32|4:85|3:60|2:12|1:1| 190 705 315 48 4 1 false false Tue Apr 08 19:48:13 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 08 19:51:31 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Thu Feb 12 16:24:33 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 12 16:32:28 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Nov 15 10:39:32 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 15:09:58 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat May 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 06 16:00:37 -0800 2009 Sat May 23 16:47:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Feb 14 12:29:26 -0800 2009 Wed May 20 20:17:45 -0700 2009
Though "Around the Bloc" was written when Griest was only a few years younger than I am today, the narration comes across as immature and...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 01 19:00:48 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 01 19:01:06 -0700 2008
Stephanie Elizondo Griest is a Mexican-American, a high school student when the Soviets lost power, and when the Tiananmen Square Rebellion occurre...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 06 23:25:17 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 01 18:57:10 -0700 2008
Stephanie Elizondo Griest is a Mexican-American, a high school student when the Soviets lost power, and when the Tiananmen Square Rebellion occurre...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 13 11:45:47 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 13 11:47:16 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Tue Jan 13 13:56:19 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 13 13:59:23 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Thu Jan 22 17:29:07 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 22 17:30:56 -0800 2009 1 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon Dec 08 20:21:28 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 08 20:23:45 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Sat Nov 08 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Oct 31 13:35:16 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 08 19:37:56 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 19:34:09 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 14:48:20 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Sat Mar 01 22:39:33 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 01 22:45:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Mar 09 14:20:48 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 09 14:21:16 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Feb 23 10:14:03 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 14 17:46:36 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Oct 08 15:16:41 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 08 15:28:13 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 true false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 22 00:05:48 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 22 00:08:41 -0800 2007
Okay, to be fair, this is a pretty entertaini...more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri May 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Feb 02 05:52:11 -0800 2008 Fri May 30 06:03:41 -0700 2008 While I am full of admiration for Stephanie, I was also horrified at some of the foolish risks she took during her travels. However, the book combined wise observation, youthful enthusiasm and just enough historical background to make an excellent read that ca...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 21 11:26:55 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 21 11:37:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=175997