As I listen to 'Close to You' by The Carpenters on the way to work, it really hits me that I've reached a quarter of a century. The big day was last week, and despite the splattering of cosmopolitans on its eve...the birthday weekend was comprised of a quiet weekend away from the city. (Note: Shanghai is a city of 23 million, Suzhou's population of 10.5 million is quiet in perspective.) Gone are . . .