In 2004, I flew to Osaka, Japan to conduct research for my next book. On the outskirts of the city, I stumbled across this magnificent tree house in the backyard of a Sony executive. More than 80 feet tall and made of red birch, it showcased woodworking techniques that had originated in Korea yet eventually surfaced in Japan in the late 1400s.

I asked Leilei, my gorgeous interpreter, if we could sneak into the garden and take a quick picture. Somehow she mistakenly took my question as a proposition, and boy was I glad. While flashing me a seductive smile, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the shade of the giant tree house. There, by the light of dawn, we made passionate love in the bonsai bushes. I remember her weeping salty tears of joy as I pulled her close and . . . Oh, crap! I just realized that’s a different photo. I actually took this one in some park in San Francisco. Sorry about that. This is my free website.