specific episode from the opera The Peony Pavilion ("Wandering in the Garden, Waking from a Dream"). Moreover, these are interwoven with allusions to the dashing and machismo of the Kuomintang officer corps and a whole host of allusions to the sensuous pleasures of elite Chinese societies - the shimmer of silk cheongsam, the smell of high quality rosewood Chinese furniture, the taste of dishes from Chinese cuisine specially selected for the event. Kunqu is itself native to the area near Nanjing and Suzhou in China, in other words, it refers to the seat of Kuomintang government and support prior to exile in Taiwan. The story alludes to specific dishes of the Huaiyang cuisine, another reminder of the Nanjing area. Winter Night (冬夜) In a richly ironic tale, two professors talk about their careers, and the contrast between their glorious and idealistic student days—particularly their role in the student demonstrations that ushered in the May Fourth Movement—and the feelings of failure, hypocrisy, and desertion that they currently battle. State Funeral (國葬) This story takes a none-too-subtle parting shot at the Mainlander ethos. At a state funeral for an important general such as his father, the general's old aide is bewildered to confront the old and feeble men who once constituted China's "Steel Army" and "Iron Forces." The only connection to the old Mainland idea seems to be the long line of black limousines, "like a serpent," in the funeral procession. This story, written about 7 years before the death of Chiang Kai-shek seems to foretell the inevitable consequences of the natural death of the KMT's military leaders. References Taipei People, written by Pai Hsien-yung, translated into English by Pai Hsien-yung and Yeh Pei-Shia, edited by George Kao. . Wandering in the Garden, Waking from a Dream: Tales of Taipei Characters, written by Pai Hsien-yung, translated into English by Pai Hsien-yung and Patia Yasin, edited by George Kao. . Collections Taipei People (bilingual edition). Tr. by the author and Patia Yasin, Edited by George Kao. HK: The Chinese University Press, 1999. Individual stories "The Eternal Yin Hsueh-yen." Tr. Katherine Carlitz and Anthony C. Yu. Renditions, 5 (1975): 89-97. (See "The Eternal Snow Beauty" above.) "Jung's by the Blossom Bridge." Tr. Chu Limin. In Chi Pang-yuan, et al., eds., An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Literature. Taipei: National Institute for Compilation and Translation, 1975, 2: 279-94. (See "Glory's by Blossom Bridge" above.) "Miss Chin's