May 2, 2002.
Dear Family and Friends,
As my great friend Craig Ferguson might say, "You could write books on what I don't know about China". Having spent four weeks skipping around China like Svend Robinson on a Trade Mission, I am hardly qualified to comment on this vast, culturally rich, diverse and ancient land. Nonetheless, I am going to do so, but somehow doing so reminds me of the sign Gerry Ennis used to have in his office at Shell, "To yeers ago I culdn't even spel enjineer, now I are one."
Four weeks ago China existed for me largely as the Mysterious East, exotic, inscrutable, teeming. And of course, as characterised by American press, it was Red China, the Evil Empire, repository of all things Communist, and anti-Christ. Well, today I do have a slightly more informed and realistic view of China and its people. This will be a long message to tell you about it. I hope you will accept my apology for being so wordy, but I never use four words when a thousand will do.
