Humor dissected culturally...

Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind.

E.B. White.

Mr. Li began softly, "China has been literate for over 2500 years..."

Andrea's voice came through with clarion distinctness, just as Mr. Li was about to continue. "Sorry we were'nt paying attention earlier, did we miss much?"

As introductions were re-iterated all around, the Teleconferencing equipment earned high praise, and Bubba spent a few moments making sure that Travis had not arranged for a "cost optional demonstration." The hour was inconvenient in OZ, and when Melbourne had fallen asleep listening, he had left the kettle heating on the stove. The unrelenting shriek of the steam induced whistle had awoken Andrea, and by her efforts they were both now committed to active participation.

Ursula and Teal shushed them all up, and looked at Mr. Li expectantly. As a minority it was not a new experience, but the respect tendered was not yet substantial enough to be certifiably genuine. He continued patiently. Humor entered his eyes, and he was not deliberately dry in his delivery. "...Only recently have we had anything substantive to write down." He proceeded to share such thoughts as he believed were germane to Sam's discussion. He employed a small preamble to organize his thoughts.

The Japanese Bruce Lee pioneered the field of Military Cultural Exchange, and it is in furtherance of his philosophies that I commit some points to sound and language. My wife's name means "rain-drop," in Chinese, and we use a convention between us that we abbreviate with the nomenclature "Yin," and "Yang." First, you must understand, I am not the well spring of all knowledge about the Yin and the Yang. My biggest personal enigma is this: "Why does Yin come first? Why not Yang and Yin?" I have learned not to trouble Raindrop too much about such things - she cites her mother-in-law when she is at her wits end. While I cannot provide you with Academic citations, I think your Yin and Yang are out of balance.

He contemplated concluding. He felt he had confided; adding too much at once would be like watering a Bonsai tree. He tucked his chin under, and gave a physical "full stop," to his pause, falling silent.

Sam contemplated his own situation. They could only have one meeting a week; he still had to work things out with Melbourne about the upside-down cake business; Teal and Travis were going to make a go of it for a while, and here he was, trying to segue from a Chinese cultural exchange back to his problems with script kiddies and hackers. He did the best he could.

"Mr. Li, thank you for your candor and your brevity. We feel like we know both you and your wife better now. Bubba - I'll start and email thread with you and Travis called 'Demi-tasse.' We'll have to discuss specifics of my own internet experiences (you know I'm not a novice,) and we'll disambiguate social from conspiratorial. Deal?"

Melbourne was first to share in the accord. "Please include _me_ on the Demi-tasse dist-list," he requested. "Roger dodger," Sam replied with pedestrian enunciation of the obvious. Bubba finished up his note-taking, and organized his notes in a sheaf. Ursula present Raindrop Nippon with a painted rock, named "Star," and shared the pet registration for any kids she might have had. "It will defer their demands for puppies," she explained. Teal made Sam feel special, and Ursula made her admit that Travis was not as practical as her Sam. When the furor died down, and the laughter, all parties took their leave, and headed home.

"Light on specifics," Bubba noted, "...but interesting as a spring board to dive into the philosophical deep end." He'd be taking notice of Demi-Tasse.