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The Signs of Autumn Make Yao Emo

Oct 20, 2008, 7:30 PM UTC

Translated by Spencer Hall. â†µâ†µ(Yao Sigh.)â†µ

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â†µâ†µFall has come. It makes Yao sad to see the signs of autumn, like the leaves falling, or the smell of squash dumplings on the streets of my hometown Shanghai, or the cold wind rushing off the waves of the Huangpu in October. Sitting here with my twisted ankle only deepens the sudden sorrow I feel at life moving too quickly. â†µ

â†µâ†µDuring fall in Shanghai, I often stroll the broad sidewalks of the Waitan by the river. The ferries come and go across the river from the old city to the new city across the Huangpu River. We are like the ferries that cross its waters each day, passengers on an unstable ship making our way from one city to the next, caught between two worlds with no life jackets and only each other to cling to against the bitter currents of life. It is beautiful, and sad, and makes tears flow down Yao’s cheeks. â†µ

â†µâ†µI wipe the tears away, one at a time, with 1000 Yuan bills. They soak up tears very well. â†µ

â†µâ†µI must play, and the season has arrived. Yao cannot be sad; so many depend on him! Especially Lanny’s Big and Tall in Houston, whose tailors knit only the finest Scottish wool into this warm grey sweater comforting Yao throughout the chilly fall and into winter. That’s Lanny’s, 713-555-3941 for all your big clothes needs.â†µ

â†µâ†µ(Double Yao sigh.) â†µ

â†µâ†µLife is but a flower wilting on the stem of time; we are plucked at our peak where beauty meets ruin. â†µ

â†µâ†µSad,
â†µEmo Yaoâ†µ

â†µâ†µPS. Also, Tracy McGrady gave me an advance of the new Kanye CD. It’s tight. â†µ

â†µâ†µYao Ming plays for the Houston Rockets. He lives in Houston and Shanghai, and knows that no day is truly cold when you keep an eternal spring in your heart. â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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