My Friends (6): Glip

It is weird feeling now. I am in 24-hour library room, doing some readings. It is quite empty here, five persons in total: 3 Chinese, 1 Indian, and one black. It is a guetto, I believe, a very cold guetto because of the ratio of people against space. Also, other personal thoughts went through my mind, making me a little restless. So I am like, what the heck, just post one more blog before the spring break is over.
Just bump into some insightful argument, and I feel like I have a good idea of writing a paper. If my advisor does not write me back on my proposal soon, I will just make a start on this seperate paper then.
Funny thing, because I am ready to blog about my advisor now. Let's call him Glip. I am not sure whether I can do him just, but I will try.
Glip is probably one of the most intelligently cynical human beings I've ever met. I came to Stanford without any idea about him, only to find out how lucky that I've picked the right school. In our quarter workshop, when the discussion went to nowhere, I would shout with my silent internal voice:"shut up, everybody. Just let Glip talk!" I do not care if the workshop becomes Glip's solo lecture, because that's when the workshop provides me with the best stuff. With him, I find that studying sociology is bearable, intellectually challenging, and sometimes fun, although I am still struggling with the idea whether I would devote my career in sociology eventually. But that's another stody.
He is nice to students. Every spring festival we will be invited to his house to have new year dinner. He is well-versed in Chinese culture, so people feel comfortable. Other indidents involves confidential events of my friends, and I am not disclosing anything here. But needless to say, he has his own professional way to help out.
He has a dream-walking style. I believe that he is so deep in his thoughts that he would be surprised if I say hello to him in the middle of his path from home to school. But I never am able to decode his thoughts, because he is very impersonal. He cracks jokes, gives advise, and even selectively tells him own story, but you never know him. Maybe as his students, we are never supposed to, but somehow I wish I could, and somehow I take some efforts in guessing.
He never shows anger or frustration, makes self-depreciating jokes if facing personal questions. One time students asked a question about "Asian Fadish", and somehow he managed to answer the question without giving any information. I feel like he can be a perfect politician.
But he won't. His cynicism set him apart from all the other people. I believe, from small hints, he is frustrated by the recent American politics and department politics, but he never lets it shown. In academic conferences, I believe he hates his mediocre colleagues with only nonsense to say. It must be boring for him sitting through most conference, because his intelligence is rarely matched by others. But he never shows too. Sometimes I have an image of him like that: A soldier in the frontline taking all the shots, but telling his comrades behind that everything is all right.
Maybe I am trying too hard to find a hero in my life, so Glip just slips in as a substitute. But even that's just an illusion, so what? Though I only hope I can know him better.