{"product_id":"red-lips-bottoms-up-four-years-of-adventure-working-in-the-far-east-in-the-mid-1980s-9781861519306","title":"Red Lips \u0026 Bottoms Up: Four years of adventure working in the Far East in the mid-1980s","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRed Lips and Bottoms Up\u003c\/strong\u003e is a \u003cstrong\u003eriotous, nostalgic, and sharply observed memoir\u003c\/strong\u003e of one man's four-year posting in the Far East during the electric boom of the 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen 29-year-old Bernard Barnes is plucked from London's finance sector and relocated to Hong Kong, he dives headfirst into a world of \u003cstrong\u003ehigh-powered banking, humid chaos, and hedonistic nightlife\u003c\/strong\u003e. From navigating typhoons and topless bars to dealing with cultural landmines in Tokyo boardrooms and congee breakfasts in backstreet kitchens, Bernard charts a witty, candid, and vividly detailed journey of personal growth, awkward encounters, and unforgettable friendships.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of this memoir are the \u003cstrong\u003eiconic expat bars\u003c\/strong\u003e - Red Lips and Bottoms Up - that serve as chaotic microcosms of 1980s Asia, where business, pleasure, and culture collide in unforgettable ways. What begins as a corporate assignment becomes a soulful exploration of identity, belonging, and the limits of propriety.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for fans of \u003cstrong\u003eBill Bryson\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eJ.G. Farrell\u003c\/strong\u003e, or \u003cstrong\u003ePico Iyer\u003c\/strong\u003e, Red Lips and Bottoms Up is more than a travelogue - it's a time capsule of expat life in its rawest, funniest, and most revealing form.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBold, bawdy, and beautifully told - this is the Far East as you've never seen it before.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Mereo Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/07\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781861519306\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.02lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.70d","brand":"Bernard Barnes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51581039214773,"sku":"9781861519306","price":16.02,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_c0d8a2bb-2d8d-40f3-82b7-336a901c172e.jpg?v=1755619338","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/red-lips-bottoms-up-four-years-of-adventure-working-in-the-far-east-in-the-mid-1980s-9781861519306","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}