A Summer Moocat

PANCHIAO, TAIPEI COUNTY, TAIWAN (MPI) — They’re nuts about tomatoes here in Taiwan — really big these days. Anything with tomatoes in it is big-time hyped as having those amazing tomato-related health benefits. Ever-present in each convenience store are tall, 600ml bottles of tomato juice, tomato-flavored milk, rice noodles “WITH REAL TOMATOES,” and yes, even tomato ice cream pops.

All this, by way of saying, Welcome to the summer moocat.net! This issue features the largest number of essays the moocat has published in a single issue: six. Eight travelogs from the author’s 1996 SE Asian sojourn complete the story of the Vietnam leg of that trip. This issue also features a few samples of the work of two cartoonists.

I’m a little embarrassed to note that there are no new poems in this issue — just haven’t received the submissions necessary to treat you with the usual bevy of moocat-quality work. So please — if you know where good poetry can be found, tell your poet friends about moocat.net!

Enjoy!