No one knows

Hopefully very soon I will be able to report to you with much punch and humor the comedic state of Chinese dentistry as tomorrow I am scheduled to receive a root canal. Cue up the laugh track.
In the meantime, since I have been negligent at blogging the important stuff, Shanghai Scrap alerted me that there has been some noise in American media about whether Cardinal Zen visited the White House last month, and whether the Chinese Media has intentially blacked out reporting it. Interesting, certainly, but for me (and you Cardinal Zen watchers out there) the most fun is Cardinal Zen's answer when asked by the South China Morning Post last week about the possible meeting, weeks after it may have happened. I posted it in the combox at Adam's blog, and I'll put it here.

Last night Cardinal Zen did not deny a report by EWTN - a US Catholic media network - that the meeting took place on May 31 in Mr Bush's private White House residence.

"I am not confirming it, but if he wanted to see me, why shouldn't I? Has Bush got leprosy?" Cardinal Zen said. "I am feeling that this is not something I should talk about."

I don't have much in the way of analysis or opinion of what the meeting may or may not have meant, but reading Cardinal Zen's quote nearly made milk come out of my nose.