Summary: We have enormous respect for Mark Rowswell, but there's still something unsettling about the constant cheer his alter ego Dashan manages to project on state television. It's almost as if Mark's creation lives in a different China than us, one where bureaucratic corruption and intransigence don't exist and the food companies aren't constantly trying to poison one with new and inventive nutritional supplements. In any event, while we suspect Mark has his ups-and-downs like the rest of us, we actually wonder what if anything he can do about it. Because how exactly can you have a bad China day when you're supposed to be the most upbeat foreigner in China. And given his reputation for impeccable mandarin, will his friends and family even notice?
