July 30 - Some Thoughts on A Special Friend

Ni Hao,

As this journey winds its way to a close, I need to take a moment to acknowledge Tang Gang, the head of the Foreign Affairs Department here at Bijie University...

Tang has been a wonderful host to both Nancy and me. He has been gracious, welcoming, accommodating, and very supportive of the partnership between the Guizhou Education Bureau and Oakland University. Tang is a master facilitator, always available to solve any difficulties that arose: from providing us each with a very nice apartment, to having mosquito netting installed around our windows, to purchasing a mosquito tent for our beds, to acting as a liaison between ourselves and the students - he has been an absolutely wonderful partner in this Summer Language Institute.

Tang also devoted a considerable amount of his "non-official" time to us during our stay in Bijie. It is due to Tang's generosity that we were able to visit the Zhijin Caves, the Huangguoshu Waterfall in An Shun and the Yi Cultural Center in Dafang.

In addition, we have been mentors to each other regarding the study of both Chinese and English. Tang has been especially interested in learning the subtle shades of meanings of various English words, and we have also introduced him to many new idioms.

During our Class Talent Show, Nancy and I performed a skit while fumbling with chopsticks and a bowl of noodles. Tang was instrumental in helping us create a phoenetic script that allowed us to deliver the skit in Chinese. He suggested dialogue and coached us in pronunciation. Our own pronunciation of Chinese is pathetic compared to his mastery of English, so we had many laughs during the rehearsal process with Tang.

He worked patiently with the kitchen staff regarding preparation of our meals in the student canteen. I think that he knew he was in for a wild ride when Nancy asked for, "No dog, no cat, no fish, and no bean curd". Tang also introduced us to many of the food specialties in the areas we visited, and we are grateful to him for expanding our culinary palettes.

Tang also helped us to understand many Chinese customs, especially in regard to traditional protocol related to procedure and ceremony. He has been masterful at coordinating the details, and we appreciate his careful attention to the many significant details that create experiences which are fulfilling and memorable for everyone involved.

Thank you, Tang, for your kindness and your unending generosity. Your presence and diligent leadership made our teaching and living in Bijie a very memorable joy. We thank you for your warm heart and for your amazing sense of humor. We will always remember you with great fondness...