Fourth time there to give tenth talk across four years (2004-2007).
Flew from Indy to Chicago and then biz class to Beijing. Friends await and take me to Tsinghua U, where I am greeted by the great Prof. Yan Xuetong, Director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua U and author of intro to the Chinese PNM. We have dinner on campus with one of his grad students.
Then I conk for night (left Indy Tuesday afternoon and got to Beijing Wed afternoon).
Thursday I am up with friends and we drive to Tianjin, the great port city a bit south of Beijing. Go to the big museum there (very nice), then lunch at historic Gouboli (best Chinese meal ever, perhaps), then shopping. After dinner with another significant friend helping me to get BFA published in Chinese, I spent night at local resort (Hyatt) and took in the hot outdoor baths despite the cold.
Friday is breakfast at hotel, then drive to Beijing, then lunch on Tsinghua campus with head of local start-up tech company (we had met last time), his top designer (lady) and an old friend from the PLA's civilian think tank.
After lunch back to room to prepare for talk.
Taken to talk, its about 120 students crammed into an 80-student room. My Mac won't synch up, so go with in-classroom set-up, which goes just fine. I skip echoing clip-on mike and just project, moving a lot around the class. Got maybe one hour and then do 30+ Q&A. Lively bunch, all grad students. Saw a few repeats from last year's talk at Peking U.
Then reception with international institute faculty (Tsinghua is to MIT what Peking U is to Harvard), followed by dinner with spirited discussion.
After that friends treat my ailing back to serious massage at one of these big health-spa temples full of everything from beauty makeover to haircuts to saunas to all manner of traditional massage.
After all that I am beat.
Up Friday with friend to see Mao's tomb (pretty fast) and toodle around the Olympic areas (interesting).
Then a Peking U local grungy pizza parlor for lunch (nice actually).
Then final pack up, make good-bye with Dr. Yan, who jokingly declared that soon after my talk he fears rising expectations among the faculty that all should like the exciting doctor Barnett. He laughs for effect, but it's what he's aiming for, so mission accomplished on my part. He also says BFA in Chinese is looking good.
My friends drive me to airport, we exchange gifts, and off I am for return trip that makes Saturday last for ever.
Big upshots:
--> the tenth talk creates a body of impression/fans
--> looks like BFA is greased up to roll next year
--> bonds are accumulating in a nice way.
All in all a great time, to include fab V-Day gift I had made before I left.
I fly out later that day, getting home late, but in time to get up for Mass early on Sunday where eldest son serves and youngest and I bring up the gifts, wearing my "G" tie..
Go Pack!
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