“Yes, this is Eddie,” he began talking on the phone. “Adam’s very sorry, but this really isn’t a good time to talk about what you want to talk about.”

By this point, I was spelling to him, “We really need to be walking the other way!”

“Why isn’t it a good time,” Eddie answered over the phone, “well, it’s after 1:00 in the morning here, we’re somewhere in downtown Shanghai, and this dirty, tipsy guy is staggering over here.” Eddie’s eyes bulged when he saw exactly what the drunk guy was gesturing to us.

“Oh my!” Eddie blurted out nervously. “He thinks we’re rich American tourists willing to pay him to engage in . . . some . . . umm . . . questionable physical behavior.”

“Shanghai, China?!?!” Dawn shouted over the phone.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Hilton,” page 14

“Ironic,” Eddie said to me as we stood atop the Tiananmen Gatein Beijing, China, looking down onto Tiananmen Square.

“Umm?” I vocalized.

"Well, you said this is the Gate of Heavenly Peace,” Eddie answered, turning to me, “but it’s also where the Chinese military killed about 800 student protesters.” I nodded and started finger spelling.

“Maybe, there’s no such thing as heavenly peace here on Earth.”

“The Gate of Heavenly Peace,” page 36

In Beijing, while Eddie and I were standing atop the Tiananmen Gate, I said I didn’t believe there was such a thing as heavenly peace here on Earth. But, now that Dawn’s committed to our relationship, I feel what we have is as close to Heaven as any two imperfect persons are ever going to get. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

“How My China Trip Brought Dawn and Me Together,” page 66