In my quest for the right Cinder(f)ellow my search took me home to America and then to Australia. Did the right guy appear, you ask? If you kept up with my story line concerning the dreams I had to find the right man you might find this story interestingly sweet.

“Finding a Soul Mate” was the blog about how to manifest your mate, it came to me in a dream. For thirty days I envisioned myself in what I called ‘like particles’ to the universe. “30 Days and do I have a Soul Mate” is the blog that explains the end of my quest with four men that contacted on the thirtieth day. I did not elaborate who these gentlemen where in hopes I would meet them and actually see what developed. I bought a couple fish that last day for my soul mate company. As you know the bright orange koi lovingly named President Hu died, and when I returned to China Oba-mao my black and white with a touch of socialist orange koi had moved on too. Sadly my fish tale ends, but my black shoes begins…

When I got to America I lined up my dates and checked out their intent as well as shoes. I had a date with a handsome Dallas photographer, like a Nikon and a Canon, no match. I meet up with a polite Vegan at Sumi Veggie in Richardson, still I am vegetarian he is vegan, not quite a match either. On to Houston and my promised enchilada dinner with a wonderfully great inventor. Friends forever I can say, but not the click I was hoping for. Where are my black shoes?

Two months in Texas, Colorado and California on to OZ! Yes Australia! To my surprise, Ross met me at the Brisbane airport with a stuffed kangaroo. I am a sap for gifts and he warmed my heart immediately. A long drive up the east coast to Bundaberg in Queensland, and me screaming, “we are on the wrong side of the road!” “Crikey!” Billboards of Steve Irvin, home of the crocodile hunter wiz past as we drive in lush tropical landscapes. It is winter, but more like a Texan spring. Ross and I spend ten wonderful days together on the beach checking out the turtle rookery and coral reefs. I meet his delightful neighbors Ian and Kathy, his Chinese friends and wonderful cooks David and Tobi, and have a treatment with his acupuncturist Dr. James.
We talk about metaphysics and beyond with his friend Jeff, the optometrist. Ross is an intellectual, pilot, engineer and a trading systems researcher. His Bundaberg home is a quaint Queenslander he is restoring. The property is covered in palms, ferns and tropical plants of all kinds, as a green thumb I am amazed at the amount of plants I can actually name. His tiger cat, Mr. Slick eventually takes an interest in me and I can feed Oprah his fat black chicken! Ross is a gentle man that opens car doors, cooks, makes reservations for the best table at a charming beach restaurant on my birthday and takes me to hold and pet a koala and kangaroos. I fell in love with the koalas and the man!

His shoes are Aussie boots, or white tennies not at all the black shoes I saw in my dream. He believes the shoes are a metaphor for my hopes, all the marbles are like tossing these hopes and dreams into an older culture China, represented by the pagoda. The chaos of the past, in the imagery of the marbles finds their way to a life of love and respect in the elegant worn black shoes.