Dinner with the family

Before I get started, I think I added two movies to my previous post.

I was fortunate to get a dinner invitation from my colleague's (Wangping Sun in my department who is from Beijing) aunt and uncle. I was picked up outside where I am living by Jack, His mother and father and someone else. I never did make that connection. Jack, was visiting with his wife who are from NJ, working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in NYC. His wife has a job at Lehman Brothers (I think another investment firm). They just happened to be here for a 2-week visit with their family and speak excellent English. Well, it turns out that his mother and father weren't the aunt and uncle, they were invited to a family get together with the aunt and uncle. They are related to the aunt and uncle through marrage (I think). First picture is (R to L) the aunt, uncle, me, Jack's wife, Jack (couploe from NY), wifes's father (husband of the aunt's sister, they own the company), and Jack's parents.

The aunt and her sister own a business called Shanghai Junle Refrigeration Control Company. The uncle is the President and General Manager. Also seems to be the patriarch of the family. I got a tour of the business. 300 employees making pressure control switches and heaters for air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. The level of technology reminded me of most US plants in the 40's. Many people doing tasks that would typically be mechanized today. I asked if I could take a picture, but was told no because of the competition seeing how they do things. I got a laugh to myself out of that. But, everyone was happy, the sales manager who took me around felt that it was a family atmosphere and most people had worked here 10 or so years. There were dormitories at the plant where the workers from far provinces would live and only return home during holidays. The owners lived at the company during the week and had a modest house just across the yard. I can see why they are successful.

At the dinner in a very nice restaurant were about 30 family members. I never did figure out if the event was for me or they had already planned it. I did sit next to Mr. Zhang Ren Jun and his wife???? Great food and wine and lots of it. Mushrooms, squid, fish, beef, pork, pig's stomach (the second time for this, I'm developing quite a taste for it...wonder if I can pick some up it at Alberton's). What do you think about the lazy-susan that they use to serve. The food just keeps coming around. Typically you do not load your plate up, just take bites with your chop sticks as the plates revolve around. There were about 10 toasts. Different individuals would walk around the tables and say something (no clue) and toast you. It was great. Very hospitable people.

My social calender is filling up. Tomorrow I visit the "Lake City" south of Shanghai with a tour group and one of my co-teachers. Next Saturday I have been invited to dinner with some of Wangping's friends from college. They have asked if it would be ok for them to also invite one of their friends that is a professor from a "top college" in Shanghai to talk about collaboration with OIT. It seems very important to indicate status or prestige in the Chinese culture. (The school I am teaching at is ranked 96th. I guess there are about 6,000 different types of universities or colleges in China).

Then there is a goodbye dinner planned with the dean the following week. I then want to invite my two co-teachers, international hostess and all their spouses and one 13 year old to dinner before I leave.

All for now.