I was born in a beautiful South China city, Suzhou, for centuries known as "Heaven on Earth." In the spring, a hazy, gentle drizzle turns everything to shades of green--tender, but vague--much like a half-remembered dream, in which bridges, rivers, lanes, and homes blend, without boundaries. There my imagination was born...My fondest dream, since coming to the U. S., has been to share aspects of my homeland's rich history and culture with Western readers.