I'm sitting on that beige couch that Anne-Marie gave me years ago while writing this message. It's absolutely comfortable! Back to the main point… Thank you so much for teaching me phonology (among other things). In my first year I was stuck with the Eastern Meadow-Mari data set, and you offered to meet me *after* your office hours, so that I didn't have to compete with undergrads for your attention. When I came to your office (still in Stores Road Annex at that time), I felt dumb not knowing the solution, but you walked me through all assumptions, generalizations, and constraint definitions patiently. Now I don't even remember the constraint ranking that I came up with, but one important thing that I learned was that being kind was more important than being intelligent as a human being.
Another fond memory was walking around Hong Kong with you and Diana in the summer heat. I had never thought that we could meet in my hometown. How cool was that!!! We even took a selfie in front of my elementary school. By the way, if I remember correctly, we took that pic with your camera and I forgot to ask you to send me a copy…
Do you know what I will always remember about my oral defence? The university examiner said "I'm a retired professor" and you responded "I'm a tired professor" LOL. I am glad "retired" does not mean "to be tired again" in the English language. I hope you will enjoy lots of hikes in nature and spend quality time with your beautiful family. You know who to call when you and Anne-Marie crave for Hong Kong-style desserts!
In the picture: Zoe and Doug at UBC Three-Minute Thesis Competition (March 2015)
