I had for many years wanted to study China. It was in obvious contrast to Russia and the Russian empire. It was a fascinating culture. My wife, Janet, was even more eager to see China. She had always wanted to visit China, and she encouraged me enthusiastically whenever I mentioned the possibility of my going there. She also made it extremely evident that she desperately wanted to go with me. But she had an advanced case of Alzheimer's disease, and every expert we talked with warned us that the worst thing for Alzheimer's patients to experience was change. And how much change could there be but a different language, a different culture, a different everything? A trip to China was the worst thing that Janet could undertake.

Then came my golden opportunity to go to China. A very interesting international organization was planning an international convention in Shanghai. Great. I knew the organization and thought very well of it. I had gone to one of its earlier conventions, this one in France, where the organization paid my way to the most fascinating convention I had ever attended. This time, the organization didn't offer to pay my way, but it did encourage me to attend. Janet was ready to pack. We met with her psychiatrist, Dr. Goldberg, and explained my interests and Janet's. He smiled and said to me, “I needn't tell you all the many reasons why it is not advisable for you to take Janet to China. Change is not good for Alzheimer's patients. All I can assure you, is that if you decide to take her, despite my advice, I will do all I can to help you, but that is likely to be no more than to meet the medical evacuation plane on your return.” Janet smiled her most loving smile, and said to me with joy in her eyes, “Then we are going, aren't we?” I said, hesitantly, “Yes, we are.”

My first trip to China was the most extraordinary trip of my life. It was, to begin, of immense importance for my research, because a study of China was a gigantic departure from my previous research, even in Japan, Poland, and Ukraine, because the culture was so entirely different. I also had no inkling of how to find colleagues who could potentially become my collaborators.