On a recent trip to Beijing, I was stopped on a street corner by a stranger who, I presume, wanted to practice his conversational English on an American tourist. In a few short sentences, we established a common bond--an interest in Mark Twain. This gentleman informed me that he was a teacher of English at one of the universities in China and that he had done his thesis on Twain. I am posting this with the forum, not only to share the universal appeal of Twain (and perhaps a remarkable coincidence as well), but to beg the forum's indulgence for a personal ad: To the gentleman who stopped an American tourist while walking along Dong Hua Men Dajie on the evening of Saturday, June 5. If you are a member of the Mark Twain Forum, or a frequent visitor here, please email me. I'd be interested in continuing our dialogue. Once again, I apologize for what may be a misuse of the forum, but this is the only way I can think of to reestablish contact. Thank you, John Evans