Author Archives: Ranjan

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About Ranjan

Writer, scientist, traveler and speaker.

My talk at the FGF conference, Wenzhou, China 2018

My China Trip, part 5: Speaking at the FGF Conference, Wenzhou, 2018

Continued from My China trip, part 4: An Evening of Song and Dance in Wenzhou

I woke to the gentle but persistent chimes of my cellphone alarm. The first blush of dawn was lighting the sky. I pulled back the curtains of my hotel room and looked out. Wenzhou was spread out before me surrounded by low, green hills which dwarfed the many high-rises in the city. It looked peaceful in the soft light of early dawn.

View from my hotel room, Wenzhou, China

View from my hotel room, Wenzhou, China

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Chinese classical dance

My Chinese Trip, part 4: An Evening of Song and Dance in Wenzhou

Continued from My China Trip part 3: the First Conference and on to Wenzhou

We boarded the train for Wenzhou, put our bags on the overhead racks and settled into the cushioned seats for the journey. I kept my camera and some reading material handy. All the invited scientists were in one compartment. Most of them knew each other and so the conversation soon started to flow. I was looking forward to Wenzhou and the conference.

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Camaraderie at the Hangzhou meeting

My China Trip, Part 3: The First Conference and on to Wenzhou

Continued from  My China trip, part 2

I woke up next morning feeling refreshed and ready for the first conference. I made a cup of coffee and looked out through my hotel window. It was a bright day.

View from my hotel room in Hangzhou hotel

View from my hotel room in Hangzhou

I saw tall buildings, green trees and broad roads with orderly traffic. I was used to that sight in the USA. But there was a preponderance of scooters relatives to cars. This allows for less congestion, pollution and comparatively cheap transportation in a country of over a billion people, a sensible approach. After breakfast I headed downstairs for our first set of meetings.

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Dinner, Hangzhou Restaurant

My China Trip, Part 2: Hangzhou and West Lake

Continued from My China Trip, part 1: Getting There

We got off the train from Shanghai, hailed a taxi and headed towards New Century Hotel in Hangzhou. It was almost noon. Chen took care of the check-in formalities. We had just enough time to dump my bags in my room and rush downstairs for lunch. I was famished!

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Chinese flag

My China Trip: Part 1: Getting there

I was spending the last four years comfortably traveling, writing and editing when I received an unexpected invitation. I was invited to attend and speak at the 5th International Conference on Growth Factors organized by Wenzhou Medical University (WMU) in Wenzhou, China. It took a while for this to sink in. Should I go…

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