Hi Guys – Great to hear from so many of you recently. Sorry I’ve been out of touch. I’ve managed to let about fifty messages from friends and family pile up. I’ve devoted this whole weekend to catching up, aside, of course, from our newly habitual bike ride to O-Store – China’s only organic food store [pause for memories of WholeFoods]. And, since we were there, we also stopped by Shanghai’s Third Annual Adult Toy Expo… O!

Aside from not replying to you all, I’ve been busy with a lot of fun stuff. Have a gander at these ecclectic pics for a glimpse into my last few weeks. It’s hard to offer too much by way of explanation for these, but here it goes:

- Thanks to work, and a few recent “field visits”, I managed to procure (and temporarily enjoy) a firesuit. And a Chef’s hat. You know what that means around my household

- Thanks to Mom and Dad for sponsoring a tantalizing Birthday dinner. Fully my doing on the belated side but it took a while to gather the international troops and find the right restaurant. Our group was dazzled by the fabulous courses at Li Family’s Imperial Cuisine. The set menu consists of Empress Dowager Cixi’s favorite recipes memorized and smuggled out of her royal kitchens by one of her Generals. The public’s tastebuds have been thankful ever since 1985 when his descendant’s opened a restaurant following success at a PRC Iron Chef-esque national competition. Their new flagship restaurant was opened in Shanghai this May.

- Prep for Lou’s upcomining “café” venture at Shanghai’s 2nd largest kitchen kit supplier

- Every morning we wake up to chopping sounds emanating from behind our flat. It’s one of two downsides to our otherwise incredible 2nd floor flat – the other being roaches, but those are mostly under control since we engaged in small chemical arms race. I’m not quite sure what these women were doing but it looked like they were stuffing intenstines with other intestines. Mmmm. Their meat pail has a shiny hypnotic allure. Quite planely, their partner in gastronomic crime is ashing on his vegetables. We never eat there.

- Sexpo.

Other big news, I’ll be back in the US for a grand East Coast tour with Louise from about September 28 through October 10 (just after Columbus Day Weekend). No schedule yet, but wanted to let y’all know I’ll be coming ’round the mountain, and probably DC, NYC and Cape Cod too. Hope to see you all while I’m home.