Day Six: Meeting with Mr Ding

A number of new students arrived today, from Pakistan, Indonesia and Japan. We all gathered together that afternoon for a meeting with "Mr Ding", the Division Chief of the Gansu Foreign Affairs Office. As Andrew and I had had an informal meeting with him earlier in the week we were expecting the same.
Instead, at the appointed time we were lead into a conference room where he and his staff greeted us. Not only them, but a photographer and video-grapher were there also! Both Mr Ding and the Dean of International Studies at Lanzhou University gave welcoming speeches, interpreted in turn by Steven and Yuan Mei. We learnt that the reason for inviting Pakistani and Indonesian delegates was in thanks for the kind support both countries had given during the trials of the earthquakes that hit Sichuan and also affected Gansu this year.
(On that note, I have been making regular small donations to the Red Cross appeal box at our local chāo shì (supermarket), and encourage you to also support the cause as you are able. We have heard numerous times about the devastation caused, and there are many Appeals out there contributing to the rebuilding efforts).

Then we were introduced to the Staff of the Gansu Foreign Affairs Office: Steven, who is administering this programme; Amanda, who has studied French; Kang who has studied Japanese; Julia, the staff member who will be assisting Andrew and myself; and Roxanne, a new intern. They were all wonderfully pleasant and very welcoming.

We all then went to dinner at a restuarant in a provincial-owned hotel. We were a little concerned initially as we had been forewarned of the amount of alcohol drunk at such occassions, but tonight only tea and Pepsi were poured. Again, an astonishing amount of food was served and no one could have left wanting more.

I must say how comfortable I am feeling with life in Lanzhou, in many ways it is similar to Christchurch and I can see why they are Sister Cities. Firstly, the people are so friendly, so welcoming and so accomodating. I hope that Christchurch is one-tenth as friendly as Lanzhou. Both cities have a large river running through, the Yellow River in Lanzhou and the Avon River in Christchurch. Furthermore, the landscape of both is flat and surrounded by a patchwork of agricultural fields, and the climate in each is similar (albeit the seasons occuring at opposite times of the year!) I cannot wait until I can communicate as easily with everyone with the city!