Reporters on the Job

• Key Lime in Beijing : Staff writer Robert Marquand had heard about a famous American grandmother and her comfort food in Chengdu, China (page 1). Some day, he thought, he ought to do a story about her. Then, she and her adopted Chinese son opened a restaurant not far from his home in Beijing. "Suddenly, I could eat Tex-Mex here. The food, the environment, it all works to create an oasis of the great American West here in the East," says Bob.

His favorite dish? As a native Floridian, Bob knows his key lime pie. "My grandmother made fresh key lime pie like no other. And, this is a pretty good facsimile - graham cracker crust and all. I'd give it a B-plus."

• No Leaks This Time : Staff writer Scott Baldauf says that covering Pakistan President Musharraf's last visit to India in July 2001 was more fun, and easier, than covering yesterday's (this page). Back then, Pakistani diplomats kept reporters informed on an almost hourly basis. "There were more leaks than on the S.S. Minnow on Gilligan's Island. The highlight was a televised interview by Mr. Musharraf in front of a panel of Indian editors, in which Musharraf basically raised expectations by hinting that the Kashmir problem could be solved once and for all," says Scott.

This time, expectations are lower, and Pakistani officials have kept entirely mum, says Scott. "When Indian Foreign Ministry officials have spoken, they have stuck to squishy phrases like 'positive and forward looking.' But they have given us little else to chew on," he says.

David Clark Scott
World editor

• Name That Monkey : The Internet casino GoldenPalace.com had the winning $650,000 bid in a contest to name a new species of titi monkey in Bolivia, as reported on Feb. 24, "To protect wildlife, play 'name that primate'." The name: Callicebus aureipalatii, Latin for "Golden Palace."