Sunlei is a bona fide genius. As a PhD, he spends his weekdays in a laboratory breeding table grapes. That’s right. He is currently working on a grape creation that has Thompson worried. He might also be the nicest person I have ever met. He is certainly the most patient and welcoming. The only thing that makes him better is his sweet-natured, and equally intelligent fiancé, Lin. Together, they were our personal guides in Beijing. We owe this opportunity to the Zaharris crew in Redding. They hosted Sun for a getaway at the ranch while he was studying for a year at Berkeley. One more reason to support foreign exchange!
What made our experience so rich with Sun and Lin, is the realization that we are nearly parallel couples (when you back out the genius part) living on opposite exposures of the planet. We are the same age, and though our environments are antithetic, our worldview is ironically similar. This provided me the opportunity to engage in genuine conversations, some that probably made Mao roll over in the Mausoleum. I unloaded piles of questions on Sun. Through his responses I was able to formulate an understanding of Beijing, and his life in China, that has surprised me, saddened me, informed me, and filled me with hope all at once.
Yet our time with Sun and Lin wasn’t entirely academic. They coached us through a Mongolian style hot pot meal that now wears the crown as our best dining experience in Asia. The Tsing Taos we drank by Houhan Lake are among the most memorable libations of the journey. Sun and Lin embody what the distant adventure is all about—a proper balance of enlightenment and unfettered fun.
I was moved by your eloquent description of conversations you shared with our mutual friend Sunlei. I too have spent more than a few late nights exchanging truth and conceptions with visiting scholars from China (and other countries), and I have found it to be a life enriching experience that is difficult to put into words. Thanks for your great posts.
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