I attended a wedding last Saturday. Didn't even know the bride and groom. They are close friends of a friend of mine who took me there. Hadn't expected to see anyone there I knew. But incredulously the first person I met at the party was one of my high school classmates. (I missed a reunion party of our class in July and estimated that the next reunion wouldn't take place until five years later.) She happened to be the bride's childhood friend. She was standing near a guest book and was about to ask me to sign, when our eyes met and both of us went speechless. Couldn't remember the last time when I got so transfixed and dumb with amazement.

It was a characteristic Chinese wedding. The bride wore a pure white bridal gown throughout the wedding ceremony, but changed into a red cheongsam later at the banquet.

Checking out friends' blogs has become one of my most enjoyable hobbies. The incomparable convenience of broadband internet connection allows us to stay in contact with people we care but don't often see in person. Besides blog services like Windows Live, there are QQ, msn messenger, Skype, etc. My favorite mode of communication is reading friends' blog updates and leaving neatly phrased comments.

But with no more than two entries each month, two-way communication is nearly out of the question. I couldn't help feeling guilty now and then, leaving my own space unattended, my own life unshared while avidly absorbing information about other people's recent goings-on. There are all kinds of memorable moments in life—joy, surprise, aspiration and achievement, or even sorrow and distress—my friends want to share with me. Some of them live and work in another city; some are old friends who used to be part of my life but not anymore. Reading about them makes me feel still actively involved in their lives. I should have given them the same kind of pleasure I've got by visiting their spaces.

Imagine what it feels like when you click on some alumna's icon in the buddy list and the next moment her wedding pictures unfold before your wonder-struck eyes. Of course you don't come up with such big surprises every day, but that's what is cute about this online community. You know there is always something to look forward to.