The flame in Beijing has been extinguished, but after hosting the 2008 Olympics in spectacular fashion, the world has been suited with a better understanding of a nation and culture that historically was insulated and cryptic.
Yet, generations of isolation might explain how, as Jennifer 8 of the NY Times inspected, the Fortune Cookie was able to infiltrate Chinese-American cuisine, when most Chinese have never seen the gratuitous treat.
To research her new book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Ms. 8 traveled throughout China handing out fortune cookies to pedestrians, documenting their curious reactions.
It would appear that they are more confounded by the cookie’s absurdity than its amusement.
~R.K. Gella