Tim, our sincere friend from America, has been missing from here for a whole month. So I wrote to him yesterday and asked about his situation. Here’s his reply. I have posted it with his permission to assure friends who are concerned that he is still with us.
-----------------------------------------------------------------Dear Charles, I was wanting to write you. I am so sorry to have been missing for so long. Thanks for writing. I have been extremely busy keeping things going with the business and preparing for a paper I am giving in a symposium about the petroleum business in November. A lot of it I may be able to use, if I can make the proper arrangements, in China. What I have in mind is trying to get invited to give presentations about the state of horizontal drilling in the US. I'm going to be meeting with a fellow I've met recently who is from Sichuan and works in the local petroleum business in Dallas. I hope to get some hints about approaching academia and the State Oil Company. To tell you the truth, I have little concept as to how long it will take to make arrangements to give a talk three or four times in various places in China. So my actual timing will depend a great deal on the vaguaries of my target audience and whether I can get them together. One thing I have in mind is to contribute $100 or so to the local geological society to "Grease the skids" so to speak. Are you familiar with that expression? It means to make the thing go more smoothly. Strictly American, I think. Firstly, I want to say how happy and proud of the accomplishments of China in space. Of course I have been watching them with great interest and was very pleased that your brave "taikonaut" returned safely. It is ironic that China is currently capable of sending a man into space now and the US is not! My congratulations to all of China. May I count on you to help me with my correspondence to the Chinese institutions (if necessary). I would expect that it will not be necessary, but it might be the proper thing to do. I have some business in town to attend to. Please feel free to post any part of this letter you choose on Hongen. I will try to post there soon. Very best wishes to you and your dear, sweet family, Tim--------------------------------------------------------------As you may have found, Tim is seeking for access to China by which he can expand his business into this country that he loves to work in. He may need help. I wonder if there are any of us who are familiar with his field (petroleum and gas exploitation) or related institutions, and if you can provide him any information.
And sure, Tim, I’ll be very glad if I can be of any help. Please feel free to tell me if you find anything that you can entrust to me.
Best wishes to all,
Charles
