send-off message

[waaalden]

I am reading Paul Farmer's <To Repair the World>. There are so many things I can't understand. I think it's partly because the writer is a doctor. Anyway, I need help.

What a pleasure to be back in this great city. I'm especially grateful that a former teacher of mine is now your dean, since it means all I have to do to have two nice meals in the French Quarter is to deliver your send-off message. (p. 156)



I think the writer is suggesting the dean's resignation, but I'm not sure. Please let me know what 'two nice meals' and 'send-off message' in the sentence mean. For your reference, it's Paul Farmer's commencement speech in 2008 in Tulane Medical School.

 

[velisarius]

It's "your" send-off message, not "his" send-off message. "Your" must refer to his audience generally and in this case to the new students. I would imagine the "send-off message" is a flippant way of saying "farewell speech", meaning the speech that he may be invited to give when they graduate.

(He implies that the Dean has taken him out for a nice meal on this occasion, and he looks forward to another one.)

 

[waaalden]

Thank you for your help.

I got a hint from your advice. I think the writer had two nice meals during his stay in the French Quarter.