I have become the stuff of Legend. At least, somehow, here in Hangzhou where faulty stories transferred by thousands of miles of wire become even more faulty. The newly arrived students were convinced that upon my arrival in China 6 months ago, I did not speak a word of Chinese. But somehow through superhuman acts of improvement, I have arrived at my current state. Which, as far as I can tell, is also overestimated. Or how about that it took me three weeks to make a note on the bamboo flute (but arduous study made me the best). Neither one of those facts is true. Or the fact that I had a life threatening illness on fall break. Not quite. But I am probably foolish to shed Truth on my legend.

Who wants to know that in reality my fall break illness was a result of hiking 27 kilometers barefoot through brush with a Chinese peasant on my shoulders? Or that my incredible concentration when learning Chinese is due to the lighted candle I hold my palm over?

No, no one, I would think.