I took a Chinese girlfriend of mine to a BASKIN & ROBBINS 31 Flavor ice cream store when the two of us were in Japan.

31 Flavors had a special going on - buy an ice cream and get a free key chain. I got one with Charlie Brown on it and she got one with Snoopy on it.

She looked at me very seriously and asked "Who are these two toy guys?" Less you think I date stupid people, she was in the final stages of her doctoral dissertation. (She has that PhD now).  I was the stupid one of the two.

That conversation took place about 10 years ago. She really had no idea who Snoopy and Charlie Brown were. She knew Mickey Mouse, but that was the extent of her knowledge of American cartoon characters.

Not any more - for her or for China.

click here to continue reading