伦敦大学亚非学院
Dear Golden Arrow
Many congratulations on your 20th birthday from all at SOAS. From a personal perspective, it’s both amazing and slightly scary to think that the IFCELS Department (and I) have been working with you for all but one of those years. Golden Arrow was our first “serious” agent in China.
Over those 19 years I reckon I have visited 8 different offices, made 100 branch visits in total and briefed dozens of consultants, some of them on multiple occasions (thank you for your patience). At different times and in different places I have been greeted with open arms, in stunned silence and even by managers locking themselves in their offices.
So many memories. Pick one. My first visit to the Kunshan HQ. Arriving at the local Metro station in a snowstorm and with the streets flooded, water pouring into my shoes. You’ll easily get a taxi said Tony Ji. Not in that weather. Only the vultures with their illegal cars were left, circling the lost foreigner. Swallow pride, call Tony. Just as they are closing in, a gleaming Jaguar emerges from the blizzard with our hero TJ at the wheel and whisks me off to safety.
Tony will probably want to revisit my locally procured haircut when I was living in Beijing (think square top – inspired the teenage Kim Jong Un) which caused such hilarity among the sophisticated Shanghai elite. Humiliated, on my next visit to Shanghai, I had my hair cut there. Fortunately no photographic evidence exists …or at least if it does, Tony doesn’t have access to it.
I would like to thank Tony Ji and the many managers – Jay, Gaoning, Sophie and Danny in particular - who have supported and promoted our Foundation and Pre-master’s programmes for almost two decades. And also to the consultants who have recommended our programmes and sent us applications, even though we do sometimes reject them.
Here’s wishing you another two decades of success. May your shaft shine on and your aim be true.
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