His high regard for the time he spent in Germany can be gleaned from his choice to include "Hannover" as part of his e-mail address.
"My six years in Germany were very significant for me. Picking `Hannover' as my part of my e-mail address keeps those days close to mind," Lee said.
"I have learned how to work effectively, to be critical of myself, qualities that have helped me reach my goals in Germany," he added.
Some of what he learned in Germany has also rubbed off on the people around him.
"He even taught us how to shine shoes and iron shirts," said Ge Chao-jia (
As Lee will officially step into the position Monday, he, however, refused to talk about his vision for the future of agriculture, insisting the ideas could only be shared after tomorrow.
Lee said that the first thing on his agenda is to listen to the voices of farmers and fishermen with an open mind, thereby closing the communication gap that some say has opened up between them and the government.



