時不利兮志不渝
內蒙外逐意難書
光陰似箭心如矢
舊業從頭亦未躇
Professor Lam and I went back a long way. I first met him at the
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1980
when he attended my lectures on stochastic control. He was a middle-aged
student (-five years older than the lecturer) along with other students of
similar age from Mainland China; China was beginning to open up after the
disastrous cultural revolution. Our friendship that started there lasted till
his departure from this world, a total of 40 years. The best way to describe
our friendship is Zhuangzi’s 君子之交淡如水. I followed his career closely. And from time
to time he would consult me on various change points. For example, he asked me
for my advice about the offer from HKU shortly after he had just accepted one
from the National University of Singapore. He accepted my advice and honoured
his acceptance by going to the NUS. I can remember visiting him at the NUS as
his house guest. A couple of years later, I was very glad that his wish of
returning to Hong Kong was realised and he moved to the Department of
Statistics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to which he made many important
contributions. He stayed there till his retirement, having served it as its
head of department at one time. In retirement, he continued to be an active
teacher at the University of Hong Kong. On looking back, in many ways, his life
trajectory and mine have many points of intersection, some contemporaneously
and others sequentially: UMIST, CUHK, HKU, NUS and Peking University.
Professor Lam Yeh’s life was full of ups and downs but he faced
them all with fortitude, humility, and generosity. If I were a novelist or a
film-maker, I could write a novel or make a movie based on his colourful
life-journey, and I’m sure it would bring tears to my readers/viewers. Many
pictures have appeared in front of my eyes and I will always treasure his
memory for he was a real Junzi!
May Lam Yeh, my dear friend, rest in peace!
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