... coin you cast into the fountain On Wednesday, you greet a friend at a Chinese restaurant, kissing her on both cheeks—a European ritual you adopted after vacationing in France After your meal, you ... crack open your fortune cookie to read your fortune Your dining companion sneezes, and you murmur Gesundheit, roughly “bless you in German and Yiddish As you re leaving the table you slip your fortune-cookie ... lowering the heat, setting the burglar alarm, checking on children and pets, locking the doors and windows, and parking packed bags and briefcases by the door so we won’t forget them in the morning...