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Greetings,

First, sincere and contrite apologies to all the Middle Kingdom podcasts listeners and subscribers.

No excuses for tardy audio adventures. Let it be said: 1) it's all process 2) we record them and upload through the .mac Abracadabra site with sporadic success using the "non-proxy" ISP 3) if the upload is successful, then we use the "proxy" to get them to Journeys. This rigamarole is due to this site being blocked internally by Mandarin gremlins and shock troops in a leaking boat off shore. Strange and totally absurd.

Probably because you live, breath, laugh and love in a location where access and uploading is a breeze. A cool wisp of air across melting sand castles. Palms dancing in light and microscopic imaginary fibers.

In other words, when MK 31 is up, it's up and you'll see and hear it. Just finished "What Am I Doing Here?" by Bruce Chatwin, a marvelous travel book and an excellent question.

Now enjoying "The Book of Imaginary Beings" by Jorge Luis Borges and "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Murakami. On films: Babel, The Good Shephard and The Departed. An Oscar for Martin S. this year, a long overdue tribute.

Meanwhile, ah, the pure bliss of creativity zooms along at the speed of light.

Silence is an important word in my vocabulary. Fresh oil on bike chain - 2,150 miles. Our goal is to trash the 21-speed Warrior by August. Spin down the days.

Sitting in a hole-in-the-wall dive sharing rice, veggies and dark brown stewed pig meat - spit the bones on the table or floor - with friendly strangers. Whirling dusty fans overhead.

A well lit place to scribble words where a rural family, (some of the 800 million rural residents) associates and tongues laugh near blaring motorcycle horns, as mid-day heat sends wives home from small landlocked villages - home from fresh tilled fields where they labor behind oxen turning soil dancing along rows of rice planters knee deep in cool mud harvesting life and inside dark shadowed rooms men drink excellent tea in small white fragile thin cups. Ritual. Community here and now.

There were approximately 4.13 million Chinese university graduates in 2006. Their average monthly salary is 2,500-3000Y or $312.00-$375.00. Statistics indicate 60% will not find jobs.

Peace.