(狐狸来看榜样)原本是斯坦福博士，现在是出租车司机

一木菩提UID: 2390164

原文地址 http://blog.renren.com/blog/228537234/461835923

昨天在书店看到一本叫作《The Diary of a Taxi Driver》的书，作者是Dr. CAI Mingjie. 简介和前言里面大概描述了一下这个蔡博士：他是一个从中国来到本地的华人，南京大学本科（1973-1977）、中科院硕士（1981）、斯坦福大学（1985-1990）的PhD（擦！）,从1992年开始在本地一所科研机构专门从事分子和细胞生物学的研究，担任principal investigator（擦！），他所供职的实验室在相关领域做出过重大的贡献，他也负责这所研究机构的研究生招生工作，他同时担任该机构的副教授和本地一所大学的客座教授（擦！）。2008年，该机构迎来了新的管理层，于是他的实验室被关闭，并且没有被续约，蔡博士向本地的几所大学、政府机构和相关个人机构投了简历，虽然一开始本地有大学非常感兴趣，甚至提出了tenured professorship的可能，但是最后都石沉大海。由于本地相关领域的工作就是这么窄，而蔡博士因为家庭原因不能去外国工作，所以最后迫于生计开起了出租车。
他一边开出租车，一边把自己碰到的故事记录在博客里面，于是后来就有了这本书。我在书店里看了一会儿那本书，挺有趣，回来查看那个博客，发现上面故事也就比书上稍微少了点。出租车司机接触的人多而杂，所以故事读起来格外有意思，我以后会选择性转载一些。

以下是感想：
1. 本地搞分子和细胞生物学研究的科研机构么不用说谁都知道是哪个，该机构有着政府背景，而且所涉及科目不只是生物学。我有一些学业特别优秀的同学和前辈都是拿着该机构的奖学金去英美读大学的，据说该机构的待遇不错，新员工的初始工资就要高过大银行，但是人家一个principal investigator都有被裁员的下场，各位进去后还请注意搞好人情世故。
2. 学术事业也不是传说中的那么稳定，斯坦福的PhD而且还是PI都会遭遇中年失业的结果，象牙塔也是要谨慎选择的。近些年国内考研热情一年比一年旺，有些国内的朋友也和我说过想读硕读博然后在大学里混下去，希望这些朋友能够提早做出长远的打算，为自己留个安全网。
3. 每个人一生总有蔡博士这样野心少了一点心态淡定了一点的时期，这种人生阶段的生活应该也是不错的吧。
4. 这本书里面的故事确实很有趣，有心肠很好的人，也有很恶毒的人，有很有钱的人，也有特别落魄的人，但是不管怎样，大家活得都不容易。

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以下转载一篇：

March 19, 2009. Thursday: “Although taxi driving is a noble job…”This morning, a man boarded my taxi near Everton park. He was so fat that it was difficult for him to get into the car. After he finally sat down, I started driving to Novena Square the man said of going.

“You must be new. How long have you been driving?” the man started the conversation.

“How do you know I am new?” I threw the question back, glad to oblige him.

“You wear long sleeves. Not many taxi drivers wear long sleeves. And you look very siwen(scholarly).” Then, he added, “You must be a very handsome man when you were young.”

“No, I am more handsome now than before,” I responded. “And yes, I am new. I only started driving about three weeks ago.”

“What were you doing before?”

“I was a teacher.”

“See, I knew it.”

After he learned how I lost my job, he expressed his sympathy, and said to me that it is not my disgrace to lose the job. It’s the system’s. Then he said, “Although taxi driving is a noble job….”

“A noble job?” I interrupted him. “You are the first person who said this to me.”

“Yes, it is a noble job,” he spoke thoughtfully. “A taxi driver has freedom. He is his own boss. And he charges his fees by the meter. Children or elderlies, men or women, all treated the same. But,” he stressed again. “But, you ought to go back to your expertise. Many people can drive taxis, but not many people can do what you did in your expert field. It is a terrible waste for you to drive a taxi….”

I explained to him at length how I view taxi driving and how I want to use this experience to show to the people how to go on with your life when the extreme adversity strikes you. At the end of the journey, the man paid me $10 for a $7 something trip.

The man is over 70 years old. He used to own several factories in Singapore and Malaysia. He also invested in China many years ago but the business didn’t work out, because he was cheated by some people there. That unpleasant experience, however, didn’t affect his admiration for China and Chinese people. He had some really insightful views about many things, including certain issues in Singapore. He is a very wise man in many ways.

cctvvvUID: 2757363

不是所有的专业都这样的。

白狐UID: 2793379

各种  擦！！！！

zhlxrUID: 2714778

MARK一下~~

好凉……

一木菩提UID: 2390164

MARK一下~~

好凉……
zhlxr 发表于 2010-4-30 16:37

我是不是该加一句指头来看校友？.....

zhlxrUID: 2714778

我是不是该加一句指头来看XX？.....
一木菩提 发表于 2010-4-30 16:38

你要XXX了%……

hulinlin24UID: 2731389

等主人出现

toby677UID: 2598798

......这个教授会回去的做研究的.

jiangshengUID: 197027

Dr Suresh

zhangyp88290590UID: 2579957

恩，大家活得都不容易

ＫＫUID: 2691928

Dr Suresh
jiangsheng 发表于 2010-4-30 21:38

Mohinder......

nealxycUID: 2730429

涉及到政府的工作就会这样吧。。

zhangyp88290590UID: 2579957

ls签名好pp

nealxycUID: 2730429

ls签名好pp
zhangyp88290590 发表于 2010-4-30 21:48

:lol