Leaders and VIP's

At 10:10 Fang lao shi (teacher Fang, a teacher and administrator in my program) comes racing into my Chinese class, saying Dr. Huang needs to be at a meeting at the new campus, and I have to end now and quickly go with Dr. Huang. That morning Dr. Huang, the husband of a teacher of mine from America, and a high official in the school here, wanted to take me to the new campus to show me around and say bye before I leave. We were schedule to leave after my Chinese class, at 10:30.

Soon after that, Dr. Huang comes in and very politely asks if we can leave earlier due to his meeting. He is a very modest man and not pushy at all. But when your boss, or "Leader" as they say in China, says we have to go, all of the people below him believe we must go as quickly as possible. After I left class, I went to put my stuff away and find My friend Wendy and translator Peng Lei, who wanted to come with me to the new campus.

I put my stuff away, and I need to go to the bathroom. "Joe, Joe, Joe, come quickly." Fang Lao Shi was banging on my door. I was peeing and I could not finish any quicker. I had drank allot of tea in the morning. Fang Lao Shi rushed me out of my room, barely enough time to fasten my belt, and into Dr. Huang's car. I did not have time to find Wendy or Peng Lei.

Dr. Huang has a brand new car to drive me to the new campus, I was the first guest -and an American at that which made him very happy. He says, " Use the school car service for Peng Lei and Wendy." So as we drive through campus, he sees a graduate student of his, and invites her along to the new campus in the suburbs of Changsha.

We arrived at the new campus, Dr. Huang went to a meeting and I chatted in his enormous office with his grad student. Wendy and Peng Lei then arrive, Dr. Huang gets out of the meeting, and a huge golf cart pulls up. It escorts us around the new campus, real VIP style, too bad I did not see any of my friends. What is amazing is how much infrastructure is put into TCM here. From what I understand, it still does not have as much respect or money as WM, but this is a huage University. It even has a man made lake, a soccer field with real grass, not just concrete, about 15 basketball courts, and indoor gym and pool, as well as huge research and teaching buildings for about 15000 students.

We have lunch in the normal Chinese fashion, in a fancy room off of the cafeteria, with some toasts and too much food. The toasts are fun, it is almost a complimenting contest, who can do it more and who is more modest. One of the doctors even offered to take me to the airport on my last day, and I just met him, very hospitable. And were then driven home, only took about an hour or so, the style of Chinese leaders, pay respects but in a very time efficient manner.