But back to Thursday: we had been given our reimbursement checks (late) on Wednesday, and the morning session was slightly delayed so we could go to the bank and cash them. Great, the equivalent of $375 in Hong Kong cash. But I wanted to get it over with anyway, because cash is convertible; who knows about a check. Everyone else had the same idea. I went relatively early, so didn't have to wait in line, but I head that later the line got very long, ha ha. In any case, our session didn't start until about 10 or later. One of the rules of Open Space is "Whenever it starts is the right time"--but I think this is a principle meant to be applied within reason. Tired twenty-somethings are not always the most reasonable of beings. (I get to criticize because I am no longer a twenty-something, hee hee.)Once the meeting started no one felt especially motivated. We were supposed to go through and identify "action items" from the notes we had taken yesterday. This was a bit too business-y for us. We had mostly been telling stories and getting to know each other, not coming up with plans. Also, we had all been checking out of our rooms and worrying about this and that, arranging where we would be going next, etc. Our attention was everywhere.
After a while and a certain amount of resistance, though, people settled down, and I actually found the wrap-up session surprisingly productive. We basically broke into five groups roughly along lines of common interests. I was in the scholar group with the archivists. We ended up talking about how great it would be to have a better information-sharing network in place now just within a given FB year, but between years as well. As it is, it's like reinventing the wheel every time--trying to figure out how to get a library card, even, let alone rules about archives, what you can expect, and so on. I think we actually got pretty enthusiastic about this topic--as people tend to do when they are idealizing--but it certainly felt like a positive note to end on.Other groups seemed to have a similar experience. The arts group wanted to create a list of arts-related events. The environment group put up a somewhat weak showing, just saying that everyone should set a good example in daily life. I can't quite remember the other groups--maybe a racism and sexism group? maybe a do-gooder group? Anyway, everyone seemed much more positive than when we first sat down, which was good enough. Everyone went around with a final message for the group. I thought it was kind of cheesey how everyone wanted to say they were so totally re-energized and all. But I have to admit that I felt re-energized too, and continue to do so.
Then we went to lunch. In the lunch line I requested and received permission from the embassy gal to leave the country and go see my sweetheart in March. I also chatted with her about some of my insights into university life in China. She was impressed and I felt flattered by how useful she thought my discoveries were.
I thought I was going to have to sit by myself, but DH, one of the scholars from the scholar group, beckoned me over to a full booth. Put a chair on the end! she encouraged. She looks so much like one of my sisters it's almost funny. I sat gratefully on the end. The FB mother-hen guy, who has a comically small head, was talking with the musician guy. The musician guy has some annoying mannerisms I associate with one of my exes, but he talks more and clearly gets a lot of action from Chinese girls. The two of them were talking about adventure travel, and I was much more interested in the conversation that was going on on the other side of them, between philosophy professor SA and DH and another girl who was doing her project in Taiwan. Eventually the seats got rearranged and I got to join the other conversation. I ended up talking to SA about my job prospects. I love talking to professors sometimes. When it costs them nothing to be supportive and encouraging, sometimes they just are, and it makes me happy all out of proportion to how it should. I swear, if I get to be a professor someday I am going to do that too.
Here is a quick last shot of the beautiful HKUST campus view.
Then it was off to the bus! We--or some of us, including me--were going to Macau.
But here again, I must make my apologies and get to bed. Tomorrow is my last day at the library, so I'm sure next week I will have much more time to blog at my leisure, and hopefully have a few present-time adventures as well!Here is a preview photo for the next installment--the characteristic wavy black and white tile pavement of the old part of Macau.
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