I GENERALLY SPEAKING
I. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE WEIRD KIND
1 CEO soaks it in ... 1
2 Dealing with the Devils ...3
3 Thrill of being a fugitive ...5
4 Slithering out of darkness ...7
5 Bumps in the road ... 10
6 Touts turn out to be friendly ... 13
7 Stone phone calls through the ages ... 16
8 The big smile said it all ... 19
9 Porn dated at explicit exhibition ...21
10 Age no bar at Chinese clubs ...24
11 It''s all downhill from here ...27
12 Reality check on a dream journey ...30
13 Beihai and I come of age ...33
2. FUNNY BUSINESS
14 Peddlers pack a punch ...35
15 Priceless joys of bargaining ...38
16 Cost in translation ...41
17 Making deals and friends ...44
18 Where you shop ''til you drop ...46
19 When money-hungry restaurateurs smell prey ...48
20 Fishing for the real deal ...50
3. ON THE RORD
21 Murphy''s Law drives me crazy ...52
22 What the beep are you saying? ...55
23 Driven mad in a cab ...57
24 Getting a fix on happening Beijing ...59
25 Changing gears on life''s road ...62
4. CHEW ON THIS
26 Serving up the table talk ._64
27 When Beijing sounds out ...66
28 Meetings with famous meats ...69
29 Steeped in culture, table talk brews ...72
30 Smoke in mirrors ...74
31 Superstition makes for hairy experience ...77
32 Surgical precision at the hospital ...79
33 Facing the music ...82
34 Now, KTV''s music to my ears ...85
35 Dude, where''s my phone? ...88
36 Buy, buy, buy, cell, cell cell ...91
II. Culture vultures
I. IN PLRIN LRNGURGE
37 Studying more to learn less ...93
38 Competition makes me feel small ...96
39 When babbling makes sense...99
40 Express route to my Mandarin misunderstandings... 102
41 Discovering a language like Indiana Jones... 105
42 More to language than just words... 107
43 A hellish contest with Devil Judge... / 10
Z. you NRME IT
44 In the name of the emperor... 113
45 The name''s Bong, James Bong... 115
46 Rewriting the name game... 117
47 What''s in a name, anyway?... 119
3. LRBORS OF LOVE
48 Getting married for the mob... 121
49 The formula for love... 124
50 Till death do us part... 127
51 Love''s priceless, but weddings are expensive... 130
52 Putting love to the test... 132
53 A picture-perfect bride and groom... 134
54 Marital bliss is free and invaluable... 137
4. CELEBRRTE GOOD TIMES, C''MONI
55 The boogiemen''s bash on Fright Night... 139
56 Santa Clause is limping to town... 142
57 Good trip, no fall... 145
58 Go gently into the New Year... 148
59 Celebrating a festival without festivities... 151
60 Love wrapped up in dumpling dough... 154
61 Dumplings stuffed with memories... 157
62 Having a blast during Spring Festival... 160
63 Swept up in family matters... 163
64 Remembering people and traditions lost... 166
5. MEETING THE RERL CHINESE
65 Learning life''s lessons... 169
66 The godfather''s not Marlin Brando... 172
67 Singing the Super Girl''s praises... 175
68 Look behind to find kind folks... 178
69 He''s gone in a puff of smoke... 181
70 Xi Shi is a cut above... 183
71 The impossible dream of Beijing''s new red chambers... 185
72 Hearts warm the winter chill... 187
73 Mr Makeover colors our lives... 189
74 A finely wrought story... 192
75 Digging in on Labor Day... 195
76 Same old village, brand new livelihoods... 197
77 Saying goodbye at a traditional funeral...200
6. SURPRISE, SURPRISE
78 Tipping me over the edge...203
79 Honestly, try fibbing some time...206
80 Swimming with the Beijing icebergs...209
81 Blessing of the Golden Flower...211
82 What the fengshuimaster revealed...213
83 Losing a perfect job opportunity...215
84 "Chi fan le ma"- always a safe question ...217
85 Mechanics of the bare-belly radiator ...220
86 The good news of rediscovering ritual ...222
87 How trinkets tell 10-second stories ...225
7. THE FUNNY THING IS
88 Jokes are a funny way to learn ...227
89 Chinese know no humor ...229
90 Why Chinese humor is so funny ...231
8. THINK RBOUT IT
91 Ancient wisdom for modern life ...233
92 Waiting for the white rabbit ...236
93 Lessons from the old wise guys ...238
94 Stories that pack a powerful punch ...240
95 Hugging the boundaries of personal space ...243
9. R CLRSS OF THEIR OWN
96 My meter-high bilingual master ...246
97 Life with ducks, chickens and woodpeckers ...249
98 Double trouble for bicultural twins ...252
99 Fueling the fire of tot''s desire ...255
100 What''s the rush, ent-boy? ...257
EPILOGUE
101 Trapped in the revolving door ...260