"During an English class, we had a special visitor. An impressive-looking middle-aged American officer came in uniform to give us a talk on Pearl Harbour. He was a chain-smoker and our whole class was fascinated as we watched him. While his sentences were being translated by our English teacher, he would take a deep drag on his cigarette and, after an interval, let the smoke slowly escape from his nostrils.

At the end of his speech, we clapped politely. He then asked if there were any questions. There was a pause.

'Surely,' he coaxed, 'one of you young ladies must be curious about something!' He took another drag on his cigarette. We stared at the tendrils of smoke coming out of his nose.

Finally after another embarrassing lull, Wu Chun-mei raised her hand.

'Now, here is a brave young girl!' he exclaimed. 'What is your question, my dear?'

'I hope you don't mind,' Wu Chun-mei asked in her flawless English. 'But can you make the smoke come out of your ears too?'"

(extract from Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah)