Wang, Jun
Mr. Zhuang has done a marvelous job, far beyond my expectation. Huang’s work of Phys’89 drivers is also fantastic. I am so thankful to them to be overpraised as the “best driver” of Phys’89, which is obvious an undeserved complimentary to me. But I do drive a lot at our meeting both in Washington and Boston, and lots of guys have been my passengers. So this article is made as replenishment to Huang’s job.
The most courageous passenger, Huang Xiaoming.
On our way down the Mountain Washington, the brake of my car totally lost function, due to the mis-manipulation. I’d say we are so lucky that the brake is down right at the bottom of the hill. It is the first time I am so scared, ever since I begin to drive, because Ms. Tian Lin and Zhang Qian are in my car. I can’t imagine if they got hurt. Anyway, after the brake was recovered later, we can not let two girls take the risk. Huang stood out and said “want to go to either the heaven or hell with me”. We almost got into another fatal accident, while Lei Ming leading us to a wrong lane. We avoided a head on collision at 65 m/h at last second. If it does happen, I probably have a little bit chance to survive, because there is an air bag at the driver side. To show my respect to Huang’s courage, I joke to him, if, then I will get two wives, one for him and one for myself, which, you know, looks like mission impossible for me.
The passenger who has the most learning spirit, Duan Gang.
The first time we have the meeting in Washington last Christmas, he said he want to learn driving. When I went to Washington two months ago, he said he want to learn how to drive stick shift car. I am sorry Duan, I promised every time but never realize. Come on, who ever can drive steak shift car, can you help this guy out of there?
The most “Muo4 Ji1 (slow)” passenger, Xu Jianling.
In the first meeting at Washington, before the soccer game, he took my car to air the soccer ball. We tried one gas station after another and cant find one has the air bump. It is kind of late, time pass by, and we drive far and far. Finally I lost patience, and tell him to give up, who is still eager to check another one. Based on the behavior of Xu and the all new appearance of me (embodied in the morning at the hotel at Maine), I apply for your admission to pass this title from me to the more deserved one, besides his “Xu 100”.
The most know-how driving passenger, Huang Shu.
Maybe Huang Shu is more looks like a driver than anyone else is. Whoever has been in the same car with him (no matter see him driving or not) will know he is a good driver. Huang Sir, as a passenger, is with me much longer than Huang Shu, but he always believe Huang Shu is better, till now. The last comment from Huang Xiaoming is, he told me at Boston, “I think Huang Shu and you are the best drivers of 89”.
The passenger, a most well prepared writer, Zhang Yu.
Zhuang Sir is the most silent one among these passengers, but he keeps tracking each single stuff. This is the reason that he mentioned in his great article that I have ever joked that I always drive on highway 95, while I can not remember at all.
The most narratives favorite passenger, Liu Xiaofeng.
Luo Di always wants to sit in my car, to hear me to “tell story”. All those I told him are from Feng Donghai. However, Luo Di doesn’t look like to listen to the original story teller. On the way back to Boston, he fell into sleep after an exhausting soccer game. I was talking with Miss Zhang who is also in the car, said now Luo Di can not hear story. Luo Di woke up right away, and ask “What story?”
The most harmonious passengers, Lei Ming and Tao Kai.
They stayed too long together, and their cooperation always seems seamless. On the way to pick up the rental car at airport, Lei Ming said, Tao Kai is the best “old horse”. But old horse turns to lead us to a wrong exit on the highway. Lei Ming found every kind of excuses until you feel that everyone have to make the same mistake on their way to the airport. Don’t you guys feel that they two even looks alike now?
The passenger most lack of common sense of car, Tian Lin.
How many times did Ms Tian be in a car? I do not know. She was in my car all the way to the White Mountain, but until the brake loss function did she realize that there are two kind of cars in the world, automatic and manual, and my car happened to be a manual. After we returned the rental cars, my car can only accommodate Ms Tian and Zhang Qian besides all the stuffs, so I am worrying that we will have trouble to find the way to home. Ms. Tian question why I do not let Tao Kai to drive back. Obvious in her sophistical mind, automatic car is much complicate than manual. Ms. Tian is Ms. Tian.
The passenger most dare to tell the truth, Tian Lin.
As good as Ms. Tian, I hope no one will say something if she has two “most”. On the way to the White Mountain, she and Ms Zhang are in my car. We talked about cooking. I asked how good is she and I assert that lots of boys are better than girls among us, while Duan Gang is an outstanding represent and I am proud to be one of them. Ms. Tian announces that if a man knows how to cook, it means, “he is afraid of sth”. You can imagine what is my feeling at that time, angry, disappointed, dejected, while keep the speed of more than 70 m/h. She is right. Remember at Washington, the guys who stay most in the kitchen are Duan, Huang Shu and me, while Peng fan never step in. I talked this topic a lot with a lot of persons, but no one can get into it as deep as Tian to a theoretical height. Ms. Tian is Ms. Tian.
The most self-confident passenger, Zhang Qian.
As I said before, after returned the rental car, my car can only accommodate her and Ms. Tian besides all the stuff. We are on our own and no one to follow. Ms Zhang said she knows the route of Boston well. The fact is we lost at the first intersection, turns on an opposite highway. At the time I am desperate to find the way to Lei Ming and Tao Kai dorm, she could comfort you, “Don’t worry, I can find it if we can get into within one mile distance of it”.
The most high class passenger, Feng Donghai.
All the stories I told Luo di are from him. He knows all the democratic elite, like Wang Ruowang, Wang XiZhe, Chen Yizi, etc, who are thought by me to be far away before and now looks closer. If someday there will be Chinese “Father of Democracy”, it should be from one of those. When talking about them, Feng behaves exactly like a successful politician, except for some time inattentively flip cigarette ash directly to the floor of my car.
The most skeptical passenger, Duan Gang.
Duan have so many characters, so I have to give him another title. Even good drivers will loss sometime. We always joke that we use only two soccer disposition, 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 (should we try Qi Wusheng’s famous 4-5-1?). At that time we happened to be in a 4-4-2 (10 persons in three cars), and Duan is the only passenger. We were lost right after an unsuccessful try at a hotel (my car is always the last one). We drove on to the planned route, and cant catch up the others. We realized they may have changed their mind and went to a different highway, so have to went back to the hotel and wait there (our only choice). After a while, I asked him, what will the others do when they found we lost, and guess that they will leave a car wait there and send the other back to find us (The best choice, and the one happened). Duan doubted, “Are they so smart to make this decision?”
The most careful passenger, Luo Xiaohui.
At Philadelphia, he always worry about we will get into an accident. Probably this poor guy only sit in cars without insurance before in America, and can not feel the tranquility of sitting in an insured car.
The most unwanted passenger, Peng Junyu and Zhao Hong.
On the way from Washington to Atlantic city and back (2 and half hours each way), Peng Fan and Ms Zhao are the only passengers, last Christmas. They fell into sleep in the first five miles of departure, and woke up in the last five miles of arrival at the same time, and could tell you that they just had a very good sleep and could play “Tuo LaJi” all night long, without a single least feel of guilty.
Take care,