That’s me, lurking by the elementary school wrought-iron fence, standing with my hands in the pockets of my peacoat. I’m half Chinese, half Caucasian, shoulder-length black hair, ovoid face, epicanthic eyes, soft nose, thick lips, still boyish, I like to think, at age thirty-seven. Behind me are the children, my daughters included, a rabbling swirl of high-pitched noise, shouts piercing other shouts, aural confetti, almost impossible to reproduce in a studio. Around me are my fellow parents. Dutiful. Concerned about the school. But don’t underestimate them. They will draw and quarter you if you fuck with their kids. God help you if you happen to venture onto the playground at the wrong time. I did it once, trying to record that school-yard din for a project of mine. I walked right into the recess playground through the unlocked gate, wearing headphones, carrying an omni-directional microphone and a digital recorder. Teachers, attendants, and parent volunteers swarmed me—they came rapp…