When It Is a Mentor

A mentor is in town.  I’ve no time for anything but I’ll make time for a mentor.  My wife is Confucian whether she likes it or not and she who has easy access to “no” when it comes to responding to general invitations for dinners welcome this person or that, will make time when it is a mentor.  I am pleasantly surprised, for a moment.  

Where to go?  This person remembers Beijing when you needed food coupons to get regulation chow from community kitchens.  Does he want white tablecloth or nostalgia?  I recommend the new duck place at a fancy new hotel in town not far from where he’s staying.  He confirms.  The restaurant however can’t serve us:  “Completely sold out tonight.”  “Really?  It’s Monday.”   Hard to believe.  Well, it is Dragon Boat holiday.  Perhaps there’s a corporate event on. 

It used to be you’d look at free magazine or two and pick something interesting.  Now you go on line and even this feels old fashioned.  One and then another restaurant review and ancient dates like 2013 listed.  Is this place even open?  I know I should be using some phone app like dianping to discern what’s current but I can’t be bothered. 

I check and it seems that the high-end Sichuan place I remember, there in Tai Koo Li is still serving.  God knows what they want for a bowl of Dandan mian but my wife will dig it.  I’ll double check with my old friend and if he doesn’t have an aversion to numb and spicy we’ll head to this place Transit tonight.  I write him.  I call him.  He doesn’t have Wechat yet.  I can’t reach him till its nearly time to go.  I imagine my mentor at the wrong place, standing, asking for my name.  En route we connect from a phone he’s found to use and all is squared. 

Transit is a fortune but it’s crisp and tasty, and its full of people and the conversation with someone who has thought hard about China for many more years than I is splendid and effortless as I imagined it might be.  And he is thoughtful and asks my wife and my daughter’s questions which makes me warm and I learn a few more things I never knew about China, just like I assumed I would when I made time for this dinner, despite my insane schedule  

Monday 6/18/18