sensei was the first person to make me feel welcome here. He /msg'd me and told me that one of my nodes was good. It felt better than any ching, or any upvote could be.
I've never seen him lose patience with anyone, I've never seen him give criticism that wasn't constructive, and I've never seen him be less than helpful. When I'm talking to newbies or offering suggestions or corrections, I try to emulate his approach -- but I don't do it as well as he does.
And as for his nodes ... well, you don't want to hear me talk about them, just go read them. It'll take you a while, but it will be time well spent.
I hope he's feeling better, and I hope he'll be back with us soon.
/me misses sensei.