About two months ago, Barry invited me to comment on his paper "Networking Guanxi". (Guanxi is the Chinese word for social relationships, social capital and so on). He had just come back from Montreal that day and was quite tired.
However, when we sat in front of the computer and began to revise the paper, he got quite excited. His fingers flied on the keyboard, while he nodded his head and smiled. I already expected that he would sing an old song. OK, he didn't. However, I was surprised to see that a man who so enjoyed and was absorbed by his work. After two hours back and forth, we finished that paper. Several days later, a Chinese sociologist, Bian Yanjie sent Barry an email, and I also got a copy of it. Prof Bian said he was "so happy to see a major network scholar, to engage in and to guide studies on Guanxi". He invited Barry to serve as a discussant in the guanxi session of an international conference.
You know how Barry answered this invitation? "I am super-flattered and relieved. When I wrote the paper (last December mostly), I was terrified that old China hands would denounce me. Hence I carefully worded it to say that I don't know much about guanxi, but I do know about network analysis, so I will bring my expertise to bear on my ignorance. Indeed, when I did a quickly revised version, using the suggestions of my students I said to them, 'Now readers can't say that only an ignorant foreigner wrote this: I can blame all of my mistakes on you!' I am sincerely afraid that being a discussant will cruelly expose my ignorance about guanxi and China. One week in Taiwan, one in HK, one day in Guangdong, and 5,000 meals in Toronto restaurants do not make me an expert. Would you be satisfied if I agreed to attend and just comment from the audience?"
Later I talked with a fellow student, "Some people say that Barry is arrogant. Look, he is, indeed, very humble. He knows who he is." My fellow student said, "Yeah, if I were him, I would like to accept the invitation. Why not?" Then the student asked, "Wait a minute. How long has Barry been in Toronto?" I answered, "Hmmm, about thirty years, I guess." This student is an absolute quantitative guy, "and he said that he had had 5,000 meals in Toronto's Chinese restaurants? Wooo, he must be a big fan of Chinese food!" I was confused, "I don't know. Maybe." My fellow student said, "5,000 meals for 30 years! That means that Barry must have gone to Chinese restaurants almost every day!"
[Actually, it is
34 years this coming July. Which is only about 150
Chinese meals/year. Or one every other day. This guy needs to study more.]
~ Wenhong Chen