Of course, long emails aren't that common; most are short notes, questions, and random thoughts.

      “Going uptown this weekend. Any recommendations?”

   “Our assignment this semester is theatre design, and the professor wants us to design a production of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. What's Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai?”

       “Did you see the discussion about Singlish in today's paper?”

      “Shall we schedule our meeting for 8 o'clock next week? Who else are we meeting?”

       “I went to Mute's concert last night, I was so excited……”

    Besides these, I most often receive jokes, inspirational quotes, and motivational messages.

      A new sentry says to a superior officer who refuses inspection upon entering the military camp:  “I'm going to shoot now. Please forgive my transgression. I'm a new recruit, sir, please instruct me. Should I shoot you? Or the driver who brought you to the camp?”

      Yes, a smile can ease a lot of worries. After receiving similar jokes, I sometimes think: Is this a modern-day version of Shang Yang's self-defeating reforms in the Spring and Autumn period?

      “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!”

     “Watching the second hand on the clock, don't you get inspiration from its tireless movement?”

      These are vivid, universal, optimistic, and encouraging reminders, radiating warmth and friendship. Using the  “forward” function makes it convenient. However, sometimes I worry that our online shaping of our minds seems too inclined towards the American mindset. The emphasis is on initiative and self-reliance, more than Confucian virtues of benevolence and righteousness.

      With email, I haven't abandoned in-person meetings or phone calls. Email simply provides modern people with another option, supplementing communication methods.

      Email hasn't replaced my reading. Email simply breaks the unidirectional nature of my reading, making my reading material richer and more diverse. Besides sharing the joy of reading with friends, it allows me to see what my friends are reading, what topics they're interested in, and thus better understand their thoughts and mindsets.

      When sending emails, I don't have to worry about hanging up the phone, wondering if my friend has the time or mood to talk. Because of email, when I meet my friends, we don't need a warm-up period and can immediately start a good conversation.

      The most memorable experience happened two weeks ago……

      A childhood friend fell ill, suffering from a high fever. He ended up having surgery at the hospital to remove his tonsils. I heard the news in a roundabout way. I didn't know when he went to the hospital, when he had surgery, or whether he had been discharged.

      I called to offer my condolences. The person who picked up the phone struggled to speak, his words unclear, his voice fluctuating uncontrollably. I realized his surgery had just finished. From his voice, I heard the pain of his wounds, and his anxiety and frustration. I comforted him for a while and quickly hung up. Suddenly, I thought of the internet.

      The next day, he emailed back……

• I'm not fit to see anyone right now. My immunity is still low, and the doctor is worried about bacterial  infection.

• The biggest gain from this surgery is that I've returned to my 32-inch waistline; I can wear my old  pants again.

• I've started working again; I've increased my driving speed from 20 meters per second to 100, 150 meters per second……

     Has email brought me closer to my friends? Yes, not only in quantity but also in quality.

       Phone calls can make porridge; computers can make soup.