In the summer of 2018, ICARE-Oxford Summer Schoolcommenced. My tutor, Prof. Hu Song of the State Key Laboratory of CoalCombustion, received three students from University of Oxford, and was incharge of the guidance of their exchange study in summer. Because of my studybackground at ICARE-China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, myinternship experience in France and my fairly good spoken English, as avolunteer in our laboratory, I took on the assisting work of their living,studying and working during the summer camp at Huazhong University of Scienceand Technology.
Harold fit my impression of a handsome British guy,tall but with dishevelled hair and white skin dotted with freckles; Paribesh,with a Chinese face, was shy at first, but later got to know very well a lot ofChinese students; Roshan talked like a rapper, who was a vegetarian who reallydidn’t favor meat.

After our first meeting, our story was going on“happily”. While they diligently “upgraded” the experimental equipment that Iprepared for two years in the laboratory, I was extremely “gratified” toexpress “well done!” I thought our story would simply be love-hate, but one dayI said to them, “Hey, guys! I’m getting married. I need to be away for severaldays.” Strangely enough, they were not as excited as usual, but were somewhatsilent after being surprised. Later, I started my journey home, and they calledme on Wechat from time to time: there was something wrong with the experimentbench. On the way, they saw a man and thought he was my brother. They bought aGucci cap with Peppa Pig on it. They saw the sunrise and etc.
On August 8, 2018, I got my marriage certificate,and I shared my wedding photos and wedding dress photos with them. Thatafternoon, I received the song they sent me.
I didn’t know if they continued to be tortured by“calcination boat” in Wuhan, and I didn’t know how long they had been preparingfor this song. I just had a happy feeling that maybe there are a few morefriends at the other end of Eurasia.

Later, they left one after another. Before theywent back to UK, they told me repeatedly that I must go to England for a trip.I also confirmed to them again and again that I would definitely keep theappointment when I had the opportunity, but so far, I have not made the trip.

Even later, when we had a video call when the threeof them got together and talked about me and thought of me.

For several reasons, the plan to visit UK may bestranded for many years. How can I be such a cruel person? Several times Imentioned to my wife that when the three of them were messing up in thelaboratory, my wife inadvertently asked me how I could remember it so clearlyand still be beaming. I think as a Chinese who is not good at expressingemotions, maybe, I really miss them, a little.

The world and each of us have experienced quite alot in 2020, and I am also preparing for my graduation thesis. As the Christmas approach，I hope myfriends at the other end of Eurasia will be healthy, happy and blessed. Lookingforward to our reunion, I think we will, maybe at the next corner.

[Verse 1]

Lab coats, gog-ggles

Working in the coal lab.

White gloves, long days

Masks on, light shines

As we’re combusting coal.

Long nights, with Hanjian.

[Pre-Chorus]

And they say,

We’re part of the coal squad.

Learning in the laboratory.

Been this way for 2 months,

But lately Hanjian

deserted us, drilling,

breaking his machine

Exploring

On WeChat he tells us what to do

[Chorus]

‘Cause he’s just got married to Grace

Completely in love with her

So they’ve both travelled to their, hometown

Where they ce-lebrate with their families

And buy a brand new apartment

It’s too sad at HUST

Without Li Hanjian

Author：

Li Hanjian, male, PhD candidate in the State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. In 2015, he was admitted to the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy as exam-free student. In 2017, he was exchanged to Mines Paristech as visiting internship student. In the same year, he was transferred to the State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion for Ph.D. study under the supervision of Professor Hu Song. He has presided one HUST Innovation and Entrepreneurship project for postgraduate, one HUST Innovation Institute’s Innovation project, and has participated in numerous of National Key Research and Development Projects and National Natural Science Foundation projects. Also, he has won several honorary titles such as "Social Activity Activist" "Zhixing Scholarship" "Merit Graduate Students" and "National Scholarship for Doctoral Students" of year 2019 and year 2020 consecutively. He has published 12 SCI papers, 5 of which as the first author. He has been granted 1 US invention patent as the author after supervisor and applied for 23 national invention patents as the first author after his supervisor, 14 of which have already been authorized.