Yannan 2018 homeland visit 2-Xiamen 燕南2018年故乡行2-厦门

Apart from Fuzhou, Xiamen is my second hometown. In 1978, I was fortunate enough to become one of the first graduate students in the aftermath of the "Cultural Revolution". I then taught on the campus and in neighboring universities, and was well received and liked. Those ten years until I left for the US in 1988 were the best of my life and my career. My dorm consisted of two adjacent rooms without bathroom or kitchen, but it was conveniently located. I liked my teachers and students, and I liked the campus, in particular the famous Xiada beach, which is only ten minutes' walk away--an unparalleled nature's treat that I do not have in Salem, Oregon.

I am returning to Xiamen to visit Liqing's brother, and to visit Xiada, or Xiamen University. Like Xiamen and elsewhere, like high-speed rail etc., Xiada has progressed beyond recognition--direct result of reform and openness policies after the death of Mao. I will look forward to seeing the new faces of Xiada, but will also want to saunter on the old Xiada that I knew and loved.

My friend Prof. Ji kindly took me on a tour of Xiamen University campus, where, 40 years ago, we studied and worked for about ten years. The two Xiada-branded drinks bottled from the spring in a cave on the corner of the campus reminded me of the days when I went there to fetch water and carried the pails on a pole on my shoulder. I was pretty young and strong then. Friendship, when present, made recollections as sweet as the spring water, even though I had walked all morning, and were pretty tired up.

At the height of his career, Prof. Ji has doctoral candidates under his wing, is often invited to give lectures, and has authored a lot of publications. Yet he is retiring soon because he is approaching 60. No wonder I made two glaring mistakes today. First I put 1979 as the year I enrolled as a graduate student, then I took the wrong bus into Xiada because I confused one stop with another. So much for an alumnus who walked briskly to Xiada beach in many a summer day, 40 years ago.

除了福州，厦门是我的第二故乡。1978年，我有幸成了文革后厦门大学招的第一批研究生。1980年毕业后留校任教，1988年来美。在美丽的厦大我度过了十个美好的年头。虽然住的是筒楼（芙蓉三），但生活方便，心情舒畅，而且专业对口，校内校外都受学生欢迎。除了恩师和校园，值得怀念的还有步行十分钟可到的厦大海滨浴场。到美国后就没有这样的天然游泳池当近邻了。

这次重归厦门，一是看望丽卿的哥哥，二是看看新旧厦大。厦大这40年的发展和变化，就如同厦门，如同高铁等等，托的都是老毛去世后的“改革开放”。我会为厦大的新颜而高兴，却也希望看看厦大的旧貌，如囊萤楼和芙蓉湖。

多谢老朋友纪玉华花了一个上午，带我看了我们共同生活和学习过的旧厦大，和拔地而起的新厦大。还承他送我两瓶厦大品牌的矿泉水。厦大那个泉水山洞我记得。缺水的日子，年轻的我曾经去那里提水，挑到芙蓉三。当友情伴随回忆，回忆就是美好的。尽管一晃40年，尽管脚很酸。

玉华友当博导，到处开讲座，还写了很多书，事业正巅峰，却因为就满六十岁就要退休了。想想我自己，我先是把读研究生的年份写错了（是78年才对），然后搭公车去厦大又搭错车，把“白城”记成“西村”了。看来，不言老还真不行呢。莫谈40年前健步去挑水和去浴场的事了。