Alex, in the borrowed team office, with the local charge nurses.Friday was the team's last day in Changde. A few people had already left earlier in the week, so our numbers were sadly dwindling as our memorable trip to China was quickly drawing to a close.
After morning rounds on the handful of our remaining patients, we took one last opportunity to thank the local staff for their kindness, patience, and fantastic care.
Alex and me, flanking the very capable Dr. Fu - the local doc who helped make things happen on the first floor ward.
Back at the hotel, a pensive-looking Johnny, displaying the framed and signed scrub shirt for our translator/guide/friend, Pan.The giant custom frame was extraordinarily cheap, by U.S. standards - I think we paid less than twenty bucks, for a very nice job that would have fleeced us for hundreds of dollars here.
If you can zoom in on the scrub top, there are a lot of very sweet messages and meaningful sketches. Quite a few of us managed to scrawl our Chinese names beside our American ones, myself included.
On this, the last day of the trip, after I had been "signing my name" repeatedly with all the grace of a struggling kindergartner, a couple native speakers pointed out that I was writing my name wrong... Part of the character for my given name was backwards! Apparently, I've been doing this for the last twenty years... And there it is, on the shirt, behind glass, preserved for Pan and posterity.
Well, now I know.
Saying our goodbyes in the hotel lobby. Here's Faith, soaking it up like a regal princess.
Almost unbearably cute, Alfred and Rosa. Newlyweds (I think six months still qualifies). Rosa - who is a periodontist in Hong Kong - joined us for the second week of the trip.
The scene as we tried to board the bus. There were a lot of tearful goodbyes, and promises were made to see each other again at next year's trip. All of our translators were so sweet, kind, and helpful - not to mention quite good at helping us understand and communicate throughout our stay. I am sure each of them will go on to achieve great things.And so another bus spirited us away, this time a nearly three hour journey to the city of Changsha, where most of us would fly to Shanghai, spend one night, then find our ways home.
This bus ride was a bit more subdued, from a combination of exhaustion and contemplation.
And the flight from Changsha to Shanghai, on China Eastern, was much less memorable than our first flight to Changde. In a good way.
But there was still more Pan to enjoy! Here he is, captured as he tries to figure out a logic puzzle.The Shanghai crew finally settled in at the hotel late, around 9 pm, but we were determined to see at least a glimpse of the city - which was nearly an hour's taxi ride from the hotel. Ever patient, Pan - who was in Shanghai for some very important interviews - convinced this restaurant to stay open to serve us.
One last feast, in Shanghai.
Left photo: center bowl, fish soup laced with Sichuan peppercorns. Clockwise, starting at 12, barbecued rabbit, deep fried whitefish, braised fungus, a dried rice and syrupy tropical fruit amalgam, spicy pork, another spicy dish, mashed potatoes!, and roast duck.
Right photo: my favorite dish of the night, silky tofu with the slightest touch of spice, in broth.
I had about 6 hours in Shanghai proper. But we made the most of it, before heading back to the airport and finally returning home.Thank you to everyone who's been following this sordid tale.
This cleft trip to China was such a rewarding experience - not just seeing a tiny slice of this giant nation firsthand as an amazed tourist, but being able to give back a little something of myself too. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes (Jackie, Judy, all the foundations who helped us get to Changde) and the generous locals who helped us all the time, every day. It was a privilege to be part of the American team; every single one of whom rallied to make it happen for the children.
