My presentation completed successfully, I staggered back home and collapsed into bed for a well-earned nap. 9pm rolled around and I decided it might be time to get some work done – ahh yes, the hours us students keep – so I plopped down into my chair and commenced with the email checking. At this point in my life, after well over a decade of computer use, I’m pretty sure that if one were to sit down in front of said machine and *not* immediately commence with the email checking, his head would explode right there on the spot. We can make allowances for lack of an internet connection of course, but be warned, there is ritual written all over your lil’ PC, and you are it’s unknowing slave.

I digress.

In any case, I checked my email and found one waiting for me from Prof. Zhang entitled “Could you give me a hand?” — odd. Thinking it was some sort of class mass-email, I opened it, and was further surprised to see that it was addressed solely to me. My surprise gave way to sheer astonishment as I read the contents therein:

After initially congratulating me on my group’s thorough and well-paced efforts, and my individual presentation thereof, he cut to the chase. One of his former students turned research associates from Tsinghua University has composed a research paper that is to be submitted to the Journal of Environmental Management. This fellow, who already has his PhD, asked his old sensei Prof. Zhang if he could help him clean up the English version of the research report for publication.

Prof. Zhang in turn forwarded all the relevant documents to me and politely asked me if I would undertake the task of editing the final draft of this fellow’s paper for submission to the journal. In requesting the above he cited my obvious natural background in the language coupled with my strength in environmental studies as his reasons for asking. I’m even getting paid, but that’s beside the point.

I am a 22 year old master’s candidate. In other words, I am nobody. Yet in Prof. Zhang’s eyes I am qualified to play the role of academic writer and final editor on a 40pg research report by one of his former students who already has earned his doctorate. I have looked through the paper, and in order to render it into fluent English as requested nearly every sentence will need adjustment, and many will need flat-out restatement. This truly is not something that could be done without really knowing your material, and Prof. Zhang thinks I’ve got what it takes. Lastly, the paper has already been peer-reviewed twice, all it needs now is my English polishing and it will immediately be sent to the Journal of Environmental Management for publication. My words, mind you not my work obviously, but my words, will be published. Not only that, it will be published under the names of Prof. Zhang and his associate. These men have put their trust in me to make their work presentable to the Western science community at large. I think it is reasonable to be excited over such a thing.

So I thanked Prof. Zhang profusely, and expressed my gratitude over his honoring me so, and now I’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do. Did I mention it’s due Sunday? 😉