keys and mooncakes

i am writing from my parents' computer where i have been camped out pretty much all night in an attempt to answer the 113 email messages from noble friends whose quips have been ignobly molding in my inbox. i am writing from my parents' computer because i locked my keys at work which prevents me from unlocking my bicycle and unlocking my house's front door among other conveniences. the good news is that i am not as bad off as last time, when i was locked out of my apartment in brooklyn for two days wearing only a sarong during a snowstorm. yes, sir, this is much better.

and even better is reading these jewels of prose! for instance, following is from Sasha Tian, a student from Chengdu, China. the Moon Festival was on sept. 18th, and i asked her the story behind mooncakes (a kind of pastry eaten only during the moon festival which everyone hates but everyone eats). here is her email (i hope it is okay to tell your story, Sasha!):

Mid-autumn Day is based on a legend.Long,long time ago,there were ten suns in the sky,people were very hot and didn't have enough water.Many people dead.The God was very worried and looked for someone who could shoot the suns in the sky.There was a man named Houyi,he was good at shooting.So the God gave him the super power and he finally shoot nine suns and left one in the sky.The God was very happy and he gave Houyi a medicine.It could make him young all his life.Houyi's wife(Cheng'e) knew this and stole the medicine.She eat it and to her surprise,she began to fly.She flew to the moon and could not come back.Houyi missed his wife and he ate mooncakes(his wife like eating mooncakes) every year in the middle Autumn.On that day the moon will be round.And you can see a woman on the moon.
So every year,family get together and eat mooncakes.
Also mooncakes are good presents.You can give them to your boss,teachers, friends...
To be honest,I don't like mooncake.I just the mooncakes with eggs inside.
Now you know the story about mooncakes and why they are so popular in China.
I miss you.520!!!!!

my first personal

titter titter gleam shine!!

well, last week Brian Bartley and i stepped into the Sapphire Hotel for a drink and hopefully a free tarot reading (we didn't happen upon tarot, but the band was glorious!). Willy Week was handing out free personal ad apps. so here it is, our first publication as seen in www.wweek.com, and our first collaboration (unless of course you count "Jake's Women"), hopefully the first of many (though not necessarily in personals format):

WHIMSEY WINS!
29-year-old, HWP, wanderlusting chick ISO lexicon-loving, highly humorific, consummately cantankerous soul, adores alliteration. Philatelics, programmers and pet lovers welcome. Jugglers accepted on a probationary basis. Linguistic status *a must. Please enjoy people watching and infrequent eavesdropping.
6956 (10/19/05)
*should read "Linguistic status immaterial", but hey, the ad was free

i was wondering last night to what this sudden interest in personal ads is due (in addition to actually posting one, i have also responded to one on CL). could it be belated culture shock? FOLLOWING PLEASE FIND STEPH'S PALTRY JUSTIFICATION FOR HER CURRENT FEELINGS OF LONELINESS. i came back to portland after gallavanting around new york and asia for the last 7 years-ish among expats and travellers, many of whom are little-attached to the thought of commitment. i came back to find everyone i know married or marrying and/or homeowners, whereas i left an enjoyable romantic interlude in thailand, and my luggage coming from thailand came to 28.1kg. soaking wet. given a week, i'm sure i'll get over it. i think the kicker came when Heather got married, the Heather that was going to be my golden-years bed-and-breakfast partner. Sarah and Heather, please tell me you're still up for a triumvirate of hostel proprietorship, and please say you'll let my rocking chair sit next to yours!

is it the "getting-used-to-being-single-again" conundrum? advice eagerly accepted. i believe that loneliness will be cured on monday when my chinese class starts (it might be cured today if only the pool was open). just wanted to confide in cyberspace. an electronic yawp. thanks for listening, ye deaf ears.