Shanghai (CNS) -- Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo, the U.S. president Barack Obama's half brother, visited the Shanghai Book Fair with his semi-autobiographical novel Nairobi to Shenzhen, Wednesday.
Wearing a dark T-shirt and his symbolic black and white kerchief, Ndesandjo kindly said hello in Chinese to the readers in attendance. Asked the meaning of his Chinese name ( 狄善九 or Di Shanjiu), Ndesandjo said he liked the calligraphic style of"狄", and the Chinese meanings of "善" (benevolent) and "九"(nine) interested him a lot.
The novel Nairobi to Shenzhen is mainly about his living experiences and impressions of China, the amazing reformative social changes from the angle of a foreigner, and the impact of China on the rest of the world. Published in 2009, the book received a warm welcome in China and was reprinted in a second edition this year.
With plenty of experience in China, he is definitely the kind of topic Chinese are interested in. For many Chinese, the president's little brother has a lot of personality. He left the U.S. alone and settled down in Shenzhen after 9/11.
Some readers asked him during the Book Fair about his motivation to move to China. He said he was fascinated by Asian cultures, especially Chinese culture after reading some books about China. He thinks it is a huge accomplishment and challenge to learn Chinese culture and language.
Now, he has proven he made the right choice. Not only is he able to speak fluent Chinese, he also writes the language well and married a Chinese woman. Besides writing, his piano skills are excellent and he has already put out three piano albums. He has also been doing voluntary teaching work in the city's orphanage for a while.
