I've been on vacation this past week with my wife in Penghu. Thanks, Sean, for the advice. More later after I get my daguerreotypes developed, but I'm a little low on mercury right now. So, just two quick notes.

• Taipei must have a sister city in Florida. The "Baby Palace" set up by Taoist monk Chi Chin-cheng charges NT$2,000 (US$64) to reincarnate aborted fetuses by e-mail.

• If you go to a bar, at least have a drink. Then you can have some sort of excuse. I was at PJ's talking to Brit Paul when we were educated - unwillingly - by two young Americans. One male the other female. Mr. America asked where I was from and I told him Texas. He then called me a cracker. I asked where he was from and he said Georgia. I called him nothing because my jaw wouldn't return upward to start forming words. Talking to Ms. America, he apologized for saying yall. I told him that it was a colloquialism. Then it was his turn for his jaw to stop working. After a few seconds, he recovered and continued his grammar lesson. He told Ms. America that ain't is in the dictionary! Thanks, I'll work that into my next class. But he wasn't finished. We then learned that "only rednecks say ain't." I didn't know Ice T was a redneck.

Here she comes. Ms. A-mer-i-ca!

Did you know that "redneck" comes from Afrikaans? My boyfriend
is from South Africa and he told me it originated there and was brought to
America during the slave trade.

No, I didn't. Is class dismissed? Please?