The Philippine Association for Chinese Studies (PACS) successfully held a book talk featuring the memoir of Mr Jaime FlorCruz, entitled “The Class of ’77: How My Classmates Changed China,” last Saturday, 3 September 2022, at Xavier School’s Angelo King Multi-purpose Centre. With a less formal and more conversational format, the book talk was moderated by ABS-CBN’s Willard Cheng.
As the title says, the book revolves around the story of Mr FlorCruz, former TIME Magazine and CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, from the time he first set foot in China in 1971 and the next decades of his life. The book’s highlight was his stay at Peking University as a student during a period when China had just revived the national college entrance examination and reopened universities.
During the book talk, several questions dig deeper into the life and experiences of Mr FlorCruz, which included the famous story of his arrival in China, his experiences working on the farms of Hunan province, as well as the funny and romantic stories in between the serious ones.
In his narration of personal stories during the book talk, FlorCruz, also PACS Vice President, gave life to the words of his book and made the participants feel like they were with him during those days back in China. He also gave some insights on how the Chinese and Filipinos can work together towards a common goal.
After the book talk, copies were signed by the author, and he also willingly posed for pictures with fellow observers and students of China. Despite the rains, the book talk left both smiles and lessons for everyone to bring home.
The book talk can be viewed through PACS’s Facebook Page.
