Scholarly; Leaf Poem

Thursday: I got up early and went to my meeting with LGs. Although I was very anxious beforehand, I think these meetings are getting progressively more comfortable. I learned quite a lot, as usual. And he suggested an outline for the first article. My only fear is that I may have too little to contribute. But I shall do my best.

A cautionary note that he did sound: he wanted to make sure that the work that he and I did together did not end up being to the credit of Beida--he told an unfortunate story of how a student asked him to be a de facto PhD advisor, but his Beida advisor had ended up with all the credit. LGs is quite loyal to his own university and even suggested I could transfer there if I wanted--he could pull the strings for me. I certainly don't want to do that, as my relationship with YHz is very good now as things are. However, I hastened to assure him that my work with him and my work at Beida are two completely separate things, which is quite true, and any work we produce together will definitely have his name and university at the top, not buried in some acknowledgments! I explained that since in China I am a non-degree student, affiliation with Beida is mostly bureaucratic as far as my situation is concerned, and in reality I am very free here--only my advisor back in the States really has a say in what I do. He seemed reassured.

He gave me a homework assignment, which pleased me very much, and arranged at time for our next meeting. All off this occurred within the two-hour time-span allotted to us by our boss, his wife ZWx, and I think I did not tire him out particularly. I think he is pleased at our collaboration. Being a scholar is lonely work, at least as far as I have seen, and perhaps being a retired scholar moreso (though he is still very active going to conferences at local universities). I hope it's nice for him to have a student again.

After the meeting I felt enthusiastic and spent most of the afternoon working on the homework assignment he had given me. The only other thing I did was drop by the Chinese department and try to register with them. However, the person I was looking for was not in. They do not keep very regular hours in their administrative offices here! I did take this picture of the hallway in the department, however, because I thought the sun coming in the windows looked pretty. We've been having great weather, more like September than October, sunny and too warm for sweaters, though too cool for t-shirts--and crystal clear, not like the thick smog of the summer. Really nice.

I waited a while for the office person to come back (she didn't) and while I was waiting sat under a tree on the lawn, a sort of quad where lots of people sit and study or bring their children to play. The ground under the tree had a few fallen leaves, and imagine my surprise when I picked this one up! I'm not sure if the poem is an original composition or a quote from something. Google search is inconclusive--it seems like a heavily allusive musing, perhaps? I am not a great translator of poetry (corrections welcome!), but it seems to say:

Also I have seen the red leaves that fill the sky:
Falling, they fly in drifts--
This floating, this fading.

Some romantic soul! I took a picture but left the leaf itself there under the tree for someone else to find and be delighted by.