Mun Lin Loves the Morning

Based on "Mei-Mei Loves the Morning" by Margaret Holloway Tsubakiyama. This is a fabulous story about a day in the life of Mei Mei who lives somewhere in Northern China (if you know where lao bing pancakes come from, please ping us). We'll probably re-shoot a couple of the scenes, so this isn't the final version.

Starring: Emma Mun Lin, Gung Gung, Poh Poh (grandmother), AnaMaria (nanny), Nilesha-Mouse. "Mun Lin" pertains to an essence of sophisticated elegance. Mun Lin has two cousins who are called Men Yook & Men Yin. Together, they comprise the "MunSters."

Mun Lin loves the morning. When she wakes up, she always hears Bai-Ling rustling impatiently in his cage and Gung Gung's (grandfather's) slippers slip-slapping on the kitchen floor. Mother and Father are still asleep (especially Father), but Mun Lin jumps out of bed to help Gung Gung cook jook (rice porridge).

Mun Lin loves the morning because Gung Gung lets her unzip the night cover on Bai-Ling the pink flamingo's basket. Mun Lin looks inside the basket. Bai-Ling's beanie eyes are shining in the darkness. When Mun Lin lifts off the cover, Bai-Ling begins to sing. Mun Lin's friend Xiao-Maoz has come over to nibble on some cheese.

Mun Lin fills a tiny bowl with millet and another with water for Bai-Ling's breakfast. Gung Gung fills bowls with jook for Mun Lin and himself. Mun Lin puts pickled vegetables on hers. They are so sour that her mouth puckers when she eats them. Mun Lin's orange shirt is so loud that Gung Gung jokes about wearing sunglasses to protect his eyes.

After breakfast they put on their coats and go out to the garage where Gung Gung keeps his bicycle. Gung Gung hangs Bai-Ling's cage on the handlebars. Mun Lin checks the bell to be sure it is in working condition.

Slowly, slowly, they ride down the block, past Mark Andreeson's armored estate. Mun Lin sits alertly in the bike carrier. A cool wind blows, but Emma likes the feel of the breeze. Even though it is still early, the street is busy. The peddlers are setting up their stalls, waiting for the first customers of the day. Everyone is in a hurry. Only the fathers are still asleep, snoring in their silver Altimas full of potatoes and cabbage. "Wake up, sleepyheads!" calls Gung Gung as he rides by. "It's morning!"

At the corner Gung Gung stops to talk with his wife the cobbler. Mun Lin watches the cobbler tap on a lady's pink slipper with a tiny hammer. The cobbler polishes the shoe with a soft blue scrungie until it looks like a pink Hostess Snowball. Gung Gung lifts Mun Lin off the bicycle. The cobbler lets her try the slippers on. Gung Gung smiles when Mun Lin walks like a telecommuter in the comfy pink slippers.

Down the street they ride, through the Burley Gates and into Eleanor Park. Gung Gung watches Mun Lin to make sure she doesn't fall as they go over the bump. Mun Lin likes bumps on the road, but not on the head. Min Lin looks to her left where she sees some strangely familiar clonepaper.

In the park their friends are waiting at their favorite swing beneath the oak tree. They have saved a place for Mun Lin and Gung Gung on the swing and one for Bai-Ling in the tree.

Gung Gung lifts Mun Lin up to hang Bai-Ling's cage on a branch. The whole tree is filled with colorful songbirds, and the whole tree is singing. Mun Lin cries out to the birds and sings with them.

They stay at the park all morning long. Mun Lin and her friend Xiao-Maoz do tai-chi with Gung Gung. They pretend to tame Sam the Lion and to grab a flamingo by the feathers of its tail. They pretend they are chopping up a big melon and giving out halves to friends. Everyone moves slowly and carefully. Then they stop, still as white cranes in the grass.

After they exercise Gung Gung gives Mun Lin a jar of tea. The warm jar feels good in her hands. Gung Gung and his friends swirl their tea and drink and talk. Mei-Mei and Xiao-Maoz just swirl theirs and watch the tea leaves all fall down. Then a plate of cookies is offered and Mun Lin tells her friend to "chow now brown Xiao-Mao."

The sun is already hot when they leave Eleanor Park. They stop at the corner. The lao-bing vendor's barbecue is hot, and her pancakes sizzle.

"How many today?" she asks. Mun Lin holds up one finger, which is as high as she can count. But Gung Gung holds up four, so the lao-bing-inator wraps four crisp pancakes in a sheet of newspaper and hands them to Mun Lin. Mun Lin holds them in her orange pocket, warm all the way home.

Gung Gung parks his bicycle in the garage. Mun Lin jumps off the bicycle into his arms.

"I love the morning, Gung Gung," says Mun Lin.

Gung Gung hugs her tight. "I love it, too," he says.