Friday night we flew into Lanzhou. As we approached the city by air I looked out the window and, for as far as the eye could see, were the mountain steppes that are part of the region. It looked like someone had taken the worlds largest bed sheet and crumpled it up/ There were undulating crevices and peaks going towards the distance and all were a dull brown color.
We landed and were met by Dr. Tang ad our driver. Driving into Lanzhou was different than driving into Shanghai or Changchun. It was a long drive (almost an hour) through the steppe hills - a backdrop of low mountains that went on for as far as the eye could see, all of which had been terraced to have ruler straight lines of trees planted all up the hillside. Lanzhou is an arid area that, through deforestation, has taken on an almost desert-like appearance outside of town. Someone in the government decided that a major reforestation project was due. How they will water, literally, millions of trees in an arid semi-desert - I haven't a clue.
Once we landed and got into town it was dark - but we were taken directly to a restaurant where we were joined by one of our translators - Fiona - who has worked with Children's HeartLink visiting teams for over 4 years. She is a nurse and quite fluent in English, thanks to her love of American sitcoms and "Lie to Me - on Fox!" Lanzhou has always been home to many ethnic minorities, from Buddhists in the early ages to a quite sizable Muslim population now. That meant fantastic lamb and beef and no need for me to worry about pork or shellfish! Honestly, this first meal was one of the best I have had. While not the spicy Szechuan food, it had a lot of flavor and was spicy. We had several types of lamb, which were all fantastic.
The next morning we went to the hospital and got to meet Dr. Tang's colleagues - Dr. Bin, Dr. Song, and others, as well as the former chair of the department, Dr. Gau, and the VP of the hospital, and long time supporter, Dr. Yu. The hospital in Lanzhou is connected to a university, so it is a teaching hospital. And they take a lot of pride in this. They are warm, caring, earnest people. I would say they are simple, but hat sounds condescending. It is not. They are aware of what their mission and job is and they work diligently and hard to accomplish it with all of their considerable thought, talent, and spirit. They were, to a person, open, inviting, and genuine.
The city itself was an interesting change from Changchun. Less Soviet looking (but some small influences) and more "traditional Chinese" - with lots and lots of people all over and immense traffic. But it is clearly a city modernizing as well. We went to the mall the next day and it reminded me of the Water Tower in Chicago.
I've mentioned before that driving in China is an adventure. Lanes and lines mean little. People compete with cars and don't back down. Drivers veer from lane to lane, like a weaver at a loom. Crossing a double yellow line and playing chicken with oncoming traffic is common - especially if the car in front of you is slow and you want to make that next turn...
Part of the issue with driving in China is the population explosion an subsequent massive building. None of the cities were designed for cars to begin with, so in a sudden growth mode most places just did more of what they had before. Plus, in a city like Lanzhou (3 million people0 there are 300-500 new drivers A DAY.
Then there is the driving itself. In order to get a license in China you have to take over 50 hours of instruction. Or be willing to pay a premium to just get your license. If you can afford it, you do that latter. The former isn't so great to begin with, apparently. Nearly every 20 or 30 year old we have met - doctors, nurses, translators - do not drive themselves. Some are practicing for their license, most are not. Chinese who move to the States for a time get their American driver's license, but refuse to drive in China. But you better get it while you can, because in China if you are over 70 it is illegal to drive.
And then there's the issue of learning. Very few parents have ever driven, so are unable to help teach their children the rules of the road. It is a significant cultural and generational gap.
The best way, I have found, to be a passenger in China, is to close your eyes. Which, sadly, seems to be the way a lot of people drive here...
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