It started as a peaceful murmur, like a low-intensity humming reigning through the land. Finally, it filled every hamlet from sea to shining sea, and America began to rise to the heavens, never to be seen again. There she stood alone, becoming what she was: a distant illusion sought by many but attained by few.

Twenty years ago, the Rastafarians crash-landed near China. Unable to escape the Earth's gravity, they requested asylum, which the Chinese granted in exchange for technology. These Rastafarians were a sight to behold. With their glittering brown skins, slanted eyes, and a silver mane surrounding their heads like shrouds, they were unlike any beings the Earth had seen. An amorous race that spent much of their time chanting or smoking moon dust cigarettes the size of baseball bats. Their chanting produced a rudimental form of nanotechnology, a unique ability that fascinated the Chinese. Molecules move together to form various living and nonliving objects, a power that holds the Chinese in awe.

What fascinated the Chinese was the Rastafarians' ability to create mini worlds a few hundred feet above the Earth. These micro worlds started as floating rocks. Then, they sprouted water, mountains, or replicas of the Rastafarian home world. It was here that the Rastafarians ran off from time to time, taking Chinese men and women for outer-world sexual escapades.

It was a warm February day. Ambassador Chu woke up at 5, performed meditations, and glanced at his notes one last time. He called Beijing to ascertain the extraordinary would happen. They assured him it would.

Ambassador Chu had forewarned the assembly that the Chinese had a major initiative to address the growing imbalance between developing nations and advanced capitalist economies. Somebody gave a brief synopsis of the Ambassador's speech to the assembly. Highlights featured the Chinese initiative, a beacon of hope in a world struggling with inequality, a ray of light amid global challenges. As usual, assorted countries were struggling for prestige on the world stage. The Africans felt it was high time they sat on the Security Council. The Middle Eastern states saw China as a counterweight to the continuing European American power in the region. Having China as a friend or potential ally is good for business.

"Gentleman, the world community has a continuing problem,"

Chu's voice was sharp but pleasant. He scanned the room for familiar faces to give eye contact. He remembered an old school boy's adage: Speak to the audience as if you were talking to family members.

"5 percent of the world's population uses 30 percent of the resources. On top of this, the Western Nations have been the largest purveyors of weapons of mass destruction. Several nations, most notably the United States, failed to ban the building and export of land mines. The United States has refused to recognize or negotiate our legitimate rights to islands in the South China Sea. Nuclear proliferation, the instigating or outright organizing of global warfare to advance your economic interest, and the general evil of capitalist societies have caused alarm to the Chinese. The Chinese have a plan. It is a painless plan that China can implement in 24 hours. We cannot promise utopia on Earth. Man's nature is one of self-interest at the expense of his fellow man. We can promise a new beginning and an opportunity for humanity to go in a bold new direction."

Chu breathed deeply and took a quick audience scan, particularly in the direction of the Western powers. The American Ambassador was on the phone, probably attempting to digest this new Chinese lunacy. The British looked bored, and France's Ambassador was doing her nails. For the most part, those in the hall gave respect due to a significant policy shift, even though no one knew what the Chinese were up to.

Hu Song's journey began in America after a rice crop failure in his village. He was promised a job at a relative's restaurant, a job that demanded 70 hours of his week. He did everything from cooking to cleaning to whatever else was necessary to keep the restaurant running, facing the challenges head-on.

After 30 years, four children, and a significant portion of his life savings, Hu was finally able to buy the restaurant from the former owner's family, a testament to his unwavering dedication and perseverance.

The days of cooking, frying, and scrubbing pots were relentless. Then came the day like no other. The Chinese government informed Hu of an all-day meditation session. Restaurants would spend the day singing and praying. By this time, the circle was 100 feet deep. Hu's family had built a rope ladder to climb in and out. Forbidden but ignored was the Chinese government's insistence that the Song family not speak to anybody about the energy project. Every Chinese restaurant he knew had one.

The chanting began at sunrise in thousands of Chinese restaurants across the land. The Earth beneath them seemed bouncier, like a giant water balloon. Then the Earth lifted slowly, filling up with water as she broke away from Earth. Imagine if somebody cut the Nike symbol from a basketball and threw it in the sky. Nobody at first understood what was going on. Pilots couldn't locate any airport in America. She was off the radar screen. Around this new Earth grew an atmosphere. Then, the waters circled the American continent. Finally, 100 miles into space came the new planet America. The transformation was a sight to behold, a testament to the power of the Chinese initiative. America stood alone amongst the cosmos, a scene that left the world in awe and disbelief, a moment that would be etched in history forever.

So, the world of its own became a world of its own. The last superpower became its world's only power. That beaming democracy, man's last hope for freedom, became the world's only hope. There she stood, floating in space from sea to shining sea, a new icon for lonely poets and heartbroken lovers. Like a useless child, it's tentacles in every diamond mine, oil field, and crack den. Running around the planet screaming, only I became the first planetary expulsion victim.

Recently, a dozen Chinese restaurants opened in London

Serekunda, The Gambia

March 2005